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Smith, R.W.

Helenium flexuosum

Helenium flexuosum Raf.

Purplehead Sneezeweed, Purple-head Sneezeweed

Asteraceae (Aster Family)

Synonym(s): Helenium floridanum, Helenium godfreyi, Helenium nudiflorum

USDA Symbol: HEFL

USDA Native Status: L48 (N), CAN (I)

Helenium flexuosum can be identified by its purplish brown ball of disc flowers.

The genus is thought to have been named by Linnaeus for Helen of Troy. The legend is that the flowers sprung up from the ground where her tears fell.

From the Image Gallery

13 photo(s) available in the Image Gallery

Plant Characteristics

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Herb
Size Notes: Up to about 3 feet tall.
Leaf: Green
Fruit: Fruit is a cypsela (pl. cypselae). Though technically incorrect, the fruit is often referred to as an achene.

Bloom Information

Bloom Color: Yellow , Purple , Brown
Bloom Time: Apr , May , Jun , Jul , Aug , Sep , Oct

Distribution

USA: AL , AR , CT , DC , DE , FL , GA , IL , IN , KS , KY , LA , MA , MD , ME , MI , MN , MO , MS , NC , NH , NJ , NY , OH , OK , PA , RI , SC , TN , TX , VA , VT , WI , WV
Canada: NS , ON , QC

Growing Conditions

Water Use: Low
Light Requirement: Sun
CaCO3 Tolerance: Low

Benefit

Use Medicinal: Dried powdered leaves and flower heads cause violent sneezing. Were formerly used in treatment of colds and congestion. Infusion of leaves used by some Indians as a laxative.
Warning: Toxic to cattle.
Conspicuous Flowers: yes

Value to Beneficial Insects

Special Value to Native Bees

This information was provided by the Pollinator Program at The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation.

National Wetland Indicator Status

Region:	AGCP	AK	AW	CB	EMP	GP	HI	MW	NCNE	WMVE
Status:	FACW				FAC	FACW		FAC	FAC

This information is derived from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers National Wetland Plant List, Version 3.1 (Lichvar, R.W. 2013. The National Wetland Plant List: 2013 wetland ratings. Phytoneuron 2013-49: 1-241). Click here for map of regions.

From the National Organizations Directory

According to the species list provided by Affiliate Organizations, this plant is on display at the following locations:

Fredericksburg Nature Center - Fredericksburg, TX
Delaware Nature Society - Hockessin, DE
Mt. Cuba Center - Hockessin, DE

Bibliography

Bibref 1294 - The Midwestern Native Garden: Native Alternatives to Nonnative Flowers and Plants An Illustrated Guide (2011) Adelman, Charlotte and Schwartz, Bernard L.
Bibref 328 - Wildflowers of Texas (2003) Ajilvsgi, Geyata.

Search More Titles in Bibliography

Web Reference

Webref 38 - Flora of North America (2019) Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA.

Additional resources

USDA: Find Helenium flexuosum in USDA Plants
FNA: Find Helenium flexuosum in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Helenium flexuosum

Metadata

Record Modified: 2022-12-27
Research By: TWC Staff

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