With sunny yellow flowers atop nearly bare stems, Western Sunflower brings cheerful brightness and unexpected elegance to late summer gardens. It grows 2-5 feet tall with most of it broad, rough leaves clustered at the base.

Thrives in full sun and dry to medium soils, handling drought and poor conditions with ease. Very low-maintenance - cut back in late spring to safeguard overwintering insects.

Forms upright, well-behaved clumps and spreads slowly - great for meadows, gardens, and pollinator plantings. Its open habit lets light through to companion plants.

Native to the Midwest and parts of the Eastern U.S., often found in prairies, dry open woods, and rocky slopes.

Basal leaves emerge in spring, with flower stalks rising in mid to late summer. Bright blooms last into early fall, followed by dark seed heads that persist through winter.

Attracts bees, butterflies, and other pollinators, and birds that feed on the seeds in fall and throughout winter. A host plant for several native moth and butterfly species.