Helenium 'Siesta'
Light: Full Sun
Type: Perennial
Native
Underused later summer perennial that bees love.
Photo by American Meadows
Light summer on fire with the hot colors of Mariachi™ 'Siesta' Helenium– a red-flowered cultivar from the new series of exciting compact Sneezeweeds (Helen Flowers). Blue-red petals surround gold and maroon cone centers and attract pollinators with easy access and abundant flowers from summer 'till fall.
'Siesta' loves moist but well-drained soil and a hot sunny position, so use deep mulching to encourage a long bloom time. Deep green, lance-shaped foliage is dense and upright, and has a pleasing shape even when 'Siesta' blossoms are taking their own siesta. Use 'Siesta' as a mid-to-front of bed perennial, and enjoy the cut blossoms indoors – particularly when paired with other hot colors for maximum impact.
Hay-fever sufferers needn't worry over the common name 'Sneezeweed' – helenium is not an allergen, and the name most probably derives from it once being used as a medicinal herb against hay fever. (Source: American Meadows)