Maximilian’s Sunflower ‘Dakota Sunshine’

Maximilian’s Sunflower ‘Dakota Sunshine’ (Helianthus maximiliani ‘Dakota Sunshine’) brings a burst of bright, cheerful yellow to the garden just when many summer perennials are beginning to wind down. Its tall stems and masses of daisy-like blooms make a particularly effective backdrop or informal screen, while the narrow foliage adds a different texture from broad-leaved garden plants. The flowers also make excellent cut flowers and provide valuable late-season food and habitat for wildlife.

‘Dakota Sunshine’ was selected specifically for its earlier flowering, making it well suited to shorter growing seasons where late-blooming sunflowers can be caught by frost. Once established, it handles dry conditions well and can thrive in rocky, lean soil. Its vigorous rhizomatous growth is worth giving some consideration when choosing a location, though—it is a tall plant and happiest with room to expand rather than being squeezed into a small, tightly planted flower bed.