Helianthus verticillatus

A luminous wildflower once thought lost to time, now returned to blaze in the Southern sun.

There are plants that bloom without fanfare—and then there are those that return from the brink of oblivion to brighten the land like a resurrection hymn. Helianthus verticillatus, the Whorled Sunflower, belongs to the latter kind. Once believed extinct, it was miraculously rediscovered in the rolling fields of northwestern Georgia and eastern Tennessee, where it had quietly endured, rooted in memory and loam.

This rare Southeastern native is a tall, vigorous perennial, rising up to 6–10 feet in height, its strong stems ringed with distinctive whorls of narrow, lance-shaped leaves—a structural grace note that sets it apart from its kin. In late summer to early fall, it lifts its head skyward in clusters of golden-yellow blooms, each flower a sunflower in miniature, lighting up the landscape like sunbeams breaking through a pine canopy.

A true prairie sentinel, Helianthus verticillatus thrives in full sun and rich, moist to average soils, where it grows quickly, spreads generously, and flowers abundantly. It is an ideal choice for large beds, native plant borders, and open meadow-style gardens, where its stature and story can be appreciated. Butterflies and bees attend it like parishioners to a harvest feast.

Native Range: Southeastern U.S. (Northwestern Georgia, Eastern Tennessee)
Bloom Time: Late summer to early fall
Flower Color: Bright yellow
Foliage: Narrow, lanceolate leaves in elegant whorls along the stem
Notable Traits: Rare and endangered species, floriferous, pollinator magnet, spreads by rhizomes
Garden Uses: Large perennial beds, native and restoration plantings, pollinator gardens, sunny borders