Helenium autumnale 'Short and Sassy' (PBR)
sneezeweed
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- Standard £5.95
This perennial dies back to below ground level each year in autumn, then fresh new growth appears again in spring.
- Position: full sun
- Soil: moderately fertile, moist but well-drained soil
- Rate of growth: average
- Flowering period: July to September
- Hardiness: fully hardy
If you want lashings of low-growing, late colour, then this could be just the ticket. It only gets around 45cm tall, so it will never need staking and it has a branching habit, so there are always loads of flowers. These are a showy shade of orange, so they really stand out from a distance, and they make good cut flowers too. Dot them through the front of a sunny border or use them to fill your patio pots.
Heleniums are versatile plants that love plenty of sunshine and moist soil. They rarely suffer from pests or diseases, however young plants do need to be protected from slug attack. To encourage the plant to repeat flower deadhead back to side shoots that have flower buds emerging. Cut back by half after flowering to help prevent mildew. Cut down to the ground in late winter. Every two or three years divide the plants in spring to keep them in top condition. When replanting add loads of well-rotted organic matter to the soil to feed them and keep them moist.