Have you seen any large, yellow, daisy-like flowers along the trails this month? If you look carefully, you might notice that there are several different plants in bloom right now. It’s hard to keep track of all of them, so I’ve put together this list of their key characteristics. I hope you find it helpful!
Rough Sunflower (Helianthus divaricatus)- Flowers start to bloom in June. They have lance-shaped leaves in pairs at 90 degrees to each other, and are rough like sandpaper. The leaves have no stalk and are rounded at the base where they attach to the stem.
Hairy Sunflower (Helianthus hirsutus)- Flowers start to bloom in July. They are very similar to rough sunflower. The key difference is that the stems and leaves are very hairy, and the leaves have a stalk.
Midwestern Tickseed-Sunflower (Bidens aristosa)- Flowers start to bloom in August and almost always have 8 petals. The leaves are divided into 5-7 segments that have pointed tips and toothed edges.
Purpledisc Sunflower (Helianthus atrorubens)- Flowers grow in clusters and have purple/brown centers. They start to bloom in July. The leaves are mostly at the base of the stem.
Swamp Sunflower (Helianthus angustifolius)- Flowers start to bloom in September* and grow in moist or wet soil. The center of the flower is brown. The stems and leaves are hairy. The leaves are alternate, long and narrow. (*I have seen it bloom as early as July.)
Hairy Leafcup (Smallanthus uvedalia)- This is a very large plant growing up to 10 feet tall. The leaves are up to 14 inches long, hairy, and have toothed edges. The flowers grow in clusters and their petals have notched tips. They start to bloom in July.
Kidneyleaf Rosinweed (Silphium compositum)- Flowers grow in loose clusters and start to bloom in May. The large leaves of this plant are only at the base of the stem. They are kidney-shaped and have toothed edges.
Common Cup Plant (Silphium perfoliatum)- Flowers grow in clusters and start to bloom in June. The large leaves join together around the stem to make a cup. They are toothed and have a rough surface.
Starry Rosinweed (Silphium asteriscus var. asteriscus)- Flowers start to bloom in July and are similar to the common cup plant. The leaves are very different, though. They can be opposite or alternate, but they do not surround the stem. The stems and leaves are hairy.
Eastern Oxeye (Heliopsis helianthoides)- Flowers start to bloom in May. The plant has single flower heads, and the flower petals have notched tips. The leaves are oval with a tapered tip, have a rough surface, and toothed edges.
How many of these flowers have you seen?