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Perennial Heliopsis is a familiar and long-loved by domestic gardeners, an unpretentious flowering plant, the baskets of which resemble little suns in their shape and color. Quite often people call it "yellow chamomile". At first glance, this flower is simple, but it is worth taking a closer look, and the simple secret of its charm will become clear.
Perennial Heliopsis is absolutely not capricious and retains its decorative appearance for a long time. It grows equally well both in a summer cottage or a personal plot, and in urban settings, decorating a flower bed in a park or a front garden in the courtyard of an apartment building. In ornamental gardening, one of the species of this plant, sunflower heliopsis, and, above all, such a variety as rough heliopsis, have found wide application. On their basis, a significant number of interesting varieties have now been developed.
Description of perennial heliopsis
Heliopsis is a genus that unites about 15 species of herbaceous flowering plants and is part of the Astrovye family. Most of its representatives come from Central and North America. Among them, there are both annual and perennial species. In the wild, heliopsis prefers to grow on forest edges, in fields and along roadsides.
Perennial heliopsis, which can most often be found in a park or garden, is a tall herbaceous plant with straight, strong, abundantly branching shoots, reaching 0.6-1.6 m.The surface of the stems is bare or rough, in the upper part it often lignes ...
The root system of perennial heliopsis is powerful, fibrous. It tends to grow rapidly.
The leaves of perennial heliopsis are small, oval, with a pointed outer end and jagged edges. On the shoots, they are usually located opposite. The surface of the leaf blades is usually rough to the touch, since it is covered with small bristles.
Growing shoots of heliopsis, densely crowned with bright flowers, easily form thickets
Inflorescences of perennial heliopsis are baskets up to 7-10 cm in diameter, consisting of marginal reed and middle tubular flowers. The former are usually elongated, orange or yellow in color. In simple inflorescences, they can be arranged in 1-2 rows, surrounding an open yellow or brownish core. If there are so many reed flowers that the central part is almost invisible, then such inflorescences are considered semi-double or double. Baskets can be located at the tops of the shoots singly or be combined in several pieces into complex panicles.
Perennial heliopsis blooms for a total of up to 75 days. The first "suns", as a rule, begin to appear in late June or mid-July and stay on the bushes until September-October.
At the end of flowering, in the fall, the fruits of perennial heliopsis ripen. These are flat glabrous achenes up to 0.3 cm long, coal-black in color.
Popular species and varieties
In culture, the only type of this plant is used - perennial sunflower heliopsis. In particular, one of its varieties is very popular - rough heliopsis.Thanks to breeders, mainly American and German, ornamental gardening today has a rich variety of varieties of this plant, which are widely used in the field of floristry and landscape design.
Heliopsis sunflower
Flowers of sunflower heliopsis (Latin heliopsis helianthoides) are painted mainly in golden-yellow shades.
Its characteristic features:
- the size of the shoots is on average about 80-100 cm;
- bare surface of the stem;
- large baskets about 9 cm in diameter;
- abundant flowering.
Sunflower Heliopsis - a plant captivating with exquisite simplicity
Heliopsis rough
Most botanists consider heliopsis a rough variety of sunflower (Latin Heliopsis helianthoides var. Scabra).
Within the framework of the main type, it is distinguished:
- fleecy surface of the stem and leaves;
- the length of the shoots is about 120-150 cm;
- the diameter of the baskets is about 7 cm.
The main number of decorative species of perennial sunflower originate from this variety.
Solar blast
Heliopsis perennial sunflower Sunburst (Sunburst, Solar Explosion) is a compact densely branching plant, an adult bush of which reaches 70 cm in height and 60 cm in width. Its main characteristic feature is elegant striped leaves, painted in white or cream color with dark green longitudinal stripes. Thanks to this, the Solar Burst remains decorative even during the period when it does not bloom.
Bright yellow simple baskets with dark gold-colored centers appear on the bush in the middle of summer and last until early autumn. This variety is well suited for container growing, and also looks great when cut in bouquets.
Solnechny Blast is a highly decorative variegated variety for universal use
Golden balls
Heliopsis rough Golden Plume (Golden Balls) - an ornamental variety, relatively recently bred by Karl Foerster in Germany. The height of the bush is about 1 m. The flowers are spectacular, double, yellow-orange in color.
Golden Plume blooms from July to September.
Terry pom-poms of Golden Balls are eye-catching
Summer Knights
The bush of the Heliopsis variety of perennial American selection Summer Nights (Summer Knights, Summer Nights) grows 1.2 m in height and 0.6 m in width. Bright yellow simple flowers with a deep orange central disc are located on remarkable lilac-red stems. The leaves are characterized by a characteristic bronze tint.
The flowering period of this variety is from mid-summer to early autumn.
In the original Summer Knights colors, gold is combined with red
Summer Sun
Heliopsis rough Summer Sun (Summer Sun, Summer Sun) is characterized by a moderate height of the bush - up to 90 cm. It has semi-double inflorescences with a diameter of 5-7 cm, golden-orange color. You can admire them throughout the summer.
Large semi-double inflorescences Summer Sun appear fluffy
Summer Pink
The perennial heliopsis variety Summer Pink (Summer Pink, Summer Pink) has a unique color that combines the bright yellow color of simple baskets with red centers, maroon shoots and white-pink leaves with veins of deep green tones.
The bush is quite compact - its height is about 60-70 cm. Flowers appear in late spring and remain on the shoots until the first frost. This variety grows very slowly.
The unusual color of the leaves gives the Summer Pink a special charm
Lorraine Sunshine
The heliopsis bush of perennial Loraine Sunshine is small in size - 60-75 cm in height and 30-45 cm in width. Thanks to this, it does not need support. Reed flowers Lorraine Sunshine golden yellow color. They are arranged in several rows around a dark yellow core. Leaves are white or silvery-gray with well-visible, prominent dark green veins.
This variety blooms in the summer. The bush grows quickly.
Lorraine Sunshine's white-green leaves blend beautifully with golden flowers.
The flame of the sun
The heliopsis cultivar of perennial German origin Sonnenglut (Sonnenglut, the Flame of the Sun) grows to 1.4 m in height. Its large semi-double inflorescences reach 12 cm in diameter. They are bright golden in color with a darker, golden orange core. Color saturation tends to fade over time. The leaves are large, dark green, with a glossy surface.
The flowering period of the Sonnenglut variety lasts from early summer to early autumn.
The Sonnenglut bush is tall and lush
Asahi
Perennial Heliopsis Asahi (Asahi) owes its original, very decorative appearance to the abundance of large double baskets of golden yellow color, located on densely branching strong green stems. The height of its shoots usually does not exceed 60-75 cm. This variety blooms all summer, and if you remove the withered heads in time, you can admire it at the beginning of autumn. The leaves of the plant are colored dark green. When cut in a vase of water, Asahi can stand for about 2 weeks.
Asahi is one of the most unusual looking varieties
Ballerina
Golden semi-double inflorescences of heliopsis of the perennial Ballerina (Ballerina) really evoke an association with a magnificent ballet tutu. The central disc may be brownish in color. The bush grows high, about 90-120 cm. The leaf blades are wide, rich green.
Flowering can be observed from July to September.
Ballerina's bright yellow inflorescences seem delicate and airy
Benzinggold
The inflorescences of heliopsis of perennial Benzinggold (Benzinggold) are semi-double, and the reed flowers are painted in yellow and orange tones. Leaves are solid, dark green. Shoots grow 1.5-2 m in height, but do not need support.
Flowering begins in mid-summer and lasts until early fall.
Benzinggold is one of the highest varieties of sunflower
Light of Loddon
Sun-yellow perennial heliopsis Light of Loddon (Light of Loddon, Light of Loddon) grows up to 1 m tall. The shape of its baskets is simple, the diameter is up to 8 cm. The ligulate flowers are arranged in 2 rows. The central part has a distinctly convex shape and is colored dark yellow. The leaves are elongated, spear-shaped. Their color is dark green.
This variety blooms in July. It lasts until the first frost in October.
The Baskets of the Light of Loddon form a dense blooming island at the peak of the season
Heliopsis in landscape design
Perennial Heliopsis is a valuable, almost universal element of garden design. It has a wonderful property to organically fit into most compositions and solutions.
Photos of examples of the use of perennial heliopsis in landscape design will help to imagine where this plant can best manifest itself.
When decorating a flower garden in a rustic style, it is best to plant a tall handsome man - a sunflower in the background
The sunflower goes well with the brightly blooming representatives of the flora, allowing you to decorate a cozy corner of the garden "a la Provence"
Excellent neighbors for heliopsis are paniculate phlox, bells, delphinium, aster, calendula.
A colorful and lush sunflower bush, soloing in the middle of a neat English lawn, will attract admiring glances.
Several varieties of perennial heliopsis, adjacent in a small space, are in perfect harmony with each other
You can fantasize and recreate a unique rustic color in the garden with the help of characteristic household items and interior
A plot in a rustic style can be decorated more strictly, but you still cannot do without a sunflower.
Against the background of dense greenery of shrubs or ornamental grasses, the flaming baskets of perennial heliopsis will look especially bright
Sunflower inflorescences look very delicate and beautiful as part of summer bouquets - after cutting, they remain fresh for a long time
Conclusion
Perennial heliopsis - bright warm "suns" on dense tall bushes that adorn the garden in summer and early autumn. The variety of its varieties, currently presented at the choice of a landscape designer, is truly impressive. If you are going to decorate a plot in rustic or country style, looking for an accent for placement in the middle of a strict English lawn, or planning to lay out a motley, colorful flower garden, the gardener will certainly remember about perennial heliopsis. And the sweet, unpretentious sunflower, captivating with its charming simplicity, will undoubtedly not let him down.
