How to Grow Native Swamp Sunflowers

My husband Wade runs a lawn care business and his clients who are active in garden clubs and enthusiastic about perennial garden design often share starts with him.

One of my absolute favorites is the swamp sunflower he obtained this way. This was, I don’t know, 15 years ago?

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Since its arrival, the Helianthus angustifolius has been thriving in a tiny bed beneath a downspout that is always moist and sometimes a bit soggy.

It has reseeded along a nearby fence we share with a neighbor, where in early fall it’s eight or nine feet tall and creates a privacy fence.

Wade has also grown the divisions in a half-barrel-size container some years, and we always have seeds and divisions to share with our gardening friends.

It’s not the only sunflower I grow. I’m a big fan of the annual varieties, the H. annuum types that provide birds seed and may have extra-large blooms.

But for a low-maintenance perennial that will grow in moist conditions, blooms in the fall, and can withstand clay or sandy soil and occasional drought, I don’t think you can beat the swamp sunflower.

If this sounds like a plant you could enjoy in your own space, I’m here to share more about its growth habits and endearing qualities. Here’s what I’ll cover:

Swamp sunflowers are native to the eastern United States.

Part of the aster family, this is one of the perennial sunflowers that is not as widely grown as the larger-bloomed, seed-heavy, annual varieties,H. annuum.

You can find more about growing and caring for annual sunflowers in our guide.

Native sunflowers such as H.