Product Description
Heliopsis h. 'Sundial' PPAF (25) Bare Root Plants
Heliopsis helianthoides 'Sundial' is an impressive and stately False Sunflower cultivar that stands tall as a beacon of enduring color in the summer landscape. This upright variety captivates with its striking color contrast: brilliant gold flowers are dramatically accented by deep red eyes, creating a vibrant and eye-catching display. These cheerful blooms beautifully complement the dark olive-green foliage, contributing to a rich visual texture. As a native perennial, 'Sundial' is not only aesthetically pleasing but also boasts excellent mildew resistance and robust cold hardiness, making it a highly reliable and low-maintenance choice. Its deep root system allows it to thrive in hot, dry spaces, adding a significant splash of color to your garden for many years. 'Sundial' is a true workhorse, forming a bushy, well-branched habit, and is ideal for gardeners seeking a resilient and visually stunning plant to provide impactful late-season interest.
'Sundial' exhibits an upright, stately, and well-branched growth habit, reaching a substantial height of 48-54 inches with a spread of approximately 42 inches. The foliage consists of glossy, deep olive-green, triangular leaves, providing a dense and attractive backdrop. The flowers are singular, daisy-like, with bright golden yellow ray petals radiating from a prominent, deep red central cone (eye). These striking bi-colored blooms are produced prolifically from mid to late summer, creating a long-lasting and vibrant display. The plant maintains a robust and bushy form, with strong stems supporting the numerous flowers. Its deep root system contributes to its drought tolerance.
- Foliage: Dark olive-green, glossy, triangular leaves. Bushy, well-branched form.
- Flowers: Gold with striking red eyes. Single, daisy-like.
- Bloom Time: Midsummer to Late Summer.
- Height: 48.0-54.0 Inches (122-137 cm)
- Spread: 42.0 Inches (107 cm)
- Growth Rate: Medium.
- Attracts: Butterflies, Bees.
- Critter Resistant: Not explicitly stated as deer resistant, but many Heliopsis are generally not preferred by deer.
- Disease Resistance: Excellent mildew resistance.
- Hardiness: Excellent cold hardiness.
- Other Features: Native perennial, deep root system, excellent cut flower, suitable for mass planting, ideal as a focal point.
- Hardiness Zones: 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9
- Flower Color: Yellow/Gold Shades (with red eye)
- 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)
- PPAF: Plant Patent Applied For
- Common Name: False Sunflower
Heliopsis helianthoides 'Sundial' is a cultivated variety, but its parent species, Heliopsis helianthoides, is native to a broad range across North America, encompassing much of the central and eastern United States and parts of Canada. It naturally thrives in open woodlands, prairies, savannas, and disturbed areas. This native origin underlies its strong preference for full sun, its adaptability to well-drained soils, and its inherent resilience, including its notable drought tolerance due to its deep root system.
Landscaping Design Tips
Heliopsis 'Sundial' is a magnificent and robust perennial, perfect for adding significant height, vibrant color, and long-lasting interest to various garden designs.
- Back of the Border Stature: Its impressive height makes it an ideal candidate for the back of perennial borders, where it can provide a strong vertical element and a cheerful backdrop for shorter plants.
- Prairie and Meadow Authenticity: Given its native origins, 'Sundial' is perfectly suited for naturalistic prairie or meadow gardens. Plant in drifts to create a sweeping effect of golden blooms with striking red centers.
- Cottage Garden Grandeur: The bold, sunny flowers and sturdy form make it a classic addition to cottage garden schemes, providing a robust and enduring display.
- Eclectic Garden Impact: Its striking color contrast and stately presence allow it to serve as a powerful focal point or a strong structural component in eclectic garden designs.
- Mass Planting for Drama: For a truly breathtaking effect, plant 'Sundial' in large masses. The collective impact of its numerous golden flowers will create an unforgettable summer spectacle.
- Focal Point: Use a single well-grown plant or a small grouping as a dynamic focal point in a sunny bed, drawing the eye with its vibrant colors and commanding height.
- Pollinator Magnet: Integrate 'Sundial' generously into pollinator gardens to actively attract and support butterflies and bees, contributing to a thriving garden ecosystem.
- Cut Flower Appeal: The long, sturdy stems and long-lasting blooms make 'Sundial' an excellent choice for cutting gardens. Its vibrant flowers will bring sunny cheer to indoor arrangements.
- Problem Solver for Hot, Dry Areas: Its deep root system and inherent tolerance for heat and drought make it an invaluable plant for challenging, arid garden spots where other perennials might struggle.
- Informal Screens: In larger gardens, consider planting 'Sundial' in rows to create a temporary, informal summer screen or backdrop.
Hardiness
Heliopsis 'Sundial' is exceptionally hardy, thriving in USDA Hardiness Zones 3 through 9. This broad range signifies its remarkable ability to withstand very cold winters and hot summers, making it a highly reliable and long-lived perennial across a diverse array of climates.
Planting and Cultivation
- Location: For optimal growth and prolific flowering, plant 'Sundial' in full sun, requiring at least 6 hours of direct sunlight per day. While it can tolerate part shade (4-6 hours of direct sun), its performance will be significantly reduced, with fewer blooms and potentially weaker, leggier growth. It thrives in hot conditions.
- Soil: This False Sunflower prefers average soil fertility and moisture. It adapts well to various soil types (poor, average, fertile) as long as drainage is excellent. Avoid overly rich, consistently moist soils, as this can lead to excessive, floppy growth that may necessitate staking. Good drainage is critical to prevent root rot. It tolerates acidic to neutral soil pH. Its deep root system helps it access moisture in drier conditions.
- Planting:
- Dig a hole as deep as the root ball and at least twice as wide to allow for root spread.
- Carefully remove the plant from its container, gently loosening any circling or matted roots.
- Position the plant in the hole so that the top of the root ball is level with the surrounding soil surface.
- Backfill with soil, gently tamping down to ensure good soil-to-root contact and eliminate air pockets.
- Water thoroughly after planting to settle the soil.
- Watering: 'Sundial' has average water needs. While establishing, ensure consistent moisture. Once established, it is notably drought tolerant due to its deep root system, making it well-suited for hot, dry spaces. Water regularly during prolonged dry spells, but avoid overwatering.
- Fertilization: Avoid excessive fertilization, particularly with high-nitrogen fertilizers, as this can promote lush foliage at the expense of flowering and may lead to weaker stems that require staking. In most average soils, a light application of a balanced, slow-release granular fertilizer in early spring as new growth emerges is usually sufficient, if desired.
- Maintenance:
- Deadheading: To extend the flowering period significantly and prevent unwanted self-seeding, deadhead (remove spent flower heads) regularly. This encourages the plant to produce more blooms throughout the summer.
- Winter Care: In late fall, you can cut back the spent flower stems to the ground, or leave them for architectural interest and to provide seeds for winter birds.
- Staking: Due to its height, if grown in very rich, moist soil, 'Sundial' might occasionally benefit from staking, though its strong stems often preclude this in average conditions.
- Pests and Diseases: 'Sundial' boasts excellent mildew resistance, making it a very healthy and easy-to-grow perennial. It is rarely troubled by other 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!
