Thinleaf Sunflower

Helianthus decapetalus

Found in moist woodlands and forests, oak savannas. Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), Northern Tier edition What its natural habitat tells you

Keystone

Native to Virginia. How scores work Is it native here?

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Height: Up to about 6 feet
Light: Dappled sunlight, Full sun, Partial shade
Soil moisture: Somewhat dry to moist

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Helianthus decapetalus — bloom photograph — (c) cigazze, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY 4.0 · Original photograph

At a glance

Life cycle: Perennial
Bloom: Summer and fall

Not yet recorded · Spread · Leaves

Recorded in 82 Virginia counties.

Natural habitats

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

1 of 2

Oak savanna: open-grown oaks over grass. Shown: Catoosa Savanna, Tennessee, a neighboring state.Catoosa Savanna, 11 July 2012, Mason Brock (Masebrock), undated. Public domain. Source record.

Forests and woodlands

Forest or woodland where the source does not say how moist or dry.

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)

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

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

No records yet · Ants · Beetles · Flies · Adult butterflies / moths · Other wasps · Other insects

Growing and identification

Plant details

Family: Asteraceae
Hardiness: Zones 4a–9b
Soil pH: Neutral
Flower color: Yellow

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

Growing sources and scope

Bloom · “Summer and fall” · 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 4a–9b” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Height · “Up to about 6 feet” · Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
Life cycle · “Perennial” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Light · “Dappled sunlight (shade through upper canopy all day); 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 differ)
primary_flower_color · “yellow” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Soil · “Good drainage; Moist; Occasionally dry” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; NC Extension Plant Toolbox, Virginia DCR Piedmont, Virginia DCR Coastal Plain, Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center differ)
Soil pH · “Neutral” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox

Also known as

Forest Sunflower

Conservation status

Virginia rank	S5
Global rank	G5
VA status	Not verified
Federal status	Not verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

In your garden

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Thinleaf Sunflower

At a glance

Natural habitats

Who uses this plant?

Plant details

Conservation status

Will it fit your yard?

Sources

More Helianthus