Helenium 'Mariachi Sombrero'

Helenium 'Mariachi Sombrero': Pure Sunshine for the Late-Summer Lull

'Mariachi Sombrero' is all yellow, all the time. Sunny petals, a golden cone and absolutely zero shade. IT'S BASICALLY A BEACH VACATION THAT CAME BACK WITH A TAN.

Plant Characteristics:

• Botanical Name: Helenium 'Mariachi Sombrero'
• Common Name: Sneezeweed, Helen's Flower
• Height: 60–75 cm (24–30 in)
• Spread: 45–60 cm (18–24 in)
• Flowers: Bright yellow petals around a yellow cone
• Bloom Time: Midsummer to early fall (July to September)
• Foliage: Narrow, green, lance-shaped leaves on sturdy upright stems
• Features: Compact, sturdy stems, tolerates clay, good for cutting

Where to Plant: Put it in the front or middle of a sunny border where its compact clumps fill the late-summer gap. It is happiest in moist soil, including clay, and makes a good choice for the edge of a rain garden or a low spot that stays damp. Plant a few together in a cutting bed for armloads of stems.

Companion Plants: Agastache 'Blue Bayou' adds blue spikes at 41 to 46 cm from July to September in front. Echinacea 'Magnus' brings big purple coneflowers at 90 to 100 cm over the same months. Behind them, Panicum 'Heavy Metal' forms a steel-blue column that blooms from August to October. All three like full sun.

Plant Care: Plant in full sun in average to rich soil that stays evenly moist. It won't forgive a bone-dry summer, so water deeply during dry spells, especially in the first year. Deadhead spent flowers to keep new buds coming into fall. Cut stems back to the ground in late fall or early spring. Divide every three to four years in spring to keep clumps vigorous.

History: Helenium 'Mariachi Sombrero' belongs to the Mariachi series, bred by Arie Blom of AB-Cultivars in the Netherlands. Its parent species, Helenium autumnale, grows wild in wet meadows and stream banks across much of North America.

Final Thoughts: Bright, tidy and blooming when the rest of the garden is tired. PLANT IT, THEN GO FIND YOUR SUNGLASSES.