Species Native to Missouri
Common Name: crown beard
Type: Herbaceous perennial
Family: Asteraceae
Native Range: Southern and central United States
Zone: 5 to 8
Height: 2.00 to 3.00 feet
Spread: 1.00 to 2.00 feet
Bloom Time: June
Bloom Description: Yellow
Sun: Full sun
Water: Dry to medium
Maintenance: Low
Suggested Use: Naturalize
Flower: Showy
Attracts: Butterflies
Tolerate: Drought, Erosion, Dry Soil, Shallow-Rocky Soil
Culture
Easily grown in average, dry to medium, well-drained soils in full sun to light shade. Easy to grow from seed.
Noteworthy Characteristics
Verbesina helianthoides, commonly called crown beard, is a weedy, sparsely-flowered, clump-forming perennial that is native from Ohio to Iowa and Oklahoma south to Texas and Georgia. In Missouri, it typically occurs in rocky or dry open woods, prairies, along railroads and in thickets in southern and central Missouri (Steyermark). Bright yellow, daisy-like flowers (to 1.5” diameter) bloom in June atop upright, stiff, hairy, winged stems typically growing 2-3’ tall. Each flower (to 1.5” diameter) features 8-15 narrow, horizontally-spreading, bright yellow rays with a slightly darker yellow center disk. Additional sporadic bloom may occur throughout the summer into fall. Sessile, toothed, ovate-lanceolate leaves (2-6” long) are rough-textured above. Seeds are attractive to birds.
Genus name comes from the plants resemblance to Verbena.
Specific epithet means resembling a sunflower.
Problems
No serious insect or disease problems.
Uses
Not sufficiently ornamental for borders. Best naturalized in native plant gardens, wildflower meadows or cottage gardens. Plants may be difficult to find in commerce other than through sources specializing in native plants.