Lemon Queen Perennial Sunflower Impresses with Its Size and Late Bloom
A shrubby plant with loads of blooms.
The perennial sunflower 'Lemon Queen' provides bulk at the back of a garden border as well as late floral interest when it blooms in late summer and autumn. Its yellow flowers are smaller than those of most annual sunflowers, but they are numerous, covering the shrubby plant for many weeks. A North American native species, 'Lemon Queen' sunflower feeds pollinators like bees and butterflies as well as small birds once it goes to seed.
Common name: 'Lemon Queen' perennial sunflower
Botanical name: Helianthus 'Lemon Queen'
Exposure: Full sun
Flowers: From late summer into fall, 'Lemon Queen' produces plenty of two-inch-round sunflowers, with yellow ray petals circling a golden center.
Foliage: Long, narrow, medium green leaves line the stems.
Size and habit: 'Lemon Queen' sunflower grows as a large herbaceous perennial that can reach a bushy six to eight feet tall and four to six feet wide by the time it begins to bloom in late summer. After the frost, its top growth dies off.
Origin: 'Lemon Queen' is a selection of a naturally occurring hybrid of two sunflower species that are native to the central United States. Its parents are Helianthus pauciflorus var. subrhomboideus and Helianthus tuberosus.
How to grow it: Plant 'Lemon Queen' sunflower in full sun and average soil that isn't too rich. Avoid fertilizing this plant, because doing so can result in floppy growth. Provide consistent watering while it is getting established, but thereafter 'Lemon Queen' can adapt to both dry and moist soils. Leave the spent stems and dried flowerheads standing over the winter to provide cover and seeds for songbirds like American goldfinch. This sunflower is perennial in USDA Zones 4 through 9.
Important tip: If you're interested in growing the perennial 'Lemon Queen' sunflower, be aware that there's also an annual sunflower named 'Lemon Queen'. Its species name is Helianthus annuus. It produces larger flowers with chocolate-brown centers. It is usually started from seed, and it dies at the end of the growing season.
Image credit: Mark/CC BY 2.0
