Life Span
Perennial
Annual
Type
Grass
Flowering Plants
Origin
Middle Africa
North America
Types
Not Available
Helianthus annuus, Heliantheae,
Number of Varieties
Not Available
Habitat
Floodplains, Forest margins, Tropical regions, waterways, Wet lands, Woodlands
Dry areas, Open areas, Prairies
USDA Hardiness Zone
7-11
3-10
AHS Heat Zone
12 - 1
12-1
Sunset Zone
A1, A2, A3, H1, H2, 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
A1, A2, A3, H1, H2, 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Clump-Forming
Upright/Erect
Flower Color
Sandy Brown
Brown, Yellow
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Non Fruiting Plant
Black, Chocolate, Ivory
Leaf Color in Spring
Purple
Dark Green, Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Light Green
Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Purple
Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Purple
Not Available
Leaf Shape
Long Linear
Oval
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Summer
Sunlight
Full Sun
Bright direct sunlight
Growth Rate
Very Fast
Very Fast
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam, Sand
Dry, Light, Well drained
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Summer, Late Summer
Early Fall, Early Summer, Fall, Late Spring, Late Summer, Summer
Tolerances
Cold climate, Drought, Salt
Not Available
Where to Plant?
Ground
Container, Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Budding, Seedlings
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Low
Medium
Watering Requirements
Requires regular watering, Water more in summer
Keep the ground moist but not water-logged, Requires regular watering, Requires watering in the growing season
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Alkaline
Soil Type
Clay, Loam, Sand
Dry, Light, Well drained
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
Bright direct sunlight
Pruning
Remove dead leaves, Remove dead or diseased plant parts
Prune ocassionally, Requires little pruning
Fertilizers
Nitrogen, organic fertlizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Insects, Red blotch
Alternaria leaf blight, Apical chlorosis, Bacteria wilt, Bacterial leaf spot, Botrytis head rot, Charcoal rot, Crown gall, Downy mildew, Erwinia stalk rot, Fusarium stalk rot, Fusarium wilt, head rot, Phialophora yellows, Stem spot
Plant Tolerance
Cold climate, Drought, Salt
Drought
Flower Petal Number
Single
Single
Foliage Texture
Fine
Coarse
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Matte
Attracts
Birds, Flying insects
Birds, Butterflies
Allergy
Asthma, breathing problems
Runny nose, Red eyes, Watery eyes, Sore eyes, Itchy eyes
Aesthetic Uses
Not Used For Aesthetic Purpose
Beautification, Bouquets, Showy Purposes, Used for decorating walls, fences, gates, hedges, etc.
Beauty Benefits
No Beauty Benefits
Not Available
Environmental Uses
Air purification, Amazing growth rate, Food for animals, Food for insects, Prevent Soil Erosion, Shelter for wildlife, Wildlife, Windbreak
Air purification
Medicinal Uses
Eye Problems, Headache, Skin Disorders, Wounds
Pulmonary afflictions
Part of Plant Used
Leaves, Seeds
Flowers, Seeds, Stem
Other Uses
Food for animals, Used As Food
As Fertilizers, Economic Purpose, Oil is used in perfume, soaps, creams, etc., Showy Purposes, Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant, Used for producing cooking oil
Used As Indoor Plant
No
Yes
Used As Outdoor Plant
Yes
Yes
Garden Design
Bedding Plant, Feature Plant, Foundation, Mixed Border
Bedding Plant, Bonsai, Container, Edging, Edible, Feature Plant, Houseplant, Vegetable
Botanical Name
PENNISETUM purpureum 'Prince'
Helianths Annuus
Common Name
Elephant Grass
Sunflower
In Hindi
हाथी घास
Sūrajamukhī
In German
Elefantengras
Sonnenblume
In French
l'herbe à éléphant
Tournesol
In Spanish
pasto elefante
Girasol
In Greek
ελέφαντα χόρτο
ηλιοτρόπιο
In Portuguese
capim-elefante
Girassol
In Polish
trawa słoniowa
słonecznik
In Latin
elephanti herba
Helianthus
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Liliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Family
Poaceae
Asteraceae
Genus
Pennisetum
Heilanthus
Clade
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Not Available
Tribe
Paniceae
Heliantheae
Subfamily
Panicoideae
Helianthodeae
Number of Species
Not Available
Importance of Elephant Grass and Sunflower
Want to have the most appropriate plant for your garden? You might want to know the importance of Elephant Grass and Sunflower. Basically, these two plants vary in many aspects. Compare Elephant Grass and Sunflower as they differ in many characteristics such as their life, care, benefits, facts, etc. Every gardener must at least have the slightest clue about the plants he wants to plant in his garden. Compare their benefits, which differ in many ways like facts and uses. The medicinal use of Elephant Grass is Eye Problems, Headache, Skin Disorders and Wounds whereas of Sunflower is Pulmonary afflictions. Elephant Grass has beauty benefits as follows: No Beauty Benefits while Sunflower has beauty benefits as follows: No Beauty Benefits.
Compare Facts of Elephant Grass vs Sunflower
How to choose the best garden plant for your garden depending upon its facts? Here garden plant comparison will help you to solve this query. Compare the facts of Elephant Grass vs Sunflower and know which one to choose. As garden plants have benefits and other uses, allergy is also a major drawback of plants for some people. Allergic reactions of Elephant Grass are Asthma and breathing problems whereas of Sunflower have Runny nose, Red eyes, Watery eyes, Sore eyes and Itchy eyes respectively. Having a fruit bearing plant in your garden can be a plus point of your garden. Elephant Grass has no showy fruits and Sunflower has no showy fruits. Also Elephant Grass is not flowering and Sunflower is flowering. You can compare Elephant Grass and Sunflower facts and facts of other plants too.