Heliopsis helianthoides var. scabra Punto Rosso

Heliopsis 'Punto Rosso' is a variety of false sunflower that is characterized by early and prolonged flowering, black stems, and very dark foliage. Its beautiful yellow-orange daisy-like flowers with a red centre remain in bloom for a long time, and the plant thrives in sunny, not too dry soil. This beautiful perennial, closely related to Helianthus, the famous sunflower, deserves to be planted in our gardens for its many qualities: it is an undemanding, hardy and vigorous plant that attracts bees and butterflies. Its radiant simplicity makes it suitable for wildflower compositions, and its flowers are long-lasting in a vase.

Heliopsis helianthoides var. scabra 'Punto Rosso' belongs to the Asteraceae family. Its wild ancestor, the false sunflower, is native to North America, where it is usually found in open woodlands and tall grass prairies, less commonly along roadsides.

The 'Punto Rosso' cultivar is a non-invasive, woody-based perennial plant. It forms a spreading bushy clump, composed of many sturdy stems, reaching a height of 1m (3ft) and spreading up to 60cm (24in) across. Its growth rate is moderate to fast. Flowering occurs from June to September. The inflorescence in head form appears at the top of the dark-colored branched stems, consisting of several individual heads (the capitula) themselves composed of ligulate flowers in yellow-orange colour (these are the 'petals') and fertile florets that range in colour from red to brown, arranged on the central disc. The foliage is distributed along the entire length of the stems, it is dark green, rough, with lanceolate and toothed leaves, somewhat cordate. The above-ground, deciduous vegetation dies in winter and regrows in spring.

Trends can be quite closed-minded, as the upright habit, long flowering period, and low maintenance requirements of Heliopsis are all keys that should open the door to all gardens... but no! However, all experts agree that they are excellent perennial plants. Twenty-five years ago, Alan Bloom, a famous perennial plant breeder in England, said: "They are certainly the last plants I would part with if I decided to eliminate the yellow colour from the borders of my garden." Pair Heliopsis 'Punto Rosso' with other tall, easy-going perennials such as hybrid mulleins, Buenos Aires Verbena, tansies, sneezeweeds, Physalis franchetii...