Heliopsis helianthoides ‘Summer Nights’ – Oxeye or False Sunflower – 1-Quart

Description

Aster family (Asteraceae)

Oxeye is also known as False Sunflower – it looks a lot like a sunflower but is in a different genus of plants. For the garden it is in many ways superior to most species of sunflower. It blooms for an extended period of time, much longer than any sunflower, and it’s not the aggressive spreader that many species of sunflower are apt to be. It’s a great wildlife plant as well, providing nectar and pollen that bees and butterflies crave. Adaptable to a variety of soil types. Oxeye occasionally gets a bright red aphid on the stems – they don’t seem to do the plant much harm but can be removed with insect soap spray.

Photo (c)2009 Derek Ramsey (Ram-Man), GFDL 1.2, via Wikimedia Commons

Updated 13 January 2025