Helenium
In the old days. Do you remember stories from your parents that started that way? You know the ones I mean. In the old days, we had to walk to school. Usually through blinding blizzards, flooded fields while fighting off vicious attacks from massed Fenian irregulars. In the old days, we had to cut our meat from the living flanks of dinosaurs before they noticed. In the old days, things were tough; or at least a lot tougher than you soft young kids had it now. Dinosaurs indeed.
In the Old Days
In the old days, I would never consider growing Helenium or Sneezeweed in my garden. But then a nursery sent me a trial plant and it has just bloomed. OK, so maybe it isnt a dinosaur and maybe I have to take a good look at this family of plants because this Helenium Chelsey daisy is very attractive with its burnt orange, crimson and yellow bicoloured petals and dark eye.
You can see more pictures of this plant at www.plantspotters.com and while it is going to be hard to find this year, it will be freely available at better garden shops next year. If you think the description of the petal colour is a little imprecise, it is because the darn plant keeps changing the colour so poor garden writers cant be precise.
Mind you, the gardener in me loves this because this makes Chelsey an exciting garden addition rather than just something else to throw in the garden. The petals are non-drooping (in the old days, the petals used to droop) and the stems are thick and sturdy so they dont bend over like they used to. While Helenium autumnale is both the originating species and a North American native growing to 5 feet tall, the new varieties coming from Europe are only 30 inches tall and sturdy plants.
With a spread of twelve inches, Helenium 'Chelsey' is a restrained plant. At least it has been this year; well see what it colonizes out to next year. It is going to be quite hardy as it is rated a USDA zone 4 and blooming starting now in July and running through August with those amazing bright colours. Yes, our native Sneezeweed has turned into a princess.
Growing Helenium
This princess though still needs a few things done properly if youre going to grow her well. She wants full sun, and although you might squeeze by with a bit of morning shade, it is really a good idea to give as much light as you like.
The big key to success with Helenium or Sneezeweed is providing it with adequate moisture. This plant likes wet soils; no, this plant demands them if you want to succeed with it. It will not grow well with dry soils and tends to winterkill. I know that these daisy type plants often demand a bit of dry conditions to thrive but this is not one of them.
Give Helenium constant moisture and it will love you and bloom accordingly. Give it a rich, organic soil (think pond side here) with regular doses of water and this plant is going to be a star performer.
Varieties
You can also find Helenium varieties such as Coppelia that has yellow to bronze petals with chestnut brown center eyes.
Kanaria is pure yellow with broad grey-green leaves and both of these varieties are 36 inches tall.
Moerheim Beauty has burned orange flowers that are attractive even as they fade but it is listed as 48 inches tall.
Something a little on the weird side is Autumn Lollipop that almost has no petals at all on the flower (theyre tiny) but looks like a big brown flower centre that turns yellow when mature.
Bruno has deep crimson mahogany flowers on brown centres and is a 48 inch tall plant.
And if you like the old Helenium varieties, you might search out, Flammenspiel or Dancing Flames (same plant) with its flame-orange blooms that age to yellow.
If youre looking for a shorter Helenium, you might search out The Bishop with its deep golden-yellow flowers, clumping growth and earlier bloomtime. It only grows 24 to 36 inches tall depending on location and how much you feed it.
And finally, if you can find a Helenium Chelsey, Im told that a part of the licensing fee (it is a patented plant) goes to the Red Cross Disaster Fund in memory of British journalist Terry Lloyd who was killed in Iraq. This is a great plant and a great reason to buy it. And thats not in the old days.
Do you have a question about Helenium?
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