Life Span
Perennial
  
Annual
  
Type
Shrub
  
Flowering Plants
  
Origin
Europe, Morocco, Western Asia
  
North America
  
Types
Not Available
  
Helianthus annuus, Heliantheae,
  
Number of Varieties
Not Available
  
Habitat
Boggy areas, Dry and Young forest Heaths, Mountain Slopes, Temperate Regions
  
Dry areas, Open areas, Prairies
  
USDA Hardiness Zone
5-8
  
3-10
  
AHS Heat Zone
8-5
  
12-1
  
Sunset Zone
A1, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 15, 16, 17
  
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
  
Plant Size
  
  
Plant Color
  
  
Flower Color
White, Red, Pink
  
Brown, Yellow
  
Flower Color Modifier
Not Available
  
Bicolor
  
Fruit Color
Not Available
  
Black, Chocolate, Ivory
  
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Gray Green, Dark Green
  
Dark Green, Green
  
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Gray Green, Dark Green
  
Green
  
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Gray Green, Dark Green
  
Green
  
Leaf Color in Winter
Gray Green, Dark Green
  
Not Available
  
Shape
  
  
Leaf Shape
Needle like
  
Oval
  
Thorns
No
  
No
  
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
  
Summer
  
Growing Conditions
  
  
Sunlight
Full Sun
  
Bright direct sunlight
  
Growth Rate
Medium
  
Very Fast
  
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
  
Dry, Light, Well drained
  
The pH of Soil
Acidic
  
Acidic, Alkaline
  
Soil Drainage
Well drained
  
Well drained
  
Bloom Time
Summer, Late Summer, Early Fall, Fall
  
Early Fall, Early Summer, Fall, Late Spring, Late Summer, Summer
  
Repeat Bloomer
No
  
No
  
Tolerances
Not Available
  
Not Available
  
Where to Plant?
Ground, Pot
  
Container, Ground, Pot
  
How to Plant?
Divison, Seedlings, Stem Cutting
  
Seedlings
  
Plant Maintenance
Low
  
Medium
  
Watering Plants
  
  
Watering Requirements
Average Water Needs
  
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
  
  
Soil pH
Acidic
  
Acidic, Alkaline
  
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
  
Dry, Light, Well drained
  
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
  
Well drained
  
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
  
Bright direct sunlight
  
Pruning
Prune in early summer, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
  
Prune ocassionally, Requires little pruning
  
Fertilizers
Ammonium Nitrate
  
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
  
Pests and Diseases
Armillaria mellea, Chlorosis, Crown rot, Powdery mildew, Root rot, Rust, Verticillium Wilt
  
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
Drought, Dry soil, Shade areas, Wet Site
  
Drought
  
Flowers
Showy
  
Yes
  
Flower Petal Number
Single, Double, Semi-Double
  
Single
  
Fruits
  
  
Showy Fruit
No
  
No
  
Edible Fruit
No
  
Yes
  
Fragrance
  
  
Fragrant Flower
Yes
  
Yes
  
Fragrant Fruit
No
  
No
  
Fragrant Leaf
No
  
No
  
Fragrant Bark/Stem
No
  
No
  
Showy Foliage
No
  
No
  
Showy Bark
No
  
No
  
Foliage Texture
Fine
  
Coarse
  
Foliage Sheen
Matte
  
Matte
  
Evergreen
No
  
No
  
Invasive
No
  
No
  
Self-Sowing
Yes
  
Yes
  
Attracts
Bees, Butterflies, Moths
  
Birds, Butterflies
  
Allergy
Not Available
  
Runny nose, Red eyes, Watery eyes, Sore eyes, Itchy eyes
  
Uses
  
  
Aesthetic Uses
Beautification, Bouquets, Cottage Garden, Showy Purposes
  
Beautification, Bouquets, Showy Purposes, Used for decorating walls, fences, gates, hedges, etc.
  
Beauty Benefits
Skin inflammation
  
Not Available
  
Edible Uses
Yes
  
Yes
  
Environmental Uses
Food for animals, Food for insects
  
Air purification
  
Plant Benefits
  
  
Medicinal Uses
Arthritis, Bladder Infection, Colic, Diarrhea, Gout, Inflammation, Kidney Stones, Rheumatism, Stomach pain, Urinary tract problems
  
Pulmonary afflictions
  
Part of Plant Used
Flowers
  
Flowers, Seeds, Stem
  
Other Uses
Can be made into a herbal tea, Food for animals, Used for its medicinal properties
  
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
Yes
  
Yes
  
Used As Outdoor Plant
Yes
  
Yes
  
Garden Design
Container, Cutflower, Edging, Foundation, Groundcover, Mixed Border, Rock Garden, Wall
  
Bedding Plant, Bonsai, Container, Edging, Edible, Feature Plant, Houseplant, Vegetable
  
Botanical Name
CALLUNA vulgaris
  
Helianths Annuus
  
Common Name
Heather, Common heather, Ling
  
Sunflower
  
In Hindi
हीथ
  
Sūrajamukhī
  
In German
Heidekraut
  
Sonnenblume
  
In French
bruyère
  
Tournesol
  
In Spanish
brezo
  
Girasol
  
In Greek
ερείκη
  
ηλιοτρόπιο
  
In Portuguese
urze
  
Girassol
  
In Polish
wrzos
  
słonecznik
  
In Latin
Heather
  
Helianthus
  
Kingdom
Plantae
  
Plantae
  
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
  
Magnoliophyta
  
Class
Magnoliopsida
  
Magnoliopsida
  
Order
Ericales
  
Asterales
  
Family
Ericaceae
  
Asteraceae
  
Genus
Calluna
  
Heilanthus
  
Clade
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
  
Not Available
  
Tribe
Ericeae
  
Heliantheae
  
Subfamily
Ericoideae
  
Helianthodeae
  
Number of Species
Not Available
  
Importance of Heather and Sunflower
Want to have the most appropriate plant for your garden? You might want to know the importance of Heather and Sunflower. Basically, these two plants vary in many aspects. Compare Heather 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 Heather is Arthritis, Bladder Infection, Colic, Diarrhea, Gout, Inflammation, Kidney Stones, Rheumatism, Stomach pain and Urinary tract problems whereas of Sunflower is Pulmonary afflictions. Heather has beauty benefits as follows: Skin inflammation while Sunflower has beauty benefits as follows: Skin inflammation.
Compare Facts of Heather 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 Heather 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 Heather are Not Available 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. Heather has no showy fruits and Sunflower has no showy fruits. Also Heather is not flowering and Sunflower is flowering. You can compare Heather and Sunflower facts and facts of other plants too.