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Silvery Checkerspot| Gorgon Checkerspot| Painted Lady
No
No
No
No
No
Butterflies, Bees, Other Showy Insects
No
Conservation Status
No
Interesting Tidbits
This species is deer resistant. (Evergreen)
Seeds can be sown in the spring, and perennials can be divided in the spring or fall.
Habitat Information: Woodland, savannah, rocky bluff, prefers sandy soil.
Name is derived from two Greek words helios, ""sun,"" and anthos, ""flower,"" for its tendency to turn toward the sun. Divaricatus means ""divergent"" or ""spreading"" or ""spread asunder"". Robert W. Freckmann Herbarium (Illinois Wildflowers)
Garden Uses: Tolerates a wide variety of soil conditions, and light levels. it is quite aggressive in gardens, although less so in shady conditions. (Evergreen) Great for a woodland garden that is normally dominated by spring blooming plants, its yellow flower is useful for adding colour in summer. It tolerates dry shade, and many conditions. Because of its tendency to be highly aggressive, dry shade works to keep these tendencies at bay. Has stoloniferous roots that move quickly to overtake other plants.
In sun, the large dark green leaves provide contrast to other prairie plants. (Evergreen)
Insect Relationships: Specialist pollinators (oligoleges) of woodland sunflower and other sunflowers: Andrena accepta, Andrena aliciae, Andrena helianthi, Dufourea marginatus, Melissodes agilis, and Pseudopanurgus rugosus. Other pollinars visiting are long tongued bees (honeybees, bumblebees, digger bees, leaf cutting bees, cuckoo bees, etc.), short tongued bees (Halictid bees and Andrenid bees), various wasps, a variety of flies (Syrphid flies, bee flies, thick headed flies, etc.), butterflies and skippers, and Chauliognathus pennsylvanicus (goldenrod soldier beetle). Caterpillars of the butterflies Chlosyne nycteis (silvery checkerspot), Chlosyne gorgone (gorgon checkerspot), and Vanessa cardui (painted lady); the caterpillars of Cochylis hospes (banded sunflower moth), Papaipema necopina (sunflower borer moth), Stiria rugifrons (sunflower seed copper), and other moths. Sunflowers are important for many aphids, treehoppers, leafhoppers, plant bugs, leaf beetles, scarab beetles, the larvae of weevils, the larvae of midges and other small flies, grasshoppers, and other insects. (Illinois Wildflowers)
Traditional Edible, Medicinal Uses: As with others in the sunflower family, the plants are diabetic, expectorant, pectoral and the root is edible. (Plants for a Future)
Green Roof: This plant adapts to green roof conditions, doing well in 5 inches of soil or more (Evergreen)
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