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Helianthus mollis Downy Sunflower

Ohio Native Plant Natural Range

Visit the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service website to view the natural range of Downy Sunflower.
The Ohio Department of Natural Resources list this plant as Threatened in the State of Ohio
Downy Sunflower by Roger Dahlin

Cultivation Information Downy Sunflower

Perennial Sunflower
By September these Downy Sunflowers become so heavy they neeed to be tied to the fence for support

Height - 3 to 4 ft - Tends to flop over late in the fall - stake or plant next to a fence Flower Color - YellowBlooms - August - SeptemberSun - Sun to part sunHardy Zone - 3 to 9Soil - Moist to dry
Family - Asteraceae
Fuzzy leaves on Downy Sunflower make it easy to identify - Roger Dahlin
"Teach your children not to pick wildflowers but to sow them, and a whole new generation starts out with a new approach to nature" Babe Miles Bluebells & Bittersweet - 1969
Wildlife Significance Downy Sunflower
Nectar Source - Bees: bumblebees, Miner bees, large Leaf-cutting bees, Cuckoo bees, Green Metallic bees, and other Halictid bees. Occasionally other insects visit this plant including bee flies and butterflies.
Host Plant - For the caterpillars of the butterfly - Silvery Checkerspot and Gorgone Checkerspot
Seed - For birds - Finally, I have enough Downy Sunflower plants with an abundance of seed to harvest and share with the birds.
For more details visit the Illionis Wildflower website
Seed not ready to harvest
Propagation Notes Downy Sunflower
Perennial Native Sunflower
Collecting Seed - Songbirds gobble up these seeds in a blink of an eye. Use empty onion bags to protect seed. To ensure adequate pollination wait until later in the fall before covering seed.
Outside - Collect seed in fall, plant in a protected flat. If the winter is warm and dry check periodically to be sure seed remains moist.
Refrigerator Cold Storage - 30 days - Small Zip lock plastic bag with a few table spoons of moistened vermiculite
Seed a ready to harvest
Seed Provenance Downy Sunflower
Nodding Onion Gardens - 2012 - present - Prairie Moon Nursery, Winona, MN - 2011
Additional Pages
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  • Roger Dahlin's Blog
  • Where Widlflowers Grow
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Ohio Department of Agriculture Nursery Inspection 2010 - 2022
© 2022 Nodding Onion Gardens, LLC

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