Helenium bigelovii
Bigelow's Sneezeweed
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Bigelow's Sneezeweed (Helenium bigelovii) - Description
The daisylike plant Helenium bigelovii is known as Bigelow's sneezeweed. It is a 1 to 3 ft-high plant of the "composite" family (sunflower, or aster family) that bears ray flowers that are usually bright yellow in color and disc flowers that are yellow in bloom and then turn dark brown. The flowerheads have a characteristic shape with a very spherical disc and the 14-30 "petals" (the ray flowers) reflexed downward and toothed or lobed at their ends.
Bigelow's Sneezeweed (Helenium bigelovii) - Growth
Common Sneezeweeds should be planted in an area where it will receive full sun. The plants will begin to crowd themselves in 3 to 4 years. Divide the plants to maintain vigorous growth. Taller varieties require may require staking to maintain upright growth.
Bigelow's Sneezeweed (Helenium bigelovii) - Planting
Members of the genus are interesting in that they should be divided for propagation in spring rather than fall. The cold, wet winters that may follow a fall division may actually harm smaller plants resulting in a smaller probability of survival. The perfect time to divide these plants is when the roots have started to establish, but the shoots have not elongated quite yet. Additionally, Heleniums can be sown by seed in early spring (even as early as February in some climates). The plants do not have any chill requirement to bloom so you could have flowers within the same growing season.
Bigelow's Sneezeweed (Helenium bigelovii) - Pest
Luckily, pests are rare with most Heleniums; however, in the early spring when the plants are producing new shoots, slugs and snails can become troublesome. To help deter slug and snail herbivory of the plants, use a surface mulch that is coarse. The coarse mulch will make it more difficult for the slugs or snails to maneuver, but also is an excellent home to some natural predators of the slugs.
Bigelow's Sneezeweed (Helenium bigelovii) - Interesting facts
Heleniums are native to North America, but are prized the world over for their daisy-like flower inflorescences with unusually reflexed ray flowers.
Bigelow's Sneezeweed (Helenium bigelovii) - Soil and irrigation
Members of this genus grow in a wide variety of climates, but for the most part all of them do best with regular water in rich soil that drains well.
