Helenium Mardi Gras
'Helbro' USPP #15,124, COPF
"Helen's Flower"

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BENEFITS
Helenium is another of the many American natives (like Aster, Phlox, Eupatorium) that went to Europe for a fancy education and returned in multiple hybridized forms.

BLOOM SEASON & HABIT
Produces a riot of multicolored blooms for six to eight weeks in summer, from late June to early August. Yellow petals, lavishly splashed with orange red, form wildly patterned stiff skirts around deep brown, mounded center cones. The "tie-dyed" flowers are 1½ inch to 2 inches in diameter. Forms upright clumps with sturdy stems that sway gracefully in summer breezes.

LOCATION
Full sun. USDA Hardiness Zones 4 to 8; AHS Heat Zones 8 to 1. See our Growing Zones page to reference growing zones in your area.

USE
A massed planting will form tight shrubby bushes of impressive size in two years. Perfect for the back of the border, or to anchor the center of a perennial island bed.

SIZE
Flowers 36-40" tall, foliage 30" tall. 25" spread in 2 years.

CULTURE
Good resistance to most insects and diseases. 'Mardi Gras' will thrive in full sun and well-drained soil. While it's happiest with frequent waterings, it does not require high fertility levels. Also see our General Planting Tips for more information.