Helianthus decapetalus Flore Plenus

Helianthus decapetalus 'Flore Plenus', a double variety of perennial sunflower with ten petals, is a non-invasive woody-based plant. It forms a tall and bushy clump, with sturdy stems that bloom from late summer until the first frost. Its flowers resemble golden yellow daisies with a darker rounded centre. This sunflower is the last smile of the garden, bringing much cheerfulness to the countryside borders and autumn foliage towards the end of the season.

Helianthus decapetalus belongs to the Asteraceae family, and the 'Flore Plenus' variety reaches 1.5 metres (5 feet) in height with a spread of 1 metre (3 feet) at the base. The overall appearance is a bouquet of sturdy stems, glabrous at the base, bristly and rough towards their ends, and branched. The flowering period spans from September to November. The heads appear in large numbers at the top of the stems, resembling fully-double and round daisies with a 5 to 8cm (2 to 3in) diameter, intense yellow colour and a slightly brown centre. The deciduous leaves are lanceolate to obovate, velvety underneath, and measure 10cm (4in) long. They are distributed all the way to the top of the stems.

The great interest of perennial sunflowers lies in their late flowering and excellent adaptability to heavy, clayey, and even limestone soils. Helianthus decapetalus 'Flore Plenus' is an excellent long-lasting perennial. Vigorous, it is perfect for the back of borders or mixed borders. It is a plant with a countryside look that blends well in slightly wild areas of the garden, alongside Cosmos, sainfoin, tall Scabious, and pendulous Carex, for example. Another idea for association, with equally easy plants: Vernonia noveboracensis, Eupatorium fistulosum, Andropogon virginicus, Muhlenbergia capillaris. Its tall stature allows it to be placed in front of shrubs (deciduous Euonymus, Spireas, Hydrangea quercifolia, Cotinus..), which will provide natural support while blending their autumn colours with its sunny flowering.

Perennial sunflowers have gained a bad reputation due to the wild species that were previously offered, which tended to invade the entire garden due to their long running rhizomes. The plants we offer today are non-running or have minimal spreading tendencies.