Heleniums

Author’s choice
These Helenium are among
Martin Hughes-Jones’s favourites:

Helenium ‘El Dorado’

Flowering season: June–September.
Height: 100cm (39in). Selection with
big gold flowers over a long period
and a well-branched habit.

H. ‘Rauchtopas’
Flowering season: mid-August–early
September. Height: 110cm (43in).
Outstanding selection with well-
spaced, amber petals marked
red-brown below.

H. ‘Flammendes Käthchen’
Flowering season: best in mid-August.
Height: 125cm (49in). Has small orange-
red flowers. Good with tall grasses.

H. ‘Sahin’s Early Flowerer’ Helenium Helenium Helenium Helenium Helenium

Flowering season: July–October,
if deadheaded. Height: 90cm (35in). ‘El Dorado’ ‘Rauchtopas’ ‘Flammendes Käthchen’ ‘Sahin’s Early Flowerer’ ‘Moerheim Beauty’
Blooms open orange-red, fading

Soaking up the sun

variably to orange and yellow.

H. ‘Moerheim Beauty’
Flowering season: July–October, Vibrant heleniums are popular for their
if deadheaded. Height: 80cm (31in). appealingly fiery blooms, but how can
Popular, with red flowers fading to
tawny brown. Not the most vigorous. gardeners get the best from them? »
Author: Martin Hughes-Jones, nurseryman and Helenium grower.
H. ‘Flammenrad’ Photography: Martin Hughes-Jones
Flowering season: early August–early
September. Height: 100cm (39in). Fine
selection with large yellow flowers
marked orange-red; introduced by
German nurseryman Karl Foerster.

H. ‘Rubinzwerg’
Flowering season: August. Height:
70cm (28in). Popular selection with
neat, dark red daisies.

H. ‘Ragamuffin’
Flowering season: late August–Septem­
ber. Height: 120cm (47in). Selection with
upwardly swept, yellow petals, marked
with light red. Good rain resistance.

H. ‘Riverton Beauty’
Flowering season: late August–
September. Height: 160cm (63in).
Yellow-flowered cultivar dating from
at least 1909 with a robust constitution.

H. ‘Margot’
Flowering season: early August–early
September. Height: 120cm (47in).
A good red and yellow selection Helenium Helenium Helenium Helenium Helenium
for UK conditions. ‘Flammenrad’ ‘Rubinzwerg’ ‘Ragamuffin’ ‘Riverton Beauty’ ‘Margot’
36 The Garden | August 2012 August 2012 | The Garden 37
 Heleniums

H Other selections to try (H: flowering height, F: months in flower)

eleniums are North
American perennial
daisies flowering in
mid- to late summer.
They are hardy across
Britain and, with a few simple rules,
straightforward to grow. The beautiful
flowers in yellow, orange, red and
dark red have a distinctive large
central disk which is sometimes
called a ‘cone’. This can vary from
lime-green to chocolate-brown and
often provides an attractive contrast
to the ‘petals’ (botanically, ray florets).
Heleniums make useful nectar
sources for bees and butterflies; as
with other daisies, the individual
flowers are long lasting because the
one set of petals serve as flags for
insects for the hundreds of individual Helenium ‘Kugelsonne’ H. ‘Indianersommer’ H. ‘Feuersiegel’ H. ‘Chipperfield Orange’
florets that make up the central cone. h: 100cm (39in)  f: August h: 100cm (39in)  f: Aug–Sept h: 140cm (55in)  f: August h: 160cm (63in)  f: Aug–Sept
They also make excellent, long-lasting
cut flowers to take into the house.
For garden purposes, there are two
distinct groups: those that begin
flowering in June or July and those
RHS / Jerry Harpur

that start to bloom in August. The early

starters tend to be shorter and are
more closely related to an American
west-coast species, Helenium
bigelovii. These will frequently
repeat flower later in the season, naturalistic or prairie planting styles In the Main to October, reaching a crescendo in
especially if deadheaded regularly. has produced a new series of exciting Borders at late July and August.
RHS Garden
Taller selections reaching up to planting combinations and has Harlow Carr,
2m (6½ft) bloom in late July, August helped renew interest in heleniums. the marmalade Raising new plants
and amber tones
and September and have more in The genus has proved especially Growing heleniums from seed is
of heleniums
common with H. autumnale, which effective with many umbels (cow merge well with fairly straightforward. Collect seed­
grows wild to the east of the Rockies parsley relatives), such as fennel red Monarda heads when ripe in autumn, place in
‘Gardenview
and as far north as Canada. They (Foeniculum vulgare), Angelica, Scarlet’ and a paper bag or envelope and keep H. ‘Zimbelstern’ H. ‘Lambada’ H. ‘Biedermeier’ H. ‘Kanaria’
have one glorious flush of blooms, Selinum species and rough chervil purple Agastache. cool in a well-ventilated place to dry. h: 100cm (39in)  f: August h: 110cm (43in)  f: August h: 125cm (49in)  f: Aug–Sept h: 125cm (49in)  f: July–Aug
most often in August, but will not (Chaerophyllum temulum), and also Then extract the fine seed by rolling
respond to deadheading. with bigger grasses such as Stipa the heads between finger and thumb.
gigantea and Miscanthus cultivars. Sow the seed and chaff mixture in
Border stalwarts Careful selection of helenium late winter on the surface of seed
Traditional herbaceous borders often cultivars will ensure a prolonged compost. You will get plenty of
include a sprinkling of heleniums. season of colour. For example, a seedlings and some may flower the
Together with Achillea, Phlox, planting containing Helenium first year, but none will be anything
Helianthus, Rudbeckia and Solidago, ‘Moerheim Beauty’, ‘El Dorado’, like the plant from which you
they contribute to the explosion of ‘Dunkelpracht’, ‘Flammendes collected the seed. However, this is a
colour in high summer. Käthchen’ and ‘Chipperfield Orange’ great way to find good new cultivars.
However, the recent interest in will provide colour from mid-June Keep as many as you have space for,
weeding out poorer ones until you
are left with the best; this is how I

‘Careful selection of helenium selected H. ‘Ragamuffin’.

If you want a particular selection,

cultivars will ensure a then you need to divide a plant or take

cuttings. This is easy provided one

prolonged season of colour.’ rule is obeyed: always propagate

in spring, just as plants are » H. ‘Waltraut’
h: 90cm (35in)  f: July–Sept
H. ‘Gartensonne’
h: 200cm (79in)  f: August
H. ‘Kupferziegel’
h: 100cm (39in)  f: September
H. ‘Königstiger’
h: 130cm (51 in)  f: August

38 The Garden | August 2012 August 2012 | The Garden 39

Heleniums
technique known as the ‘Chelsea
chop’, where growing tips are cut
back by about 10–15cm (4–6in) in
late May forming a shorter, more-
branched and later-flowering plant.
Deadheading extends flowering of
cultivars that bloom in June and July,
such as H. ‘Moerheim Beauty’, ‘Sahin’s
Early Flowerer’ and ‘Waltraut’.
Pests and diseases affecting
heleniums are limited. Slugs can
demolish soft new growth of small
plants overnight in spring while
phlox eelworm causes distortion and
lack of vigour, most noticeably as

RHS / Tim Sandall

growth commences. When
propagating, select healthy-looking
material; I suspect viruses have
contributed to the decline of older
cultivars so reject any with leaf
starting growth. Late March or early In the Mixed parts of a clump. Some cultivars such blemishes or mottling and sterilise
April is generally best. Propagation Borders at RHS as H. ‘Riverton Beauty’, however, will knives used for propagation.
Garden Wisley,
in autumn has high failure rates. Helenium ‘Sahin’s be strong for decades while others Despite this, some older selections
The easiest method is to divide an Early Flowerer’ will fade out in the centre and look are near bomb proof, and a few have
grows through
established plant by lifting the crown sickly – your eyes are the best judge. been around for a century; given their
birch supports
and levering it apart with two forks, backed by yellow- popularity, there seems no reason
or use a single fork and tease off a leaved Cornus
alba ‘Aurea’.
Ensuring plant health why many will not be gracing gardens
strong piece from the edge of a clump. Heleniums grow in most soils except a hundred years from now.
If you need many new plants then, those that dry out. They thrive in full
once you have a clump lifted, wash sun but tolerate light shade. Cultivars Suppliers
Most Helenium mentioned are listed in
it and prise apart with your fingers that reach 1m (39in) tall or more will RHS Plant Finder 2012–2013.
into individual rosettes and pot them need staking; possibly the most ✤ National Plant Collection of Helenium
up to grow on for a few weeks before effective and least visible means of (open by appointment): Special Perennials,
planting out. support is with pea sticks. Use last Yew Tree House, Hall Lane, Hankelow,
Crewe, Cheshire CW3 0JB; 01270 811443;
Early spring is also the best time to winter’s twiggy prunings from www.specialperennials.com
rejuvenate old clumps. After three deciduous shrubs and position them ✤ Author’s collection: Holbrook Garden
to five years many cultivars start to through the clumps as they make (an RHS Partner Garden), Sampford
Peverell, Tiverton, Devon EX16 7EN;
lose vigour and need dividing. Select rapid growth in late April and May. 01884 821164; www.holbrookgarden.com
only the most robust and healthy Heleniums can respond well to the Open 10am–5pm, Wed–Fri, until 14 Sept.

Using heleniums at RHS Garden Wisley

Sean Harkin, Horticultural Team Leader at RHS Garden Wisley
Heleniums are part of the ‘hot’ palette of planting in conditions they reach good heights. Below here, on the Glasshouse
the Mixed Borders at Wisley. Here, cultivars such as Landscape, one of my favourite uses of these plants can be admired:
Helenium ‘Waltraut’ and H. ‘Sahin’s Early Flowerer’ clumps of H. ‘Moerheim Beauty’ with Veronicastrum virginicum
RHS / Tim Sandall

enjoy soil enriched by years of home-made ‘Fascination’ sweeping across the landscape, the
rd
compost, which has produced a fertile, moisture- pa
orange heleniums contrasting with the purple Sh
ep
retentive loam. The clumps are staked with birch veronicastrum for an amazing display. l
o
ar

prunings, and we give a ‘Chelsea chop’ to H. ‘Sahin’s In these areas we do not stake, but do play
/C
RHS

Early Flowerer’ to hold back flowering so it starts around with Chelsea chopping to achieve
with the others for the peak displays. different heights in the rivers to prolong
In the Glasshouse Borders, as part of the prairie display, we have flowering. Neither do we deadhead: we find
planted heleniums in ‘rivers’, with tall grasses (such as Pennisetum that plants flower profusely without it and
macrourum) softening the effect and adding movement. Here, we benefit from seedheads through autumn
cultivars such as H. ‘Riverton Beauty’ and H. ‘The Bishop’ are ‘treated and winter (we cut them back in late winter).
mean and kept keen’. The soil is poor with a gravel mulch; the borders Mixed with grasses, the seedheads catch low
are on a slope and we carry out no feeding or watering. Even in these winter light and frost beautifully.

40 The Garden | August 2012