Life Span
Annual
Perennial
Type
Flowering Plants
Cactus
Origin
North America
Southern Africa
Types
Helianthus annuus, Heliantheae,
Firesticks, Old Man's Beard
Number of Varieties
402
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Dry areas, Open areas, Prairies
Desert, Hilly upland habitat, Semi desert
USDA Hardiness Zone
3-1010-13
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-1
12-10
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
H1, H2, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Upright/Erect
Upright/Erect
Plant Size
Minimum Height
8.50 cm610.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
2.46 cm610.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Brown, Yellow
Yellow
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
-
Fruit Color
Black, Chocolate, Ivory
Red, Red orange
Leaf Color in Spring
Dark Green, Green
Light Green, Yellow green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green
Light Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green
Light Green
Leaf Color in Winter
-
Red, Light Green, Orange Red
Shape
Leaf Shape
Oval
Tiny
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Summer
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Bright direct sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Very Fast
Medium
Type of Soil
Dry, Light, Well drained
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Early Fall, Early Summer, Fall, Late Spring, Late Summer, Summer
Late Spring, Early Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
-
Pollution, Drought, Salt
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground, Pot
Container, Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Leaf Cutting, Seedlings, Stem Cutting
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Keep the ground moist but not water-logged, Requires regular watering, Requires watering in the growing season
Needs good drainage, Water less during winter, Water more in summer
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Acidic, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Type
Dry, Light, Well drained
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Bright direct sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
Prune ocassionally, Requires little pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
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
Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought
Flowers
✔
✘
✔
✘
Flower Petal Number
Single
-
Fruits
Showy Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Edible Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrance
Fragrant Flower
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Leaf
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Bark/Stem
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Foliage
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Bark
✔
✘
✔
✘
Foliage Texture
Coarse
Bold
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Birds, Butterflies
-
Allergy
Runny nose, Red eyes, Watery eyes, Sore eyes, Itchy eyes
Eye irritation, Numb Lips
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Beautification, Bouquets, Showy Purposes, Used for decorating walls, fences, gates, hedges, etc.
Mixed Border, Ornamental use, Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Pulmonary afflictions
Antiasthamatic, anti-cancer, Antitumor, Cough, Ear ache
Part of Plant Used
Flowers, Seeds, Stem
Branch, Latex, Root
Other Uses
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 firewood, Used as Ornamental plant
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Bedding Plant, Bonsai, Container, Edging, Edible, Feature Plant, Houseplant, Vegetable
Container, Feature Plant, Rock Garden, Wall, Tropical
Botanical Name
Helianths Annuus
EUPHORBIA tirucalli
Common Name
Sunflower
aveloz, firestick plants, Indian tree spurge, naked lady, pencil tree, pencil cactus, sticks on fire, milk bush, Euphorbia tirucalli
In Hindi
Sūrajamukhī
Sher-kandvel
In German
Sonnenblume
Bleistiftstrauch
In French
Tournesol
Aveloz
In Spanish
Girasol
Pencil Plant
In Greek
ηλιοτρόπιο
Aveloz
In Portuguese
Girassol
avelós
In Polish
słonecznik
Aveloz
In Latin
Helianthus
Aveloz
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Tracheophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Asterales
Euphorbiales
Family
Asteraceae
Euphorbiaceae
Genus
Heilanthus
Euphorbia
Clade
-
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
Heliantheae
Euphorbieae
Subfamily
Helianthodeae
Euphorbioideae
Number of Species
701
1
27800
👆🏻