Summer Heleniums

Summer Helenium is one of the great, but underrated, plants in the landscaper’s toolbox.Small golden-yellow flowers cover soft, ferny foliage. If you stand back, you might think that you’re looking at a miniature ‘Moonbeam’.

Unlike ‘Moonbeam’ however, Summer Helenium doesn’t bulk up and swamp the garden. It plays well with other plants, such as vincas, petunias, and zinnias. Summer Helenium grows in a nice, neat mound about 9 inches to a foot tall. It stays tidy, so you can grow it in amongst other plants to add a little zest and variety to the garden design.

It’s hard to find a rich, golden yellow that is appropriately sized for vincas and petunias, but Summer Helenium delivers the goods in a nice, tight package that is also drought tolerant. We have seen gardeners skip watering for a week or two and their Heleniums managed to remain beautiful. Even when they flag, these plants perk right back up with very little damage once they get back on their watering schedule. On top of that, they bloom continuously yellow until frost. 

Do we like Summer Helenium? Yes, we certainly do.

Next time, when you order some petunias or vincas, add some Summer Helenium. Give it a try in one of your jobs, or just around your own garden. We think you will be impressed.