Bitterweed
Helenium amarum
Also listed as Gaillardia amara
Also known as Bitter Sneezeweed, American Sneezeweed, Five-leaf Sneezeweed
Climate Match for your location
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A native wildflower with small yellow daisy-like flowers that bloom abundantly in late summer and fall. Extremely drought-tolerant and thrives in poor, well-drained soils with minimal care.
Why grow it
Bitterweed offers reliable late-season color in drier landscape zones where many ornamental alternatives struggle, flowering from late summer through frost when other sources of yellow bloom are limited. Compared to cultivated heleniums, this native species requires genuinely minimal inputs once established and performs well in degraded soils where improved cultivars might falter. Its compact habit and prolific self-seeding make it useful for naturalized plantings and pollinator strips without ongoing fertilization or soil amendment.
Watch out for
Bitterweed can self-seed prolifically in favorable conditions, so deadheading spent flowers will help manage volunteer seedlings if desired. While extremely hardy, it performs best when established in full sun and may become sparse or leggy in partial shade. In very wet seasons or poorly drained sites, root rot can occur despite the plant's general drought tolerance.
Overview
- Form
- Growth Rate
- Size
- Dormancy
- Family
- Asteraceae
Native to the United States
Native Range
Southeastern United States
Native to: Alabama, Arkansas, California, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia
Seasonality
Bloom Season
Season of Interest
Herb
Soft non-woody plants of the field layer.
Succession Role
Tolerances & Soil
Establishment & Care
- Establishment
- Maintenance
- Propagation
A native wildflower with small yellow daisy-like flowers that bloom abundantly in late summer and fall. Extremely drought-tolerant and thrives in poor, well-drained soils with minimal care.
Climate Match for your location
See how well Bitterweed grows in your area.
Enter your ZIP code and we'll show you how this plant fits your local climate.
Why grow it
Bitterweed offers reliable late-season color in drier landscape zones where many ornamental alternatives struggle, flowering from late summer through frost when other sources of yellow bloom are limited. Compared to cultivated heleniums, this native species requires genuinely minimal inputs once established and performs well in degraded soils where improved cultivars might falter. Its compact habit and prolific self-seeding make it useful for naturalized plantings and pollinator strips without ongoing fertilization or soil amendment.
Watch out for
Bitterweed can self-seed prolifically in favorable conditions, so deadheading spent flowers will help manage volunteer seedlings if desired. While extremely hardy, it performs best when established in full sun and may become sparse or leggy in partial shade. In very wet seasons or poorly drained sites, root rot can occur despite the plant's general drought tolerance.
Overview
- Form
- Growth Rate
- Size
- Dormancy
- Family
- Asteraceae
Native to the United States
Native Range
Southeastern United States
Native to: Alabama, Arkansas, California, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia
Seasonality
Bloom Season
Season of Interest
Herb
Soft non-woody plants of the field layer.
Succession Role
Tolerances & Soil
Establishment & Care
- Establishment
- Maintenance
- Propagation
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