Wild Sunflower (Helianthus lenticularis)
At a glance
- Lifecycle
- Annual
- Exposure
- Full sun
Cultivation
Succeeds in most soils in a sunny position. The young growth is extremely attractive to slugs, plants can be totally destroyed by them[K]. Members of this genus are rarely if ever troubled by browsing deer or rabbits. Probably no more than the wild form of the cultivated sunflower, H. annuus, it is treated as a sub-species of that by many botanists.
Propagation
Seed - sow in mid spring in situ. An earlier start can be made by sowing 2 - 3 seeds per pot in a greenhouse in early spring. Use a fairly rich compost. Thin to the strongest seedling, give them an occasional liquid feed to make sure they do not become nutrient deficient and plant them out in late spring or early summer.
Edible uses
Seed - raw or cooked. An edible oil is obtained from the seed. The roasted shells, after the starch has been removed, or the roasted seeds, can be used in preparing a coffee-like beverage.
Habitat
Roadsides and waste places.
Native range
N. America - Minnesota to North Dakota, Idaho, Missouri, Texas and California.
Same genus
- Sunflower (Helianthus annuus)
- Helianthus maximilliani
- Fewleaf sunflower (Helianthus occidentalis)
- Jerusalem artichoke (Helianthus tuberosus)
- Southeastern sunflower (Helianthus agrestis)
- Swamp sunflower (Helianthus angustifolius)
- Western sunflower (Helianthus anomalus)
- Silverleaf sunflower (Helianthus argophyllus)