Sawtooth Sunflower
Helianthus grosseserratus
Found in prairies, fens, pastures, roadsides, disturbed areas. Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), Northern Tier edition What its natural habitat tells you
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Not scored
Native status: sources disagree, under review. How scores work Is it native here?
Profile 82%
- Height
- 4 feet
- Light
- Full sun
- Soil moisture
- Somewhat dry to moist
At a glance
- Life cycle
- Perennial
- Bloom
- July to October
- Fruiting season
- Summer to fall
JFMAMJJASOND
Not yet recorded · Spread · Leaves
Recorded in 1 West Virginia county.
Natural habitats
Places it grows wild. Not a planting requirement. Each habitat page lists the plants and wildlife also found there.
1 of 3
Wet, open, peaty mountain wetlands fed by seepage, often with sphagnum moss.
Roadsides, fields and disturbed ground
Ground opened by people: roadsides, old fields, pastures, fencerows and lots.
Ecological relationships
Who uses this plant?
74CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including WV
Genus host records with ranges including WV · 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 74
- Chrysodeixis includensSoybean Looper Moth
- Cochylichroa hospesBanded Sunflower Moth
- Condica sutorThe Cobbler, Cobbler Groundling
- Cucullia speyeriSpeyer's Cucullia, Speyer's Paint
- Dichomeris aleatrixBuffy Dichomeris Moth
- Dichomeris flavocostellaCream-Edged Dichomeris
- Dichomeris inserrataIndented Dichomeris
- Dichomeris juncidellaOrange-Dotted Dichomeris
- Dichomeris leuconotellaTwo-Spotted 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
- 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
- Papaipema rigidaRigid Sunflower Borer
- Pelochrista scintillanaSpangled Pelochrista
- Phragmatobia fuliginosaRuby Tiger Moth
- Phtheochroa birdanaBird's Cochylid
- Phyciodes tharosPearl Crescent, Crescentspot
- Plagiomimicus spumosumFrothy Moth
- Platynota flavedanaBlack-Shaded Platynota
- Pleuroprucha insulsariaCommon Tan Wave
- 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 frugiperdaFall Armyworm Moth
- Spodoptera ornithogalliYellow-Striped Armyworm Moth, Cotton Cutworm
- Spoladea recurvalisHawaiian Beet Webworm
- Stiria rugifronsSunflower Seedcropper, Yellow Sunflower Moth
- Suleima cinerodorsanaAshy Suleima
- Suleima helianthanaSunflower Bud Moth
- 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 fusicola
- Bucculatrix magnella
- Bucculatrix needhami
- Carmenta ithacae
- Eucosma sombreana
- Herpetogramma aquilonalis
- Landryia matutella
- Pelochrista womonana
- Sitochroa dasconalis
—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
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
Growing and identification
Plant details
- Family
- Asteraceae
- Soil pH
- Neutral
- Flower color
- Yellow
- Growth rate
- Moderate
- Growth habit
- Spreads by rhizomes
- Foliage color
- Dark 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
- Bloom · “July to October” · Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), Carolinas & Georgia edition (ranked first; USDA PLANTS, Prairie Moon 2026 Cultural Guide differ) · Carolinas and Georgia
- Flower color · “Yellow” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
- Foliage color · “Dark green” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
- Fruit begins · “Summer” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
- Fruit ends · “Fall” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
- Growth habit · “Spreads by rhizomes” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
- Growth rate · “Moderate” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
- Height · “4 feet” · Tennessee Smart Yards (ranked first; USDA PLANTS, Minnesota Wildflowers, Prairie Moon 2026 Cultural Guide differ) · Published Tennessee growing guidance; exact cached scientific heading
- Life cycle · “Perennial” · Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
- Light · “Full sun” · Tennessee Smart Yards (ranked first; Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, Prairie Moon 2026 Cultural Guide differ) · Published Tennessee growing guidance; exact cached scientific heading
- primary_flower_color · “yellow” · USDA PLANTS
- Soil · “moderately wet to moderately dry” · Tennessee Smart Yards (ranked first; Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, Prairie Moon 2026 Cultural Guide differ) · Published Tennessee growing guidance; exact cached scientific heading
- Soil pH · “Neutral” · Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
Conservation status
| West Virginia rank | SNA |
|---|---|
| Global rank | G5 |
| WV 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.
Choose a county to begin.
Growing cautions
- Spreads aggressively. Spreads aggressively by rhizomes and slowly by seed. Tennessee Smart Yards
For planning only; these do not change the score or Fit.
Sources
- NatureServe Explorer
- USDA PLANTS
- Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025)
- West Virginia 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