Slender Sunflower, Helianthus gracilentus

About Slender Sunflower (Helianthus gracilentus) 4 Nurseries Carry This Plant

Add to My Plant List

Slender Sunflower is a species in the Asteraceae (Sunflower) family that is native to central and southern California and Baja California, where it is a member of the chaparral and yellow pine forest habitats. This is a perennial herb growing from a thick taproot to heights anywhere between one half and two meters. The lance-shaped, pointed leaves are smooth-edged or slightly toothed and up to about 11 centimeters long. The long, slender stems and foliage are covered in rough hairs. The flower cluster bears flower heads with an array of short, hairy phyllaries behind a thick center of yellow to red-brown disc florets. The golden ray florets around the edge are one to three centimeters long. Grows well in chaparral and yellow pine forest habitats.

Plant Description

Plant Type

Perennial herb, Annual herb

Size

1.6 - 6.6 ft tall
.5 - 1 ft wide

Flower Color

Yellow

Flowering Season

Spring, Summer, Fall

Wildlife Supported

Numerous insects, seed-eating birds
Bird gardens

Butterflies & moths hosted ( 32 likely * ) SHOW ALL

Painted Lady Vanessa carduiVanessa cardui

Milbert's Tortoiseshell Aglais milbertiAglais milberti

California Patch Chlosyne californicaChlosyne californica

Bordered Patch Chlosyne laciniaChlosyne lacinia

White-lined Sphinx Hyles lineataHyles lineata

Alfalfa Looper Moth Autographa californicaAutographa californica

Armyworm Moth Mythimna unipunctaMythimna unipuncta

Landscaping Information

Sun

Full Sun

Moisture

Low

Summer Irrigation

Max 1x / month once established

Nurseries

Carried by 4

Cold Tolerance

Tolerates cold to 5° F

Soil Drainage

Fast

Soil Description

Prefers sand but tolerates garden soil. Soil PH: 6.0 - 8.0

Common uses

Bird Gardens, Butterfly Gardens, Bee Gardens

Companion Plants

Use with toyon (Heteromeles arbutifolia), Lemonadeberry (Rhus integrifolia), Manzanita (Arctostaphylos species), Ceanothus species, Milkweed (Asclepias species), Giant Wild Rye (Elymus condensatus), Sand Aster (Corethrogyne filaginifolia), Sagebrush (Artemisia californica), Monkeyflower (Mimulus species), Buckwheat (Eriogonum species), Heartleaf Keckiella (Keckiella cordifolia), Penstemon species, Salvia species, and Blue-eyed Grass (Sisyrinchium bellum)

Propagation?

For propagating by seed: No treatment.

Sunset Zones?

3, 7*, 14*, 15*, 16*, 17, 18*, 19*, 20*, 21*, 22*, 23*, 24*

Natural Setting

Site Type

Flat places with slightly more moisture in the Coast, Transverse and Peninsular Ranges, primarily from San Benito County southward.

Climate

Annual Precipitation: 9.3" - 51.3", Summer Precipitation: 0.14" - 2.76", Coldest Month: 30.5" - 54.5", Hottest Month: 59.7" - 83.1", Humidity: 0.59" - 33.81", Elevation: 30" - 7890"

Print Plant Sign Print Plant Label

Sources include: Wikipedia. All text shown in the "About" section of these pages is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Plant observation data provided by the participants of the California Consortia of Herbaria, Sunset information provided by Jepson Flora Project. Propogation from seed information provided by the Santa Barbara Botanical Garden from "Seed Propagation of Native California Plants" by Dara E. Emery. Sources of plant photos include CalPhotos, Wikimedia Commons, and independent plant photographers who have agreed to share their images with Calscape. Other general sources of information include Calflora, CNPS Manual of Vegetation Online, Jepson Flora Project, Las Pilitas, Theodore Payne, Tree of Life, The Xerces Society, and information provided by CNPS volunteer editors, with special thanks to Don Rideout. Climate data used in creation of plant range maps is from PRISM Climate Group, Oregon State University, using 30 year (1981-2010) annual "normals" at an 800 meter spatial resolution.

Links: Jepson eFlora Taxon Page CalPhotos Wikipedia Calflora

Slender Sunflower

Helianthus gracilentus

Sign in to your Calscape Account X

Slender SunflowerHelianthus gracilentus

Sign in to your Calscape Account X

Slender Sunflower

Helianthus gracilentus