Heliomeris multiflora Sunsplash

Heliomeris multiflora 'Sunsplash' is a beautiful descendant of a very floriferous kind of small sunflower that comes from the subalpine foothills of Mexico and the western United States. Down there, its ancestor covers vast grassy slopes in the company of a blue-mauve Erigeron speciosus, forming a rather fantastic and easy-to-reproduce duo in a rustic bed or a flowery meadow. 'Sunsplash', even more vibrant, has recently been selected for its more compact habit and the superb colour of its flowers, in two shades of yellow. This short-lived perennial is cultivated without difficulty as an annual in all our regions. It is a robust plant that flowers from July to September in full sun and in any well-drained soil, including poor, dry and rocky soil.

Heliomeris multiflora belongs to the large family of Asteraceae, as evidenced by its inflorescences in heads which we call 'flowers'. It is a herbaceous perennial plant with a large taproot, but it will not live much longer than 2 or 3 years in optimal conditions, that is, in very well-draining soil and in regions that are not too cold. Its very rapid growth is perfectly compatible with annual cultivation. The variety 'Sunsplash' is a recent horticultural selection, shorter, more branched and extremely floriferous. The plants reach about 60cm (24in) in height when flowering, with a spread of 40cm (16in), in the space of 4 months. Each main stem produces numerous lateral branches, each carrying a head. Each of the heads measures about 3.5 to 4cm (1 to 2in) in diameter. It is composed of a row of outer petals called ligules, banana yellow with a cream yellow edge, arranged in a collar around a central disc where tiny florets are tightly packed, changing from green to golden yellow, then to brown. Each 'flower' rests on a spiral of bracts arranged in 2 to 5 rows. This flowering period extends from July to September. The foliage of this Heliomeris consists of lanceolate and linear leaves, 3 to 8cm (1 to 3in) long, rough and hairy, olive green in colour. They are arranged opposite each other on the erect stems. Very visited by pollinating insects, the flowering gives way to seeds that are a delight for birds.

Heliomeris Sunsplash is a plant with a very rustic appearance and, as such, it will integrate well into the slightly wild areas of the garden, in the company of tall blue thistles, sainfoin, Asters dumosus, nigella, poppies, scabious, Verbascum, Gaillardias... It will also accompany tall agapanthus, ornamental garlic, and Perovskia, in a beautiful yellow and blue scene. Very comfortable in large rockeries with snapdragons and penstemons, it also self-seeds in pots that will enliven the terrace or balcony throughout the summer.