Description
Botanical Name: Helianthus debilis
Common Name: Dune Sunflower, Beach Sunflower
Description: Dune sunflower occurs naturally along the Florida coast but adapts well for inland use. It typically blooms summer to fall in our area. Its bright flowers attract a variety of pollinators, including butterflies, moths, and bees. Its dense growth pattern provides cover for many small animals, while its seeds are eaten by birds. It grows best in dry, well-drained, loamy or sandy soils in the sun to part sun areas of your garden. Quickly grows 1-2′ tall x 3-4′ wide. Very drought tolerant once established. Likes to reseed itself. Perennial.
Yellow daisy-like flowers consist of brownish-red disk florets surrounded by bright yellow ray florets. Leaves are deltoid-shaped, with rough surfaces and toothed margins; they are alternately arranged.
The non-native, very invasive Wedelia looks a lot like Beach Sunflower. If you have Wedelia in your garden, please consider replacing it with the Beach Sunflower.
Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Salt spray or salty soil tolerance is high. Can tolerate significant and ongoing amounts of salty wind and salt spray without injury.
This plant in 1-gallon containers is 8-15″ tall.
Plant Lore: H. debilis is native only to the counties along the east coast. However, there are two subspecies: cucumberleaf dune sunflower (H. debilis subsp. cucumerifolius), which is native to scattered counties throughout the Panhandle and a few peninsular counties; and west coast dune sunflower (H. debilis subsp. vestitus), which is endemic only to Pinellas, Hillsborough, Manatee, Sarasota, Charlotte and Lee counties.
Florida Hardiness Zones 8 – 11
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