Native Perennial
Sun Exposure - Full, Partial
Soil Moisture - Medium-wet, Medium, Medium-dry, Dry
Height - 5'
Bloom time - June-September
Bloom Color - Yellow
Tolerance - Drought, poor soils
Attracts - Hummingbirds, Butterflies
Pollinator Benefit - Xerces Society rates as good for beneficial insects
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Early (False) Sunflower (Heliopsis helianthoides)
Summer in the prairie can be a parade of yellow composite flowers! Often the first to show is the Heliopsis. It is possible to hike from a fairly moist, almost wetland situation to the driest south facing hillside and Early Sunflower can be found all along the way.
Heliopsis helianthoides, variously dubbed Early Sunflower, Sweet Smooth Oxeye, False Sunflower and other common names, is a member of the Aster family. Unlike true sunflowers and most asters, both its disk and ray flowers are capable of producing seed. It blooms profusely through the summer on thin stems above the foliage, in the manner of Rudbeckia.
Easily grown and quick to develop, Heliopsis helianthoides long has been popular in Europe and many large-flowered cultivars have been developed using its western variety. It is a short-lived perennial.
Info from www.prairiemoon.com