Pronounced (approximate): hee-lee-AN-thus jy-gan-TEE-us
A tall wetland sunflower with narrow rough leaves and hairy, often reddish stems.
Giant Sunflower (Helianthus giganteus): field photograph. Tap the photo to open the gallery.
Family Asteraceae
Life cycle Perennial
Blooms Mid-summer–fall
Height 3 to 9 feet
Habitat Wet sand prairies, swales, fens and sedge meadows
Common names: Giant Sunflower
Bloom timing varies with latitude, weather and local conditions.
Explore reported observations. Sightings are not a complete range map.
Wet sand prairies, swales, fens and sedge meadows. Flowering season: Mid-summer–fall.
Sawtooth Sunflower usually has smoother stems and longer leaf stalks. Sunflower hybrids occur, so inspect the stem, leaves and head bracts together.
Narrow leaves taper toward very short leaf stalks.
Stems carry spreading hairs and are often reddish purple.
Yellow rays surround a yellow disk; narrow hairy bracts spread below the head. Pair close views with a photograph of the whole plant.
5 field photographs. Select a photograph to enlarge it; use Load more photos to see the rest.
Native to eastern Canada and north-central and eastern United States.
Reported U.S. distribution
CT, DE, DC, GA, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MS, NJ, NY, NC, OH, PA, SC, TN, VT, VA, WV, WI
Includes native and introduced state records where listed; a state record does not imply occurrence in every county.
Observation maps show submitted records, not every place the plant occurs. Follow local access rules when visiting a site.
Practice recognizing Giant Sunflower in the flower quiz, or compare it with other plants in the guide.
Field photographs: Where’s Wildlife.