9 Heleniums: the most beautiful varieties

Helenium 'Moerheim Beauty', a very long and vibrant flowering period

The beautiful heads of Helenium ‘Moerheim Beauty’ are distinguished by their rich, almost uniform velvety colour. They harmoniously blend red and coppery orange. These large daisies, measuring 7 cm in diameter, radiate around a prominent chocolate-coloured cone illuminated by golden stamens. The vibrant flowering begins in June and continues until October. This variety boasts exceptional floribundity, essential for enhancing a lush summer border.

It is a helenium of impressive stature, typically reaching 90 cm in height. It will make a significant impact at the back of borders featuring shorter perennials. It is also renowned for the sturdiness of its thick stems, which withstand wind and summer rains. Like its counterparts, it thrives in full sun, in well-drained garden soil that is not too dry.

Pair it with Achillea ‘Terracotta’, for example, and with velvety, greyish foliage from plants like Stachys or Artemisia, which greatly enhance the warm hue of its flowers while tempering it.

Helenium ‘Moerheim Beauty’

Helenium 'Tijuana Brass', high in colour and stature!

Here is a helenium that ranks among the tallest! ‘Tijuana Brass’ forms a beautiful vigorous clump of at least 1.5 m in height when in flower. This large specimen may require staking. This new variety of helenium blooms from July, producing an abundance of large bright golden yellow daisies measuring 8 cm in diameter. Another advantage: their colour does not fade as they wilt, which is not often the case with heliums.

Its tall stature makes it ideal for the back of borders, where it adds a real touch of cheerfulness and vibrancy alongside grasses like Miscanthus, which will provide a counterpoint to its somewhat stiff habit. In the background, pair it with shrubs that have colourful autumn foliage, such as a spindle or a Japanese maple, against which its striking flowers will stand out beautifully.

Helenium ‘Tijuana Brass’

Helenium autumnale 'Zimbelstern', a concentrate of qualities!

In the same vibrant vein, ‘Zimbelstern’ delights us with an opulent flowering from mid-summer until the first frosts. It forms a beautiful, imposing bush, reaching heights of 1 to 1.2 metres. On vigorous foliage, this variety bursts forth with large, well-coloured amber-yellow daisies, lightly washed with orange-red, centred around a shiny brown cone. The florets take on a delightful, more coppery hue as they fade.

This is a new German cultivar, exclusively available at our nursery, which boasts numerous advantages: an earlier flowering than other varieties, vibrant colours, and, above all, robust stems despite their height. This variety, with its rich hues, is the perfect complement to late summer blooms, pairing beautifully with asters, rudbeckias, or echinaceas, providing a complete palette of warm colours.

Helenium ‘Zimbelstern’

Helenium 'Fuego', a spectrum of warm tones

Another cultivar from the species Helenium automnale, ‘Fuego’ is a truly stunning hybrid variety. From August to October, it blooms with large, multicoloured heads measuring 8 cm in diameter, featuring variegated petals of yellow, red, orange, and copper. At the centre, the brown, satin cone is illuminated by a halo of gold. This autumn-coloured Helenium is a recent Dutch introduction, boasting an exceptionally generous flowering with rich colours and vigorous foliage of a bright green.

It develops a compact flowering bush, reaching heights of 50 to 60 cm, and does not require staking. This small-growing variety is well-suited for pot cultivation. Plant it in a large container, in a mix of potting soil and compost that is kept consistently moist, and fertilise regularly with an organic fertiliser during the flowering period.

Its vibrant tones will pair beautifully with other autumn flowers and foliage such as heucheras and helianthus.

Helenium ‘Fuego’

Helenium 'Sahin's Early Flowerer', an award-winning variety

Unheard-of vibrant hues and an exceptionally long flowering period are what earned ‘Sahin’s Early Flowerer’ an award from the R.H.S (Royal Horticultural Society). Flowering begins in July and continues until November. This variety features heads centred around an orange-brown cone, painted in yellow, orange, red, and copper, creating a harmonious blend of tones that evolves over time. The florets, drooping downwards, turn a coppery-brown washed with orangey-yellow as they reach ripeness. A burst of warm tones complemented by beautiful, rich green foliage and an impressive stature reaching 1m in height.

You can pair it with perennial chrysanthemums or rudbeckias.

Helenium ‘Sahin’s Early Flowered’

Helenium hoopesii, certainly the earliest

This helenium stands out from other varieties due to its centre surrounded by a collar of ligules that slightly inflect downwards at ripeness and the earliness of its flowering. From May onwards, Helenium hoopesii showcases sun-yellow heads measuring 5 to 8 cm in diameter. These large daisies, with their undeniably sunny beauty, bloom tirelessly throughout the summer, supported by sturdy stems. They emerge from a clump of bluish-green foliage that can reach 1 m in height. This variety has a natural charm and particularly vibrant colour, making it an excellent choice for the back of a border alongside Crocosmifloras ‘Emily McKenzie’ in orange-red or with Kniphofias.

Helenium hoopesii

Helenium 'Loysder Wieck', unique for its rolled petals

This variety of helenium stands out for the striking appearance of its inflorescences with very rich colours. The Helenium ‘Loysder Wieck’ is a recent variety, very unusual in the appearance of its petals. From July to September, a multitude of daisies arranged like the wings of a windmill around a large brown centre appear. Their additional feature: they consist of curled, bicoloured florets, yellow and brown-red. These original heads, both in shape and arrangement, emerge from beautiful dark green foliage reaching 90 cm in height.

This very special cultivar will thrive in compositions with warm, explosive tones or exotic inspiration alongside Echinaceas, Rudbeckias, cannas, and Achilleas, for example.

Helenium ‘Loysder Wieck’

Helenium 'Rauchtopas', subtly contrasted

Another particularly original and well-contrasted cultivar. ‘Rauchtopas’ is a variety of helenium with slightly curled petal flowers. From July to September, they bloom in well-opened corollas, offering daisies 5 to 6 cm in diameter, apricot orange on top, brick red underneath, with subtle contrasts. They appear to be irregularly edged in coppery red, radiating around their well-rounded cone coloured chocolate brown.

Its bright green foliage creates an imposing silhouette reaching 1.2 m in height, making this helenium suitable for the back of borders where it will impart a very strong chromatic presence alongside daylilies, large dahlias, and cannas, for example, creating a true firework display of warm tones.

Helenium ‘Rauchtopas’

Helenium 'Short'n Sassy', perfect for pots

Here is a brand new variety of autumn Helenium, featuring modest dimensions that make it ideal for pot cultivation and borders. Helenium ‘Short’n Sassy’ stands out from usual cultivars with a more compact habit, not exceeding 45 cm in height in all directions. But that’s not its only asset! Around a brown cone, its bright orange and golden yellow daisy flowers, measuring 4 to 5 cm in diameter, bloom earlier than other varieties. It flowers from July and tirelessly throughout the summer. More so than in open ground, remember that potted Helenium will need plenty of water.

Its sturdy silhouette and abundance of flowers make it easy to pair with other summer-flowering perennials, such as fiery-coloured penstemons or with campanulas, or even nepeta, which will provide a counterpoint with their complementary cool tones.

Helenium ‘Short’n Sassy’