Dig into Plants: Narrowleaf Sunflower

Narrowleaf Sunflower

Other Common Names: Swamp Sunflower, Narrow-leaved Sunflower

Scientific Name: Helianthus angustifolius

Native to Alabama: Yes

Alternate Native Species:
Hairy Sunflower (Helianthus hirsutus)

Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center – Sally and Andy Wasowski

Learn More About...

Basic Plant Information

Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center – Stephanie Brundage

I am a vascular plant with no woody stems above ground, so I am herbaceous.
I do not keep leaves year-round, so I am deciduous.
I die back in winter but regrow in spring for many seasons, so I am perennial.
I can grow 3 – 6 feet high and up to 4 feet wide.

Ecological Benefits

This plant provides food for:

Butterflies

Caterpillars
Silvery Checkerspot

Native Bees

Other Birds

Other Plants Found in Alabama with Similar Ecological Benefits:

Common Sunflower
(Helianthus annuus)

Purpledisk Sunflower
(Helianthus atrorubens)

Thinleaf Sunflower
(Helianthus decapetalus)

Beach Sunflower
(Helianthus debilis)

Woodland Sunflower
(Helianthus divaricatus)

Hairy Sunflower
(Helianthus hirsutus)

Maximilian Sunflower
(Helianthus maximiliani)

Ashy Sunflower
(Helianthus mollis)

Resindot Sunflower
(Helianthus resinosus)

Paleleaf Woodland Sunflower
(Helianthus strumosus)

Jerusalem Artichoke
(Helianthus tuberosus)

Whorled Sunflower
(Helianthus verticillatus)

Maintenance Notes

Dormant in winter.
Flowers can be cut for an indoor vase.
In late spring or early summer, stems can be pinched back to encourage shorter, bushier growth and more blooms.
Leave standing dead flowers into the winter as natural bird feeders.
When watering, hold hose to base of plant for a count of 5 seconds. Water should reach all roots.
Avoid sprinkling water on the leaves.
Requires moist to wet soil at all times.

Moist to wet soil at all times: water three times per week.

Habitat Requirements

This plant prefers:

Full Sun
(6+ hours of sun per day)

Part Sun/ Shade
(2-6 hours of sun per day)

Prefers moist to wet soil at all times

Sandy, Loamy, Clay, Acidic
or Moist Soil

Leaf, Flower & Seed Identification

USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database – Robert H. Mohlenbrock

LEAF DESCRIPTION

Dark green; pointed; ½ inch wide and can be over 8 inch long; opposite near the base, alternate above the middle of the stem; sandpaper-like surface.

Leaf Characteristics Chart (PDF)


Shape: Linear	Margin: Entire/Smooth

Arrangement: Opposite	Form: Simple

Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center –Alan Cressler

FLOWER DESCRIPTION

Ray florets (narrow, petal-like, infertile florets that surround the disk) and disk florets (tubular, fertile florets that forms disk) form 2-3 inch heads; tiny, reddish brown disk florets in the center surrounded by strap-shaped, yellow ray florets.

Flower Shape Chart (JPG)


Color: Yellow	Shape: Radiate/Ligulate	Bloom Months: Oct

USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database – Steve Hurst

SEED DESCRIPTION

Plant spreads by:
Seeds and Rhizomes/ Tubers/ Roots & Shoots
Clump-forming; typically slow-spreading, but in ideal conditions can become weedy by spreading underground rhizomes


Type: Fruit – Dry Seed Pod	Description: Seed is small, brown, flat, and longer than wide	Months in Seed: Fall

Plant Life Cycle

Plant Life Cycle:

All plants start life as a seed.
The seed turns into a sprout when it grows roots.
The sprout becomes a seedling as grows a stem and leaves above the ground.
After the seedling becomes an adult plant it will grow flowers.
After the flowers finish blooming, each flower turns into a seed.
When the seeds fall down to the ground, the plant life cycle starts again.
Each seed can become a plant if it has the food, water and space that it needs to grow.

General Plant Life Cycle – Dreamstime

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES FOR TEACHERS

Quick Fact Sheet
(Condensed Species Info)

Plant ID Sign (Text Only):
Ready as-is PDF

Plant ID Sign (With Picture):
Ready as-is PDF

QR Code
(Links to this Webpage)

Plant ID Sign (Text Only):
Editable Word Doc

Plant ID Sign (With Picture):
Editable Word Doc

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