NRCS−Montana−Technical Note−Plant Materials−MT-105 1 

United States Department of Agriculture

NATURAL RESOURCES CONSERVATION SERVICE

Plant Materials Technical Note No. MT-105

December 2014 

PLANT MATERIALS TECHNICAL NOTE

SUNFLOWER

Helianthus L.

Native Sunflowers for Conservation Use in Montana and Wyoming

Susan R. Winslow, Agronomist, NRCS Plant Materials Center, Bridger, Montana

Common sunflower

General Description

There are many members of the Aster Family (Asteraceae) casually referred to as sunflowers

because of their showy, yellow flowers. True sunflowers belong to the genus Helianthus and are

divided in two groups, those growing under cultivation or in the wild. Cultivated varieties are 

hybrids of the native annual, common sunflower, and are used as food or ornamental crops. In the 

wild, annual and perennial sunflowers grow in a wide variety of shapes and sizes in diverse

environments across the United States and Canada. There are 52 Helianthus sunflower species 

native to North America—14 annuals and 38 perennials. 

Wild sunflowers are warm-season plants with active growth periods from mid-summer to early fall.

They produce several small-headed yellow inflorescences per stalk with each head composed (the 

Aster Family was formerly called the Composite Family) of two different types of florets—an outer 

ring of yellow ray flowers (sterile bracts) surrounding numerous very small brown disk flowers

(fertile florets that produce seed). A distinguishing characteristic in Helianthus is two awn-like 

appendages (pappi) borne at the end of the disk flowers that easily detach or fall off at maturity. 

The achene-like fruit of a sunflower is called a cypsela and contained within is a single seed. 

Sunflowers are difficult to identify due to ecologic adaptability (plasticity) and multiple sets of 

chromosomes (polyploidy) with 2n = 34, 51, 68, or 102, resulting in inter-specific hybridization. Of 

the six species in Montana and seven species in Wyoming, one annual and three perennials have 

utility in restoration and conservation seeding projects. 
NRCS−Montana−Technical Note−Plant Materials−MT-105 2 

Common sunflower Helianthus annuus, also called annual sunflower, is a showy annual found in 

open disturbed areas, and along roadsides, ditches, and field edges in dry to moderately moist 

soils. It grows 1 to 6 feet tall with stout, coarse, and branching stems. The rough leaves are 

arranged alternately along the stem, broadly heart-shaped at the base, and 2 to 10 inches long. 

The flowers are borne at the end of a branched stem. The orange-yellow ray flowers are 1 to 2 

inches long and the reddish brown disk is up to 2 inches across. The number of chromosomes is

2n = 34 (diploid). Common sunflower readily hybridizes with other annual and perennial 

sunflowers, including prairie sunflower Helianthus petiolaris and Jerusalem artichoke Helianthus

tuberosus.

Maximilian sunflower Helianthus maximiliani is a tall and robust perennial, with short rhizomes and 

fibrous roots adapted to deep clay loam to sandy loam soils. It grows 3 to 8 feet tall with single or 

loosely clustered, stout, white-hairy stems. The leaves are arranged alternately along the stem, 3 

to 6 inches long, 0.4 to 1 inch wide, lance-shaped with somewhat wavy margins to a sharp tip, and 

often rigidly folded downward in a trough shape. The deep yellow ray flowers are 1 to 11⁄2 inches 

long and the yellowish-brown disk is up to 1 inch across. The number of chromosomes is 2n = 34

(diploid). Hybrids of Maximilian sunflower and common sunflower are sterile. Maximilian sunflower 

will hybridize with stiff sunflower and Jerusalem artichoke (also native to Montana and Wyoming) 

as shown in plant breeding trials conducted by Cox et al. (2010).

 

Common sunflower (left) and Maximilian sunflower (right) 

Stiff sunflower Helianthus pauciflorus, also called rigid sunflower, is an erect, single stemmed, 

strongly rhizomatous perennial adapted to upland range sites with silty, shallow, or thin soil. It 

grows 1 to 4 feet tall in dense colonies and is often found on sandy sites. The single stems are 

commonly reddish and branched above in the inflorescence. The stiff, dark green leaves are 

mostly arranged opposite along the stem, lance to oval in shape, 2 to 8 inches long with three 

prominent ribs, leathery textured, and rough on both sides with serrated to entire margins. The 

yellow ray flowers are up to 1.5 inches long and the dark brown disk is up to 1 inch across. The 

number of chromosomes is 2n = 102 (hexaploid). Stiff sunflower readily hybridizes with many 

sunflowers, including Jerusalem artichoke. The hybrid, cheerful sunflower Helianthus x laetiflorus,

is commonly cultivated. 

Littleflower sunflower Helianthus pumilus, also called dwarf sunflower, is a perennial found growing 

naturally on dry, rocky sites in the plains and mountains of central and southeastern Wyoming and 

central Colorado, and is adapted to many sites including those found in Montana. It grows 1 to 3 

feet tall and plants are rough and hairy throughout. There are 5 to 7 pairs of ashy-green leaves 

arranged opposite along the stem, each leaf 1.5 to 6 inches long by 0.4 to 2 inches wide. The 

rounded yellow ray flowers are generally less than 1 inch long with glandular dots on the lower 
NRCS−Montana−Technical Note−Plant Materials−MT-105 3 

surface and the yellow or light brownish disk is approximately 0.5 inch across. The number of 

chromosomes is 2n = 34 (diploid).

 

Stiff sunflower (left) and Littleflower sunflower (right) 

Adaptation or Range

Sunflowers are common in the United States and Canada, ranging south from Saskatchewan to 

Texas and east from the Great Basin to the Great Plains. Littleflower sunflower is considered an 

endemic species in Wyoming and Colorado. Sunflowers are very adaptable and grow on a wide 

variety of soils and habitat types. They require full sun, are moderately resistant to drought, and all 

but common sunflower are tolerant, when dormant, of wildfire. The foliage is a palatable source of 

food for livestock and wildlife. In general, the perennial sunflowers may be found growing in 

association with big bluestem Andropogon gerardii, little bluestem Schizachryium scoparium, 

switchgrass Panicum virgatum, yellow Indiangrass Sorghastrum nutans, purple prairieclover Dalea 

purpurea, scurfpea Pediomelum and Psoralidium, and dotted blazing star Liatris punctata. 

In Montana, common sunflower is adapted to a wide range of soil types and precipitation zones at 

elevations of 2,300 feet to 5,000 feet. It is present as an ephemeral annual component on many

ecological sites and is likely found in all of the Major Land Resource Areas (MLRAs). Common 

sunflower is known to inhabit at least 37 of the 56 counties in Montana. 

In Wyoming, common sunflower is found growing on a wide range of soil types and precipitation 

zones at elevations of 3,200 feet to 6,600 feet. It is present as an ephemeral annual component on 

many ecological sites and is likely found in all of the MLRAs, with the possible exception of 47. 

Common sunflower is known to inhabit at least 19 of the 23 counties in Wyoming.

In Montana, Maximilian sunflower grows well on deep upland soils and heavier lowland soils in

areas receiving a minimum 10 inches of average annual precipitation at elevations of 2,200 feet to 

4,000 feet. It is present as a long-lived perennial on ecological sites in MLRAs 52, 53A, 58A, and 

60B. Maximilian sunflower is known to inhabit at least 15 of the 56 counties in Montana.

In a field planting near Jordan, Montana (MLRA 58A, 10 to 12 inches average annual precipitation, 

(Floweree and Lonna silt loam soils), when Maximilian sunflower was harvested in a fall-dormant 

state, it contained adequate levels of crude protein, energy, and minerals to maintain a moderate 

level of performance in most ruminant animals. When harvested in the active growing stage, it 

provided higher levels of energy and crude protein than dormant plants, but lower levels of 

minerals for moderate animal performance. Forage quality values are reported in Table 1. 
NRCS−Montana−Technical Note−Plant Materials−MT-105 4 

In a 2014 field planting near Bozeman, Montana (MLRA 43A, 15 to 19 inches average annual 

precipitation on Sourdough loam soil), Medicine Creek Germplasm Maximilian sunflower had 

“good” establishment and excellent vigor. It grew to a flowering height of 2 to 3 feet the first year of 

the planting. 

In Wyoming, Maximilian sunflower is adapted to deep upland soils and heavier lowland soils in 

areas receiving a minimum 14 inches of average annual precipitation at elevations of 3,500 feet to

6,000 feet. It is present as a long-lived perennial on ecological sites in MLRAs 58B, 60A, 60B, 61, 

64, and 67A. Maximilian sunflower is known to inhabit at least 6 of the 23 counties in Wyoming.

In Montana, stiff sunflower grows well on medium- to coarse-textured soils on dry hillsides and 

ridge tops in areas receiving a minimum of 13 inches of average annual precipitation at elevations 

of 3,000 feet to 5,000 feet. It is present as a long-lived perennial on ecological sites in MLRAs 43B, 

44, 52, 53A, 58A, and 60B. Stiff sunflower is known to inhabit at least 13 of the 56 counties in 

Montana.

In the field planting mentioned above near Jordan, Montana, when stiff sunflower was harvested in 

a fall-dormant state, it did not provide enough crude protein to maintain rumen function in livestock. 

Energy and mineral content of both active and dormant plants was adequate for low levels of 

animal performance but was lower than Maximilian sunflower. Forage quality values are reported in 

Table 1. 

Table 1. Forage quality values for Maximilian and stiff sunflower harvested during active and dormant growth 

stages. Jordan, Montana, 2000-2001. 

Maximilian sunflower Stiff sunflower

Active Dormant Active Dormant

Dry matter % 19.6 79.0 28.0 67.8

Crude protein % 16.4 9.6 12.1 5.3

Acid detergent fiber % 29.9 33.7 29.6 34.5

Total digestive nutrients % 51.8 64.2 60.1 62.8

Net energy lactation MCal† 0.71 0.66 0.72 0.63

Net energy maintenance MCal 0.66 0.64 0.59 0.61

Net energy gain MCal 0.54 0.37 0.35 0.33

Sulfur % 0.54 0.21 0.18 0.12

Phosphorus % 0.39 0.24 0.21 0.17

Potassium % 3.94 1.68 2.77 2.45

Magnesium % 0.42 0.42 0.61 0.39

Sodium % 0.01 0.02 0.01 0.01

Calcium % 2.59 3.01 2.08 2.16

Iron PPM‡ 992 227 933 105

Manganese PPM‡ 106 87 99 68

Copper PPM 25 8 18 4

Zinc PPM 93 95 42 85

† Mega-calories per pound; ‡ Parts per million.

In Wyoming, stiff sunflower is adapted to medium- to coarse-textured soils on dry hillsides, ridge 

tops, and ravines in areas receiving a minimum of 13 inches of average annual precipitation at 

elevations of 3,700 feet to 5,000 feet. It is present as a long-lived perennial on ecological sites in 

MLRAs 58B, 60A, 60B, 62, and 67A. Stiff sunflower is known to inhabit at least 6 of the 23 counties 

in Wyoming.

In Montana, littleflower sunflower is not a component of native plant communities. It has been 

grown successfully on sites in Carbon and Custer Counties (MLRA 32 and 58A, respectively). 
NRCS−Montana−Technical Note−Plant Materials−MT-105 5 

In Wyoming, littleflower sunflower is adapted to medium- to coarse-textured soils on gravelly and 

siltstone hills, sandy ridges, and stony knolls in areas receiving a minimum of 11 inches of average 

annual precipitation at elevations of 3,400 feet to 7,660 feet. It is present as a long-lived perennial 

on ecological sites in MLRAs 43B, 49, 58B, and 67A. Littleflower sunflower is known to inhabit at 

least 9 of the 23 counties in Wyoming.

Conservation Uses

Sunflowers are used as a forb component in the reclamation of drastically disturbed lands, range 

renovation projects, and numerous conservation practices, such as pollinator habitat, conservation 

cover, range and critical area plantings, and restoration and management of rare and declining 

habitats. The seeds are a very good food source for many species of birds and animals. 

Sunflowers can be included in many seeding mixtures for creating and enhancing habitat for 

upland game birds. Sunflower stalks are used for silage and feed for livestock and poultry. 

Maximilian and stiff sunflower are readily eaten and rarely found in pastures that are continually 

over-grazed. They are used in landscapes as border and screen plantings and in containers as 

showy ornamentals. Sunflowers are drought tolerant and suitable for use in water-efficient 

(XeriscapeTM) gardens. 

Cultural Uses

Common sunflower is an important crop grown globally for production of cut flowers, vegetable oil, 

fuel, commercial fiber, and seeds for snacks and bird food. Sunflowers have historically been used 

by humans as a nutritious food source, a medicinal treatment for many ailments, and as a dye for 

body paint and coloring basketry. Native Americans boiled and ate flower buds and raw seeds. 

Drinking an infusion of the plant alleviated rheumatism, soothed chest pain, and stimulated 

appetite. Purple, black, and yellow dyes were made by boiling different parts of the plant.

Honey bee foraging for nectar and pollen on littleflower sunflower

Ease of Establishment

Sunflowers are easy to establish by direct seeding. Seedling vigor is good in annual and perennial 

sunflowers with many plants flowering the year of establishment. 
NRCS−Montana−Technical Note−Plant Materials−MT-105 6 

Medicine Creek Germplasm Maximilian sunflower seedling

Planting Rates (all recommended amounts based on pure live seed [PLS]).

As a guideline, full stand drill seeding rates are based on 12-inch wide row spacing as shown for 

four sunflowers in Table 2. Forbs are seldom seeded in a pure stand, and in native seed mixtures 

rates are adjusted as a percentage of the mix and in general are 1⁄4 to 1⁄2 pound PLS per acre.

Seeding rates vary by planting method (drill versus broadcast) and site condition (non-critical 

versus critical area), refer to Plant Materials Technical Note, MT-46 for more information (Majerus 

et al., 2013). Critical areas are highly disturbed, highly erodible, and/or have physical, chemical, or 

biological conditions that prevent establishment with normal practices. Seeding rates for four 

sunflowers as determined by planting method and site condition are shown in Table 3. Wildland 

collected and field-produced seed is commercially available and cost is dependent on supply and 

demand.

Table 2. Seeding rates for conservation plantings of four species of sunflower Helianthus.

Common Name Seeds/lb† Seeding Date Seeds/ft‡ Full Stand Rate§

1 lb PLS/ac PLS/ft2 lb PLS/ac

Common sunflower 53,000 spring/summer 1.2 10.0 8.2

Maximilian sunflower¶ 250,000 spring/fall dormant 5.7 5.7 1.0

Stiff sunflower¶ 85,000 spring/fall dormant 0.5 5.0 2.5

Littleflower sunflower 200,000 fall dormant 5.0 25 5.4

† Number of pure live seeds (PLS) per pound; ‡ number of PLS per linear or square foot at 1 pound PLS/acre seeding 

rate; § full stand drill seeding rate in PLS pounds per acre at 12-inch between rows; and ¶ USDA-NRCS North Dakota 

Field Office Technical Guide.

Table 3. Seeding rates for four species of sunflower Helianthus as determined by planting method and site 

condition. 

Common Name 

Non-Critical Non-Critical Critical Area Critical Area

Drilled Broadcast¶ Drilled¶ Broadcast‡

lb PLS/ac lb PLS/ac lb PLS/ac lb PLS/ac

Common sunflower 8.2 16.4 16.4 32.8

Maximilian sunflower 1.0 2.0 2.0 4.0

Stiff sunflower 2.5 5.0 5.0 10.0

Littleflower sunflower 5.4 10.8 10.8 21.6

¶ Multiply the non-critical drill rate times 2; ‡ multiply the non-critical drill rate times 4. 
NRCS−Montana−Technical Note−Plant Materials−MT-105 7 

Stand Establishment 

For best results, seed should be planted into a firm, weed-free seedbed in early spring after the soil 

has warmed up to at least 45° Fahrenheit or as a dormant seeding in late fall (see Table 2). It is 

recommended seeding be done with a drill that will ensure a uniform seeding depth. The seeding 

depth of common sunflower is 1⁄4- to 1-inch, whereas the seeding depth of perennial sunflowers is 

1⁄4- to 1⁄2-inch. Seeding a forb component in alternate rows, or cross-planting (forb in one direction 

and grass in the other) may ensure better forb establishment. Common sunflower sets seed and 

will volunteer profusely the second year. It is considered competitive at high levels of 

establishment. Medicine Creek Germplasm and ‘Prairie Gold’ attained flowering heights of greater 

than 8 feet under irrigated conditions at the USDA-NRCS Plant Materials Center in Bridger, 

Montana. Medicine Creek began prolific flowering as early as mid-July, with seeds maturing in 

early September. Prairie Gold began prolific flowering in mid-August, but seeds did not ripen 

before the onset of freezing temperatures in late summer to early fall. 

Prairie Gold (left) and Medicine Creek Germplasm (right), August 6, 2014, Bridger, Montana

Seed Production

Seed production specifications for four species of sunflower are shown in Table 4. Between-row 

spacing is dependent on the species and the type of planting and cultivation equipment used, and 

ranges from 24 to 42 inches. Sunflowers are sensitive to fertilizer salts. Direct combine when the 

back portion of the head turns brown. Maximilian sunflower can be mowed early in the season to 

keep plants shorter for ease of harvest. 

Table 4. Seed production specifications for four species of sunflower Helianthus. 

Common Name Row Spacing

inches or feet

Seeding Rate Irrigated Seed Yield

PLS/ft lb PLS/ac 2 lb PLS/ac

Common sunflower 24 to 36 inches 25 10.3 to 6.8 100 to 200 (estimated)

Maximilian sunflower† 42 inches 10/linear feet 0.50 75 to 150

Stiff sunflower† 24 to 36 inches 15 3.8 to 2.6 75 to 150

Littleflower sunflower 24 to 36 inches 25 2.7 to 1.8 40 to 50 (bulk)

†

Duckwitz, W., personal communication.
NRCS−Montana−Technical Note−Plant Materials−MT-105 8 

Limitations

Sunflowers are affected by many diseases, including but not limited to: bacterial infections from 

leaf spot Pseudomonas, head and stem rot Erwinia, and crown gall Agrobacterium; and fungal 

infections from rusts Puccinia helianthi, gray mold Botrytis, leaf spots Alternaria, and downy mildew

Plasmopara. Seed crops are subject to shatter and are preyed upon by birds and insects such as 

the banded sunflower moth Cochylis hospes, seed maggot Neotephritis finalis, and headclipping 

weevil Haplorhynchites aeneus. Common sunflower is considered weedy and invasive. 

Releases

There are hundreds of hybrid varieties of common sunflower for various uses. 

There are two releases of Maximilian sunflower suitable for use in Montana and Wyoming. Prairie 

Gold (Kansas origin) was released in 1978 from the USDA-NRCS Plant Materials Center in 

Manhattan, Kansas, in cooperation with the Nebraska Agricultural Experiment Station. Prairie Gold 

is used in critical area reseedings and wildlife food plantings. Medicine Creek Germplasm (South 

Dakota origin) was released in 2000 from the USDA-NRCS Plant Materials Center in Bismarck, 

North Dakota, in cooperation with Agricultural Experiment Stations in North and South Dakota and 

Minnesota. Medicine Creek Germplasm is used in range and pasture seedings, wildlife habitat

enhancement, prairie restoration and landscaping, hedge or screen plantings, and has potential for 

use in filter strips.

Bismarck Germplasm stiff sunflower was released in 2000 from the USDA-NRCS Plant Materials 

Center in Bismarck, North Dakota (North Dakota origin) in cooperation with Agricultural Experiment 

Stations in North and South Dakota and Minnesota. Bismarck Germplasm stiff sunflower is used in 

prairie restoration, native landscaping, and range improvement projects. 

Medicine Creek Germplasm Maximilian sunflower first-year establishment

Additional Information

Cox, T.S., L.R. DeHaan, D.L. Van Tassel, and C.M. Cox. 2010. Progress in breeding perennial 

grains. Crop and Pasture Science 61:513-521.
NRCS−Montana−Technical Note−Plant Materials−MT-105 9 

Duckwitz, W. Personal communication October 22, 2015. USDA-NRCS Plant Materials Center, 

Bismarck, North Dakota.

Knudson, M. 2002. Plant Fact Sheet for Stiff Sunflower. USDA-NRCS Plant Materials Center, 

Bismarck, North Dakota. Available at http://plants.usda.gov/core/profile?symbol=HEPA19

Lesica, P. 2012. Manual of Montana Vascular Plants. Brit Press, Fort Worth, Texas.

Majerus, M., J. Scianna, and J. Jacobs. 2013. Plant Materials Technical Note, MT-46 (Revision 4) 

Seeding Rates for Conservation Species for Montana. Available at 

http://www.mt.nrcs.usda.gov/technical/ecs/plants/

Schilling, E. E. 2006. Flora of North America−Helianthus. Vol. 21, p. 141-169. Available at 

http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=114871

Stevens, M. 2006. Plant Guide for Common Sunflower. USDA-NRCS National Plant Data Center, 

Baton Rouge, LA. Available at http://plants.usda.gov/core/profile?symbol=HEAN3

USDA-NRCS. 2001. Planting Guide for Five Native Forbs/Legumes Released for Conservation 

Use. Plant Materials Centers in Bismarck, North Dakota, and Bridger, Montana. 

USDA-NRCS. 2002. Plant Fact Sheet for Maximilian Sunflower. Plant Materials Program. Available 

at http://plants.usda.gov/core/profile?symbol=HEMA2

USDA-NRCS North Dakota Field Office Technical Guide. Section I, Reference Section, Plant 

Materials Herbaceous Vegetation Management Guide. Revised April 2014. Available at

http://efotg.sc.egov.usda.gov/treemenuFS.aspx 

University of Minnesota-Dearborn. 2003. Native American Ethnobotany. A Database of Foods, 

Drugs, Dyes and Fibers of Native American Peoples, Derived from Plants. Accessed September 5,

2014. Available at http://herb.umd.umich.edu/

Wennerberg, S. 2004. Plant Guide for Maximilian Sunflower. USDA-NRCS National Plant Data 

Center, Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Available at http://plants.usda.gov/core/profile?symbol=HEMA2