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Common Sunflower

Helianthus annuus

Found in disturbed areas, often cultivated in gardens, sometimes cultivated in fields. Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), Northern Tier edition What its natural habitat tells you

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Not native

Not native to Virginia. How scores work Is it native here?

Profile 76%

Height
1.5–10 feet
Spread
1.5–3 feet
Light
Full sun
Soil moisture
Somewhat dry to moist
See native alternatives

Plant this instead

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  • Woodland Sunflower
    Helianthus divaricatus

    Sun: Full sun, Partial shade. Soil: Dry to average. Flowers: Yellow.

    Similar growth form, height, spread

  • Narrowleaf Sunflower
    Helianthus angustifolius

    Sun: Full sun, Partial shade. Soil: Usually moist. Flowers: Yellow.

    Similar growth form, height, spread

  • Purpledisk Sunflower
    Helianthus atrorubens

    Sun: Full sun, Partial shade. Soil: Somewhat dry to moist. Flowers: Brown/copper, yellow or purple.

    Similar growth form, height, spread

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At a glance

Life cycle
Annual
Leaves
Deciduous
Bloom
June to October
Fruiting season
Summer to fall

Recorded in 30 Virginia counties.

Natural habitats

Places it grows wild. Not a planting requirement. Each habitat page lists the plants and wildlife also found there.

Roadsides, fields and disturbed ground

Ground opened by people: roadsides, old fields, pastures, fencerows and lots.

All habitats

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

What these records mean

73CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including VA

Genus host records with ranges including VA · 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
  • Autographa precationisCommon Looper Moth
  • Chloridea virescensTobacco Budworm Moth
  • Chlorochlamys chloroleucariaBlackberry Looper Moth
  • Choristoneura rosaceanaOblique-Banded Leafroller Moth, Rosaceous Leaf Roller
Show all 73
  • 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
  • Nymphalis milbertiMilbert's Tortoise Shell, Fire-Rim Tortoise Shell
  • Oedemasia leptinoidesBlack-Blotched Schizura
  • Ogdoconta cinereolaCommon Pinkband Groundling
  • Orgyia leucostigmaWhite-Marked Tussock Moth
  • Papaipema cataphractaBurdock Border, Potato-Stalk Borer
  • Papaipema nebrisStalk Borer
  • Papaipema necopinaSunflower 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
  • 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 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
  • Bucculatrix needhami
  • Carmenta ithacae
  • Coleophora vernoniaeella
  • Cremastobombycia ignota
  • Eucosma sombreana
  • Herpetogramma aquilonalis
  • Pelochrista milleri
  • Pelochrista womonana
  • Sitochroa dasconalis
Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)
—BeesSoutheastern regional records
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
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
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
Hurlbert, Olsen, Sawyer & Winner 2021, Avian Diet Database, Scientific Data 8: 260 (CC0)

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

Growing and identification

Plant details

Family
Asteraceae
Soil pH
Neutral to alkaline
Flower color
Black, brown/copper, yellow, orange or purple
Growth rate
Rapid
Growth habit
Single crown
Foliage color
Green
Fruit begins
Summer
Fruit ends
Fall

Safety has not been reviewed for this plant; check toxicity and thorns before planting.

Growing sources and scope

Conservation status

Virginia rankSNA
Global rankG5
VA statusNot verified
Federal statusNot verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

Sources