Pronounced (approximate): hee-lee-AN-thus paw-sih-FLOR-us
Yellow rays surround a dark reddish-brown disk.
Stiff Sunflower (Helianthus pauciflorus): flowers and plant details. Tap the photo to open the gallery.
Family Asteraceae
Life cycle Herbaceous perennial
Blooms July–September
Height 2–6 feet
Habitat Dry prairies, open slopes, and roadsides
Common names: Stiff Sunflower · Showy Sunflower
Other scientific names used: Helianthus rigidus
Bloom timing and height vary with location. See the regional range below.
Explore reported observations. Sightings are not a complete range map.
Dry prairies, open slopes, and roadsides. Flowering season: july–september.
Photograph the disk, underside of the head, and leaf arrangement to distinguish other perennial sunflowers. Hybrids can complicate identification.
Yellow rays surround a dark reddish-brown disk.
Rough opposite leaves are concentrated on the lower stem.
Flower-head bracts are relatively broad and blunt.
Dry prairies, open slopes, and roadsides.
9 field photographs. Select a photograph to enlarge it; use Load more photos to see the rest.
Native to Canada and northern and central parts of the United States; also recorded as introduced elsewhere.
Documented U.S. state records
AR, CO, CT, GA, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, ME, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NH, NJ, NM, ND, OK, PA, RI, SD, TX, VT, VA, WI, WY, MD, NY
Documented state occurrences; native and introduced records may both be included. This is not a county-level map.
Observation maps show submitted records, not every place the plant occurs. Follow local access rules when visiting a site.
Practice recognizing Stiff Sunflower in the flower quiz, or compare it with other plants in the guide.
Field photographs: Where’s Wildlife.