Woodland Sunflower
Helianthus divaricatus
In the Carolinas and Georgia, found in moist to dry woodlands and forests, forest edges. Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), Carolinas & Georgia edition What its natural habitat tells you
100
Keystone
Native to Arkansas. How scores work Is it native here?
Profile 100%
- Height
- 2–6 feet
- Spread
- 1–3 feet
- Light
- Full sun, Partial shade
- Soil moisture
- Dry to average
Space about 2 ft apart from its recorded spread, about 25 per 100 sq ft. Enter your bed size for a count
Will it fit your yard?
At a glance
- Life cycle
- Perennial
- Leaves
- Deciduous
- Bloom
- Summer
Recorded in 35 Arkansas counties.
Natural habitats
Places it grows wild. Not a planting requirement. Each habitat page lists the plants and wildlife also found there.
1 of 3
Forest or woodland where the source does not say how moist or dry.
Forests and open woodlands on dry ridges and slopes, often oak or pine.
Also found with this plant
Wildlife whose habitat models include habitats this plant grows in, in Arkansas. Shared habitat, not food. 98 animals.
- American GoldfinchCarduelis tristis
- American KestrelFalco sparverius
- American RobinTurdus migratorius
- Belted KingfisherMegaceryle alcyon
- Bewick's WrenThryomanes bewickii
- Blue GrosbeakPasserina caerulea
- Blue JayCyanocitta cristata
- Brown CreeperCerthia americana
- Cedar WaxwingBombycilla cedrorum
- Chipping SparrowSpizella passerina
- Common NighthawkChordeiles minor
- Cooper's HawkAccipiter cooperii
- Double-crested CormorantPhalacrocorax auritus
- Downy WoodpeckerPicoides pubescens
- Eastern BluebirdSialia sialis
- Eastern KingbirdTyrannus tyrannus
- Eastern Screech-owlMegascops asio
- European StarlingSturnus vulgaris
- Golden-crowned KingletRegulus satrapa
- Great Horned OwlBubo virginianus
- Hairy WoodpeckerPicoides villosus
- Hooded MerganserLophodytes cucullatus
- Lark SparrowChondestes grammacus
- Mourning DoveZenaida macroura
Ecological relationships
Who uses this plant?
79CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including AR
Genus host records with ranges including AR · Helianthus
- Chlosyne nycteisSilvery Checkerspot
- Acharia stimuleaSaddleback Caterpillar Moth
- Achyra rantalisGarden Webworm Moth
- Adaina ambrosiaeAmbrosia Plume Moth, Ragweed Plume Moth
- Agrotis ipsilonIpsilon Dart, Black Cutworm, Greasy Cutworm
- Amyna strictaEight-Spot Moth
- Chloridea virescensTobacco Budworm Moth
- Chlorochlamys chloroleucariaBlackberry Looper Moth
- Chlosyne gorgoneGorgone Checkerspot
- Choristoneura rosaceanaOblique-Banded Leafroller Moth, Rosaceous Leaf Roller
Show all 79
- Chrysodeixis includensSoybean Looper Moth
- Cochylichroa hospesBanded Sunflower Moth
- Condica sutorThe Cobbler, Cobbler Groundling
- Cucullia speyeriSpeyer's Cucullia, Speyer's Paint
- Dichomeris flavocostellaCream-Edged Dichomeris
- Dichomeris inserrataIndented Dichomeris
- Dichomeris juncidellaOrange-Dotted Dichomeris
- Elophila obliteralisWaterlily Leafcutter Moth
- Estigmene acreaSalt Marsh Moth, Acrea Moth
- Eupithecia miserulataCommon Eupithacia, Common Pug
- Euplexia benesimilisAmerican Angle Shades
- Euxoa messoriaReaper Dart, Darksided Cutworm, Dark-Sided Cutworm
- Feltia jaculiferaDingy Cutworm
- Feltia subgothicaSubgothic Dart
- Helicoverpa zeaCorn Earworm Moth
- Herpetogramma pertextalisBold-Feathered Grass Moth
- Homoeosoma electellaSunflower Moth
- Hypercompe scriboniaGiant Leopard Moth, Great Leopard Moth
- Hyphantria cuneaFall Webworm
- Manduca rusticaRustic Sphinx
- Megalographa bilobaBilobed Looper Moth
- Mythimna unipunctaArmyworm Moth, White Speck
- Nomophila nearcticaLucerne Moth, American Celery Webworm
- Oedemasia leptinoidesBlack-Blotched Schizura
- Ogdoconta cinereolaCommon Pinkband Groundling
- Orgyia leucostigmaWhite-Marked Tussock Moth
- Papaipema cataphractaBurdock Border, Potato-Stalk Borer
- Papaipema nebrisStalk Borer
- Pelochrista scintillanaSpangled Pelochrista
- Phtheochroa birdanaBird's Cochylid
- Phyciodes tharosPearl Crescent, Crescentspot
- Plagiomimicus spumosumFrothy Moth
- Platynota flavedanaBlack-Shaded Platynota
- Pleuroprucha insulsariaCommon Tan Wave
- Ponometia semiflavaHalf-Yellow Bird-Dropping Moth, Half-Yellow Moth
- Ponometia tortricinaX
- Pyrrharctia isabellaIsabella Tiger Moth, Banded Woolybear
- Rachiplusia ouGray Looper
- Sparganothis sulfureanaSparganothis Fruitworm Moth, Sulfur Leafroller, False Yellow-Head
- Spilosoma virginicaVirginian Tiger Moth, Yellow Woolybear Moth, Yellow Bear
- Spodoptera eridaniaSouthern Armyworm Moth
- Spodoptera frugiperdaFall Armyworm Moth
- Spodoptera latifasciaOrange-Striped Armyworm, Velvet Armyworm Moth
- Spodoptera ornithogalliYellow-Striped Armyworm Moth, Cotton Cutworm
- Spoladea recurvalisHawaiian Beet Webworm
- Stiria rugifronsSunflower Seedcropper, Yellow Sunflower Moth
- Suleima helianthanaSunflower Bud Moth
- Synchlora frondariaSouthern Emerald
- Thyridopteryx ephemeraeformisEvergreen Bagworm Moth
- Trichoplusia niNi Moth, Cabbage Looper Moth
- Vanessa carduiPainted Lady, Cosmopolite
- Vanessa virginiensisAmerican Lady, American Painted Lady
- Xestia c-nigrumSpotted Cut-Worm, Setaceous Hebrew Character, Lesser Black-letter Dart
- Xestia dolosaGreater Black-Letter Dart, Greater Spotted Cutworm
- Astrotischeria helianthi
- Bucculatrix fusicola
- Bucculatrix magnella
- Bucculatrix needhami
- Dichomeris vindex
- Eucosma sombreana
- Frechinia helianthiales
- Isophrictis similiella
- Landryia matutella
- Pelochrista milleri
- Pelochrista womonana
- Platphalonidia lavana
- Platynota nigrocervina
- Sitochroa dasconalis
- Teladoma helianthi
69BeesSoutheastern regional records
Southeastern regional records · Helianthus
Individual names are not available yet.
Noori, Seltmann & Orr 2026, A curated and integrated dataset for exploring global bee-plant interactions (GloBI), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0
44Specialist beesPollen specialists
Pollen specialists · Helianthus
- Andrena aliciae
- Andrena asteris
- Andrena braccata
- Andrena chromotricha
- Andrena haynesi
- Andrena simplex
- Colletes birkmanni
- Colletes compactus
- Colletes rufocinctus
- Colletes simulans
Show all 44
- Diadasia enavata
- Dianthidium curvatum
- Dieunomia heteropoda
- Dieunomia triangulifera
- Dufourea marginata
- Hesperapis carinata
- Megachile fortis
- Megachile inimica
- Megachile parallela
- Megachile pugnata
- Megachile xylocopoides
- Melissodes bidentis
- Melissodes coloradensis
- Melissodes coreopsis
- Melissodes denticulatus
- Melissodes dentiventris
- Melissodes desponsus
- Melissodes illatus
- Melissodes manipularis
- Melissodes subillatus
- Melissodes trinodis
- Melissodes wheeleri
- Paranthidium jugatorium
- Perdita albipennis
- Perdita bruneri
- Perdita heliophila
- Perdita laticincta
- Perdita pratti
- Perdita swenki
- Perdita tridentata
- Protandrena andrenoides
- Protandrena piercei
- Protandrena simulans
- Trachusa zebrata
36BirdsRecorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim
Recorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim · Helianthus
- Agelaius phoeniceusRed-winged Blackbird
- Alectoris chukarChukar
- Anthus rubescensAmerican Pipit
- Branta canadensisCanada Goose
- Calcarius lapponicusLapland Longspur
- Calcarius ornatusChestnut-collared Longspur
- Callipepla californicaCalifornia Quail
- Callipepla gambeliiGambel's Quail
- Colinus virginianusNorthern Bobwhite
- Columbina passerinaCommon Ground Dove
Show all 36
- Corvus brachyrhynchosAmerican Crow
- Corvus cryptoleucusChihuahuan Raven
- Dryobates pubescensDowny Woodpecker
- Euphagus cyanocephalusBrewer's Blackbird
- Haemorhous mexicanusHouse Finch
- Loxia leucopteraWhite-winged Crossbill
- Melanerpes erythrocephalusRed-headed Woodpecker
- Meleagris gallopavoWild Turkey
- Melospiza melodiaSong Sparrow
- Melozone crissalisCalifornia Towhee
- Molothrus aterBrown-headed Cowbird
- Oreortyx pictusMountain Quail
- Ortalis vetulaPlain Chachalaca
- Passer domesticusHouse Sparrow
- Perdix perdixGray Partridge
- Quiscalus quisculaCommon Grackle
- Rhynchophanes mccowniiMcCown's Longspur
- Sitta carolinensisWhite-breasted Nuthatch
- Spinus psaltriaLesser Goldfinch
- Spinus tristisAmerican Goldfinch
- Turdus migratoriusAmerican Robin
- Tympanuchus pallidicinctusLesser Prairie-Chicken
- Xanthocephalus xanthocephalusYellow-headed Blackbird
- Zenaida asiaticaWhite-winged Dove
- Zenaida macrouraMourning Dove
- Zonotrichia leucophrysWhite-crowned Sparrow
Direct food only: birds recorded eating this genus across North America. Caterpillars on host plants also feed nesting birds. NC Native Plant Society: butterfly gardening
Flies 8
- Anthrax halcyon
- Anthrax palliata
- Exoprosopa decora
- Geron rufipes
- Milesia ornata
- Robertsonomyia palpalis
- Systoechus vulgaris
- Zodion fulvifrons
Flower visits · Carlinville, Illinois, USA
Adult butterflies / moths 1
- Limochores taumas
Flower visits · Carlinville, Illinois, USA
Other wasps 4
- Cerceris rufinoda
- Leionotus arvensis
- Sphex nigricans
- Stictiella pictifrons
Flower visits · Carlinville, Illinois, USA
No records yet · Ants · Beetles · Other insects
Growing and identification
Plant details
- Family
- Asteraceae
- Hardiness
- Zones 3a–8b
- Soil pH
- Acidic to neutral
- Flower color
- Yellow
Safety has not been reviewed for this plant; check toxicity and thorns before planting.
Growing sources and scope
- Bloom · “Summer” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), Carolinas & Georgia edition differs)
- Flower color · “Yellow” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
- Hardiness · “Zones 3a–8b” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder differs)
- Height · “2–6 feet” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center differs)
- Leaves · “Deciduous” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
- Life cycle · “Perennial” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
- Light · “Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day); Partial shade (direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; Virginia DCR Piedmont, Virginia DCR Coastal Plain, Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder differ)
- primary_flower_color · “yellow” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
- Soil · “Good drainage; Occasionally dry” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; Virginia DCR Piedmont, Virginia DCR Coastal Plain, Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder differ)
- Soil pH · “Acidic to neutral” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
- Spread · “1–3 feet” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Conservation status
| Arkansas rank | SNR |
|---|---|
| Global rank | G5 |
| AR status | Not verified |
| Federal status | Not verified |
In your garden
Will it fit your yard?
Check this plant against your county, sun and soil moisture. Conditions are checked in your browser.
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Sources
- Atlas of the Vascular Plants of Arkansas (2013)
- USDA PLANTS
- Vascular Plants of North Carolina (NC Natural Heritage Program)
- Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025)
- Arkansas occurrence source
- Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)
- Noori, Seltmann & Orr 2026, A curated and integrated dataset for exploring global bee-plant interactions (GloBI), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0
- Smith, Bachelder, Russell, Morales, Mosher & Seltmann 2024, Bee-Specialization-Modeling v0.6.1 (specialist host table compiled from J. Fowler's pollen specialist bee lists), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0
- Hurlbert, Olsen, Sawyer & Winner 2021, Avian Diet Database, Scientific Data 8: 260 (CC0)
- Narango, Tallamy & Shropshire 2020, Few keystone plant genera support the majority of Lepidoptera species, Nature Communications