Downy Sunflower Helianthus mollis is a Michigan Native plant available at Wild Cherry Farm
Downy Sunflower Helianthus mollis is a Michigan Native plant available at Wild Cherry Farm

Downy Sunflower (Helianthus mollis)

from $3.50

Downy Sunflower, like most of our native sunflowers, is a wildlife rockstar. It is a host plant to 77 species of butterflies and moths in our area (nwf.org), including the possibly extirpated Gorgone Checkerspot (mnfi.anr.msu.edu). It is a long bloomer (1-2 months) and attracts all the native bees and over 20 different upland gamebirds and granivorous songbirds, especially the American Goldfinch, who eat the seeds (illinoiswildflower.info). Downy Sunflower is considered imperiled in Michigan, so while you may not be preserving the plant that was once here, you are creating habitat for all of the species that may need it for survival (mnfi.anr.msu.edu), however, it can become aggressive and form dense colonies, in part because the root system exudes allelopathic chemicals that inhibit the growth of other species (illinoiswildflower.info). So choose your planting spot wisely.

Photo credit: Peganum

Size:

Downy Sunflower, like most of our native sunflowers, is a wildlife rockstar. It is a host plant to 77 species of butterflies and moths in our area (nwf.org), including the possibly extirpated Gorgone Checkerspot (mnfi.anr.msu.edu). It is a long bloomer (1-2 months) and attracts all the native bees and over 20 different upland gamebirds and granivorous songbirds, especially the American Goldfinch, who eat the seeds (illinoiswildflower.info). Downy Sunflower is considered imperiled in Michigan, so while you may not be preserving the plant that was once here, you are creating habitat for all of the species that may need it for survival (mnfi.anr.msu.edu), however, it can become aggressive and form dense colonies, in part because the root system exudes allelopathic chemicals that inhibit the growth of other species (illinoiswildflower.info). So choose your planting spot wisely.

Photo credit: Peganum

Life Cycle: Perennial 

Sun Exposure: Full-Partial

Soil Moisture: Medium—Med/dry

Height: 2-5 feet

Plant Spacing:  2-3 feet

Bloom Time: August-Sept

Bloom Color: Yellow

Advantages: Caterpillar Favorite, Pollinator Favorite, Bird Favorite, Deer Resistant

Host: 77 species of butterflies and moths use this as a caterpillar host plant in our area (nwf.org)

Species of Concern: State Status: Threatened (legally protected), State Rank: Imperiled (mnfi.anr.msu.edu)

Specialist Bee: A possible 55 (Johnson and Colla, 2023)

Beneficial for Endangered or Threatened Species: Gorgone checkerspot (mnfi.anr.msu.edu)

Resource: Johnson, Lorraine, and Sheila Colla. A Northern Gardener’s Guide to Native Plants and Pollinators: Creating Habitat in the Northeast, Great Lakes, and Upper Midwest. Island Press, 2023

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