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Phlox Subulata (moss pink) in landscape. Photo © Elaine Mills
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Heliopsis helianthoides ([Smooth] Oxeye)

Heliopsis helianthoides (oxeye) leaves in April
Heliopsis helianthoides (oxeye) bud in June
False milkweed bug on Heliopsis helianthoides (oxeye) in June.
Heliopsis helianthoides (oxeye) flower in June
Heliopsis helianthoides (oxeye) flower in June
Heliopsis helianthoides (oxeye) en masse at at Meadowlark Botanical Gardens in July
Rudbeckia and oxeye sunflower in the Pollinator Garden
Heliopsis helianthoides (oxeye) fruit in December

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Heliopsis helianthoides Tried and True Native Plant Selections (Smooth) Oxeye for the Mid-Atlantic Sometimes referred to as False Sunflower, this hardy native* of open woodlands, prairies, and fields is notable for its eight-week period of peak bloom. Its 2- to 3-inch, showy yellow flowers attract a wide variety of pollinators and make it a wonderful addition to a cutting garden. Perennial Flowers En Masse and Close-up, Fruit Height: 3–6 feet Spread: 2–4 feet Bloom Color: Yellow Characteristics Upright, clumping, herbaceous perennial with stiff, branched, hairy stems Opposite, ovate, toothed leaves, six inches long Orange-yellow composite flowers with persisting rays slightly notched at the tips and dark cone- shaped disks on pubescent peduncles June–Sept Small, flattened, dark-colored fruit (cyselae) with pappi absent or of 2–4 obscure teeth Spreads by self-sowing; difficult to divide Attributes Tolerates drought, erosion, and clay, dry, or rocky soil; no serious pests or diseases Deer rarely severely damage Can be used in fresh floral arrangements Attracts many pollinators incl. hummers to nectar and/or pollen and birds to seeds; winter cover for beneficial insects; larval host to ~2 lepidopterans Growing and Maintenance Tips Soil Requirements: Well-drained Light Requirements: Sun, Partial Shade Excellent Replacement for Anthemis tinctoria - Golden Marguerite Calendula officinalis - Marigold Water Requirements: Dry, Moist Cut back by up to 1⁄2 in May to reduce need for staking; more support needed w/ increased shade Deadhead to extend bloom season Chrysanthemum morifolium - Chrysanthemum Gerbera jamesonii - Gerbera Daisy *Heliopsis helianthoides var. helianthoides is native to DC and rare in DE. It has been reported mostly in MD’s Carroll and Howard counties and is present throughout PA. In VA, it is frequent to common in the mountains, infrequent in the Piedmont, and rare in the Coastal Plain. Use in borders, cutting gardens, and meadows Hardiness: USDA Zones 3a–9b developed by Master Gardeners of Northern Virginia, serving Arlington and Alexandria Images by Elaine Mills, Pollinator Garden, Gulf Branch Nature Center and Arlington, VA and by Mary Free (fruit), Glencarlyn Garden

Tried and True Native Plant Selections
 for the Mid-Atlantic

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Heliopsis helianthoides ([Smooth] Oxeye)

Sometimes referred to as False Sunflower, this hardy native* of open woodlands, prairies, and fields is notable for its eight-week period of peak bloom. Its 2- to 3-inch, showy yellow flowers attract a wide variety of pollinators and make it a wonderful addition to a cutting garden.

*Heliopsis helianthoides var. helianthoides is native to DC and rare in DE. It has been reported mostly in MD’s Carroll and Howard counties and is present throughout PA. In VA, it is frequent to common in the mountains, infrequent in the Piedmont, and rare in the Coastal Plain. You can view the VA counties in which it has been reported here.

Learn more about other Mid-Atlantic plants: 
Tried and True Native Plant Fact Sheets