Product Description
Heliopsis h. ATHENA GOLD - Proven Winners® (25) Bare Root Plants
Heliopsis helianthoides ATHENA GOLD™ is a vibrant and exceptionally compact False Sunflower, offering a continuous burst of sunshine to your garden. This remarkable cultivar stands out with its densely packed, sunny yellow flowers, where each bloom is brimming with petals, extending its individual lifespan, and enhancing the overall floral display. ATHENA GOLD™ is an ideal choice for attracting a plethora of pollinators, including butterflies and bees, making your garden a lively hub of activity. Its manageable size, typically reaching 18-24 inches tall, makes it perfectly suited for the middle or front of the border, providing a cheerful and reliable splash of color throughout mid to late summer. A true garden workhorse, it features a bushy, well-branched form with glossy, deep green, triangular leaves, contributing to a tidy and attractive presence even when not in full bloom.
ATHENA GOLD™ exhibits a compact, bushy, and well-branched growth habit, reaching a height of 18-24 inches and a spread of 16-20 inches. The foliage consists of glossy, deep green, triangular leaves arranged densely along the stems. The flowers are the star of the show: individual blooms are a sunny yellow, approximately four½ inches across, and notably "packed with petals," giving them a fuller, more substantial appearance than typical single-flowered Heliopsis. These prolific blooms are produced from mid to late summer, creating a long-lasting display.
- Foliage: Glossy, deep green, triangular leaves. Bushy, well-branched form.
- Flowers: Sunny yellow, fully packed with petals, extending bloom life.
- Bloom Time: Midsummer to Late Summer.
- Growth Rate: Medium.
- Attracts: Butterflies, Bees.
- Critter Resistant: Not explicitly stated as deer resistant, but many Heliopsis are generally not preferred by deer.
- Seasonal Interest: Long blooming period.
- Fragrance: Not specified.
- Other Features: Excellent cut flower, suitable for combination containers, good for mass planting, easy to grow, drought tolerant once established, can be a focal point.
- Height: 18.0-24.0 Inches (45-60 cm)
- Spread: 16.0-20.0 Inches (40-50 cm)
- Hardiness Zones: 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9
- Flower Color: Yellow/Gold Shades
- Foliage Color: Green shades
- Sunlight: Full Sun (> 6 hours Direct Sun) to Part Shade (4-6 hours Direct Sun)
- Water Requirements: Average Water Needs
- Soil Quality: Average Soil Quality (Prefers average fertility; avoid overly rich soil)
- Soil Chemistry: Acidic Soil (pH < 7.0), Neutral Soil (pH = 7.0)
- Bloomtime: Midsummer, Late Summer
- PPAF: Plant Patent Applied For
- Trade Name: ATHENA GOLD™
- Cultivar Name: 'Inhelsogia'
While ATHENA GOLD™ is a cultivated variety, its parent species, Heliopsis helianthoides, is native to much of North America, particularly the central and eastern United States and parts of Canada. It is commonly found in open woodlands, prairies, savannas, and disturbed areas. This native habitat informs its preference for full sun and well-drained soils, as well as its resilience.
Landscaping Design Tips
Heliopsis helianthoides ATHENA GOLD™ is an incredibly versatile and rewarding perennial, bringing bright, long-lasting color to various garden settings.
- Mid to Front Border Star: Its compact size makes it perfect for the middle or even the front of a sunny border, where it can provide a cheerful and upright presence without flopping.
- Pollinator Garden Essential: Plant it generously in pollinator gardens to attract butterflies and bees, contributing to a vibrant and ecologically friendly space.
- Cottage Garden Charm: The bright, abundant yellow flowers are a classic fit for cottage garden aesthetics, blending beautifully with other informal perennials.
- Prairie and Meadow Gardens: Given its native lineage, ATHENA GOLD™ is an excellent choice for naturalistic prairie or meadow designs, adding a structured burst of color.
- Eclectic Gardens: Its strong form and vibrant color allow it to stand out as a focal point or blend effectively into eclectic designs.
- Mass Planting: For a truly impactful display, plant ATHENA GOLD™ in large drifts or masses. The sea of sunny yellow blooms will create an unforgettable visual statement.
- Combination Containers: Its compact habit and prolific flowering make it an ideal "thriller" or "filler" in large combination containers, providing continuous summer color.
- Cut Flower Gardens: The long-lasting individual blooms and sturdy stems make ATHENA GOLD™ a fantastic cut flower, bringing summer sunshine indoors.
- Focal Point: Use a single plant or a small grouping as a vibrant focal point in a sunny bed.
Hardiness
ATHENA GOLD™ is exceptionally hardy, thriving in USDA Hardiness Zones 3 through 9. This broad range indicates its robust ability to tolerate very cold winters and hot summers, making it a reliable perennial in a wide variety of climates.
Planting and Cultivation
- Location: For best performance and maximum flower production, plant ATHENA GOLD™ in full sun (at least 6 hours of direct sunlight per day). While it will tolerate part shade (4-6 hours of direct sun), fewer flowers will be produced, and the plants may become weaker or leggy. It thrives in hot conditions.
- Soil: This False Sunflower prefers average soil quality. Light, loamy, well-drained soil are best. It is adaptable to various soil types (poor, average, fertile) if drainage is good. Avoid overly rich, consistently moist soils, as this can lead to excessive, floppy growth that may require staking. Good drainage is crucial to prevent root rot. It tolerates acidic to neutral soil pH.
- Planting:
- Dig a hole as deep as the root ball and at least twice as wide.
- Gently remove the plant from its container, loosening any circling roots.
- Place the plant in the hole so that the top of the root ball is level with the surrounding soil.
- Backfill with soil, gently tamping down to remove air pockets.
- Water thoroughly after planting to settle the soil.
- Watering: ATHENA GOLD™ has average water needs. While establishing, ensure consistent moisture. Once established, it is quite drought tolerant and can withstand dry spells. Water regularly during prolonged dry periods, but avoid overwatering, as constantly wet soil can be detrimental.
- Fertilization: Avoid over-fertilizing, especially with high-nitrogen fertilizers, as this can lead to lush foliage but fewer flowers and weak stems. If your soil is particularly poor, a light application of a balanced, slow-release granular fertilizer in early spring as new growth emerges should suffice. Average fertility is preferable for strong, self-supporting growth.
- Maintenance:
- Deadheading: To extend the flowering time and prevent unwanted self-seeding, deadhead (remove spent flower heads) regularly. This encourages the plant to produce more blooms.
- Winter Care: In fall, you can cut back the spent flower stems to the ground or leave them for architectural interest. The dried seed heads can also provide winter food for birds.
- Staking: Due to its compact nature, ATHENA GOLD™ is less prone to flopping than older, taller Heliopsis varieties. However, if grown in very rich, moist soil, staking may still be occasionally necessary.
- Pests and Diseases: Generally, a healthy and easy-to-grow perennial, rarely troubled by serious pests or diseases.
Other Details
The most important part of the plant is its root system. Healthy roots are the foundation of a healthy, vibrant plant. The type of plug container used is based on the specific needs of the plants. Perennials offered as bare root traditionally perform better when planted as bare root.Planted in a specialized mix, potted plants have well established root systems. Top growth stage will vary depending on the current life cycle and time of year when shipped. In Winter and early Spring dormant plants may be shipped. Dormant plants may be planted right away, even before the last frost date.
Most bare root varieties are field grown for at least one season, though Hemerocallis and Hosta are grown for two seasons. The bulk of the soil is removed during the harvesting process and the tops of most varieties are trimmed back to the crown. They are graded, packed in shredded aspen or sphagnum moss and stored in freezers until ready to be shipped.
See our Container Sizes and Bare Root Perennials pages for more information.
Plant information and care is provided in the Overview section, Plant Genus Page and general information is provided in the Planting Care & Guides. Additional questions can be asked on each Plant page.
Plant Spacing: Using the maximum mature spread or width of a plant to guide spacing, ensures space to grow to full size. To fill an area sooner, plant them closer together. Just remember, future thinning or transplanting may be needed.
Water: Keep a close eye on newly planted perennials, especially throughout the first growing year. Most early plant loss is due to too much or too little water!
