A Few Native Sunflowers

Everybody seems to know and love the big yellow flowers we all think of when you mention sunflowers. And there is nothing like photographing a field full of sunflowers. I’m lucky enough to do that almost every summer.

In addition to the traditional cultivated sunflowers I’ve also photographed several native plants known as sunflower – and thought I’d share a few of them here with you today.

Ox-Eye Sunflower - heliopsis helianthoides – is native to much of the eastern 2/3 of the United States. I photographed it in Pennsylvania

Southeastern Sunflower - helianthus agrestis – is native to Florida and Georgia. I photographed it at Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge in Florida

Beach Sunflower - helianthus debilis – is native to coastal states from Texas to Maine, plus Pennsylvania and Michigan. I photographed the beach sunflowers at Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge in Florida

And finally the Thin-Leaf Sunflower - helianthus decapetalus – which is native to most of the eastern half of the United States. I photographed it along the Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina.