Kendall County (IL) Forest Preserve District
False Sunflower
(Smooth Oxeye)
Heliopsis helianthoides
[C-value
5]
Aster family (Asteraceae)
Blooms
mid-June -
September
The native False Sunflower is common in our area. It prefers full to partial sun and moist to medium moist loamy soil. Habitats include black soil prairies, grassy meadows in wooded areas, open woodlands, woodland borders, savannas, thickets and areas along railroads where prairie remnants occur. This perennial is 3-5' tall, branching occasionally and can be bushy. It has pairs of opposite leaves, 2½–5" long and 1–3½" across, oval-shaped and coarsely toothed and rough on top from minute stiff hairs. The upper stems terminate in bright yellow flowers spanning about 1½–3" across having 8-20 ray florets surrounding numerous disk florets.
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False Sunflower at Pickerill/Pigott Forest Preserve June 30, 2013
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False Sunflower at Yorkville Riverfront Park August 24, 2015
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False Sunflower foliage at Pickerill/Pigott Forest Preserve June 30, 2013
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