Autumn daisies

Sneezeweeds are tough perennials, and now is the time to plant them to attract wildlife and fill borders with warm, fiery colour in late summer and autumn, says Hazel Sillver

- Hazel Sillver

HELENIUMS are hardy perennials that ignite the heat of late summer by blooming in rich fiery colours. The daisy flowers – which reflex around a central boss as they age, like a shuttlecock – are mellow shades of gold, copper or ruby and inject borders with informal charm. Flowering from July or August into September or October, they provide vital late nectar for bees and butterflies before the cold weather sets in.

The common name, sneezeweed, relates to the plant sometimes causing one to sneeze. In the past, dried helenium was made into a snuff that induced sneezing (which was deemed to be a kind of purging that boosted health.

Moisture and sunshine

“I prefer the romantic German name for helenium: sonnenbraut, which translates to ‘brides of the sun’,” says David Warden, who holds a UK National Collection of heleniums.

This tough perennial is certainly a sun worshipper, thriving in its native North America in open sun-baked areas of the wild. “The varieties with a yellow base will tolerate shade for part of the day, but the red varieties will not display their full colour in such situations,” says David.

However, sneezeweeds insist upon moisture, as well as sunshine. “Helenium autumnale comes from the damper areas of the North American prairies,” says David. “They prefer well-drained but moisture retentive soil in full sun. On dry soils, it is important to mulch with garden compost or an alternative.”

Glorious with grasses