Helenium Rauchtopas

Helenium 'Rauchtopas' is a particularly original and well-contrasted variety of sneezeweed. Its daisy-shaped flowers display delicately curled florets, with a soft apricot orange on top and a visible brick-red on the underside of the corolla. The head's centre is adorned with a prominent cone, surrounded by yellow stamens. It is a large, colourful perennial that blooms from July to September on sturdy stems, offering wonderful bouquets. A hardy plant, it is easy to grow in full sun or partial shade, in moist and well-drained soil.

Heleniums are perennial plants native to North America, where they are typically found on the edges of marshes. The 'Rauchtopas' cultivar boasts an unusual colour and vigorous growth. It has an upright habit with stems reaching up to 1.2m (4ft) in height. The leaves are a vibrant green, lanceolate in shape with smooth margins, and are arranged alternately along the stems. From July to September, a myriad of flowers appear at the top of the stems. The heads resemble 5 to 6cm (2in) diameter daisies. In the centre, the cone is brown, gradually giving way to yellow stamens that form a highly visible concentric circle. At the periphery, the cut and curled florets fade while taking on irregular brown, copper, or red splashes, all in perfect harmony. The warm tones of this flowering herald the beginning of autumn flowers.

The 'Rauchtopas' Helenium is an elegant, hardy plant that is never plagued by diseases. It thrives in ordinary but well-drained soil and tolerates semi-shaded positions. Easy to grow, it flourishes in embankments, flower beds, and containers. Despite all these qualities, sneezeweeds remain rare in gardens. Perhaps it is because their warm tones prematurely announce autumn, yet they are the perfect complement to asters. 'Rauchtopas', when paired with Rudbeckias, combines well with autumnal plants such as Gauras or Heucheras, but it can also be associated with a deciduous spindle tree whose foliage ignites at the first cold. In a different setting, the fuzzy foliage of Stachys or salvias greatly enhances the warm hue of this flowering.