Helenium autumn: the best varieties with photos, planting and care in open ground

Helenium autumnalis is considered the most widespread cultivated species of the genus of the same name. Its flowering begins relatively late, but pleases with its splendor and abundance. Each of the numerous branched shoots bears up to several hundred buds. In August they open with bright, golden-yellow flowers. The latter resemble small suns with a large number of petal rays bent from the convex core. By the end of summer, the “benefit performance” of many bright flowers, which invariably attracted attention, ends, and the flaming bushes of helenium, welcoming the beginning of autumn in all their glory, give the garden a second wind, allowing it to look both cozy and elegant.

Growing this perennial is not difficult.You can use the seedling method or sow the seeds directly into open ground, root the cuttings in the spring, or divide large bushes at the right time. Autumn helenium is undemanding in care, and even a novice gardener can certainly cope with creating favorable conditions for it. The combination of this delicate, beautiful perennial, blooming lushly and brightly, with other plants, in particular with autumn flowers, will transform the garden at the end of the season, decorating it with original, intricate flower beds and compositions.

Description of autumn helenium

Helenium autumnale (in Latin Helenium autumnale) was given to the world by North America. Under natural conditions, it prefers to grow in flooded meadows and swamps, along roadsides. It is light-loving and needs fertile soil. If you provide it with suitable conditions, it will quickly grow in the garden, forming lush bushes that bloom profusely and brightly from early August to late September.

Depending on the variety, autumn helenium bushes can reach 0.5-1.3 m in height. They are characterized by a columnar shape. Each plant has from 1 to 7 straight, strong, slightly pubescent dark green stems, branching at the top.

Important! Shoots of autumn helenium tend to grow very quickly, which can contribute to its rapid aging. The way out is regular rejuvenation of the bush by division. It is advisable to carry it out once every 3-4 years.

Bright, lushly flowering bushes of autumn helenium are a real decoration of the garden at the end of the season.

The root system of autumn helenium is superficial and underdeveloped.

The leaves are located along the entire height of the shoots in regular order.Their elongated, lanceolate plates can have a fleecy or bare surface, and have smooth or jagged edges. They are colored a little lighter than the stem.

The inflorescence of autumn helenium has the shape of a basket with a diameter of 3-6 cm. Its convex high core consists of 200-400 tubular flowers. Most often they are painted dark gold, burgundy or brown. The marginal reed flowers are spread out to the sides, resembling a ballet tutu. Their length is from 10 to 23 mm.

Each basket of autumn helenium is located on a long thin bract (3-10 cm). The latter, in turn, are combined into panicles or scutes up to 30 cm in diameter. There can be from 5 to 70 of them on one plant.

About 15-20 inflorescences bloom at a time on each stem. They can be single, semi-double or double and differ in shades of red and yellow.

The fruits of autumn helenium ripen after pollination, by October. These are oblong achenes in the shape of cylinders of light brown color. Their length is usually 1-2 mm. They are slightly pubescent and have a crest of 5-7 scales.

Popular varieties

Based on this species, breeders have developed a significant number of varieties that look great in garden design. Below are photos and descriptions of some of the most interesting hybrids of autumn helenium: Ruby Tuesday, Double Trouble, Chelsey, Moerheim Beauty, Fiesta.

Ruby Tuesday

Ruby Tuesday, or Ruby Tuesday, is characterized by multiple small (up to 3 cm in diameter) flowers, painted in burgundy-red tones, with yellow-brown embossed cores. The stems of the plant are smooth: the edge, usual for most varieties of this species, is absent.

Ruby Tuesday is one of the shortest hybrids of autumn helenium. The height of its bush does not exceed 50 cm. Another distinctive feature is the relatively early start of the flowering period: usually the end of the first week of July. Due to its compact size, this variety of autumn helenium is ideal for growing in containers.

Hybrid Ruby Tuesday is one of the shortest varieties of autumn helenium

Double Trouble

The hybrid with an amusing name meaning “Double Trouble” is actually extremely effective and beautiful. This is the only terry variety of helenium in the world. Its double reed flowers are bright lemon in color, and the convex “eye” in the middle is greenish-gold. Bushes of autumn helenium Double Trouble grow up to 80 cm, and the diameter of its inflorescence is on average 4.5 cm. The variety does not change color throughout the entire flowering period, from the end of July to the end of September.

Double Trouble - the only terry helenium in the world

Chelsea

A relatively new hybrid, bred on the basis of autumn helenium in 2005. The height of the Chelsea stems is 60-80 cm. The diameter of the inflorescences varies from 5 to 8 cm. Their central convex part is painted in a rich red-brown color with a golden “belt”, and the reeds the flowers combine two shades: crimson and bright yellow. The area and intensity of yellow spots directly depends on the amount of sunlight that affected the plant, and may differ between inflorescences on different bushes. The flowering period is from mid-July to the end of August.

The two-tone Chelsea variety appears to be painted with uneven strokes of watercolor paints.

Moerheim Beauty

One of the most famous varieties of autumn helenium.This is a powerful, tall (from 90 to 120 cm) plant with strong shoots, resistant to wind and does not require support. The reed flowers immediately after the opening of the inflorescences are painted bronze-red, but over time they become red-orange. The central part is velvety burgundy. The diameter of its large inflorescences is about 6.5 cm. It blooms from early August to October.

The strong and durable stems of the tall variety Moerhem Beauty do not need support

Fiesta

A distinctive feature of the autumn Helenium variety Fiesta (“Holiday”) is its variegated marginal flowers. Due to their unusual color - yellow edges on both sides and an orange middle, in the inflorescence they form a wide fiery red ring on a golden background, looking very elegant. The height of the Fiesta bush is 80-100 cm, the diameter of the basket is about 5 cm. The flowering period is August-September.

The coloring feature of Fiesta inflorescences is a fiery red ring on a bright yellow background.

Application in landscape design

Helenium autumn is a real find for florists and landscape designers. You can easily find many options for decorating your home and garden with this bright plant that blooms profusely and luxuriantly:

autumn helenium will perfectly cope with the role of tapeworm on a neat lawn;
its tall varieties look wonderful in joint plantings with other perennials that bloom in the second half of summer: sapling, rudbeckia, delphinium, heliopsis;
tall bushes of autumn helenium perfectly camouflage and cover unattractive-looking fences or parts of outbuildings;
this flower will be an excellent background in a multi-level cascading flower bed;
group plantings of this plant will give the garden a bright and elegant look at the end of summer or early autumn;
Combinations of blooming autumn helenium, painted in warm colors, with snow-white paniculate phlox or autumn asters are very effective;
Compositions with companion plants selected to match the given flower look beautiful and delicate: goldenrod, marigold, heuchera, garden yarrow;
The brightness of autumn helenium is successfully emphasized by the ornamental grasses growing nearby.

It is worth knowing that this plant is an excellent fragrant honey plant that invariably attracts bees and butterflies to the garden.

Helenium autumn will fit wonderfully into any corner of the garden

Advice! Helenium looks wonderful and lasts a long time in autumn bouquets. However, it is necessary to cut off shoots with already blossoming flowers; the buds of this plant will not open in a vase with water.

Features of reproduction

Reproduction of autumn helenium is possible in the following ways:

Seminal (using seedlings or sowing directly into open ground). This method is not very common. Autumn helenium seeds do not have high germination rates, and the process of germination is quite troublesome compared to other propagation options.
Dividing the bush. Most often it is performed in the spring (May) or early autumn. To do this, an adult 3-4-year-old bush of autumn helenium is carefully dug up with roots and divided into several parts. The shoots of each of the divisions are cut to a height of 15 cm from the rhizome and the plants are planted in selected places.
By cuttings. Healthy twigs of autumn helenium 10-12 cm long are cut in the spring and placed in a container with water to grow roots. Then the cuttings are planted in the ground and covered with transparent caps.After the first leaves appear on the shoots, the shelter is removed. A plant propagated in this way begins to bloom the next year after rooting.

Important! Helenium autumnal, grown from bush divisions or cuttings, retains all the characteristics of the variety.

The easiest way to propagate autumn helenium is by dividing the bush

Growing seedlings

The optimal time for planting seeds for seedlings is the second half of February or the beginning of March.

Since the seed material of autumn helenium is very small, it is optimal to use common, rather than individual, containers for its germination. Containers or boxes for seedlings should be wide but shallow, with the required number of holes in the bottom to drain excess water.

The substrate for autumn helenium seeds should be light and nutritious. A ready-made soil mixture for flowering plants is ideal.

Sowing autumn helenium seeds is carried out as follows:

Fill the boxes with substrate, having previously laid a thin layer of drainage (fine crushed stone, broken brick) on the bottom.
Moisten the soil with water from a spray bottle.
Distribute the seeds evenly over the surface of the soil without deepening them.
Lightly sprinkle the crops with sand.
Moisten the substrate again.
Cover the container with plastic wrap and place the autumn helenium seeds in the refrigerator on the vegetable shelf for 3-4 weeks.

After this period, the container with the crops is taken out, the condensate is removed from under the “greenhouse” and the shelter is returned to its place.

The container is exposed to light (on the windowsill or under a lamp). The air temperature in the room is maintained at + 20 °C. The soil is regularly moistened with a spray bottle as it dries, and the film is lifted from time to time to remove condensed moisture.

After 14-20 days, autumn helenium shoots appear, the shelter can be removed.

At the stage when the seedlings have 2 full-fledged leaves, they should be picked and planted in separate containers. Peat pots are best suited for these purposes.

Planting of autumn helenium seedlings on the site is carried out at the end of May or at the beginning of June. The soil should have warmed up well by this time. Immediately before planting in open ground, the bushes are carefully removed from the pots and their roots are placed in water for 20-30 minutes.

Important! Flowering of autumn helenium, grown by seedlings, should be expected for 2-3 years of life.

Autumn helenium seeds have low germination and definitely need stratification

Planting and caring for autumn helenium in open ground

You can sow the seeds of this plant directly into open ground. You just need to know and follow the basic subtleties of planting and care.

Recommended timing

Autumn helenium seeds are usually sown in the ground at the following time:

late autumn, late October or early November;
in spring, in April-May.

The winter option is considered more preferable, as it allows the seed to undergo natural stratification. The germination rate of such seeds will be much higher.

Warning! In the case of spring sowing, helenium seeds must be artificially stratified. To do this, 1-1.5 months before the planned date of planting in the ground, they are mixed with wet sawdust, wrapped in a plastic bag or placed in a plastic container and placed in the vegetable compartment of the refrigerator.

Site selection and soil preparation

The area in the garden where autumn helenium is to grow should be:

sunny, at least semi-shaded;
reliably protected from drafts;
ideally with slightly acidic or neutral nutrient soil that allows moisture to pass through well.

Before sowing autumn helenium seeds, carefully dig up the soil on the site, break up large lumps with a shovel, remove debris and weeds, and add compost. Lime can be added to soil that is too acidic.

Landing rules

The algorithm for planting autumn helenium seeds in an open area is as follows:

Shallow grooves are laid in the prepared soil at a distance of about 25 cm.
The seeds are evenly placed in them. They should not be placed too close to each other.
Lightly sprinkle the crops with soil, carefully covering them no more than 3-5 cm.
The garden bed is watered.
After the soil dries out a little, mulch the top with a small layer of humus or peat.
When sowing in spring, before the emergence of seedlings, the area is covered with a transparent film or glass. It will need to be lifted regularly, allowing fresh air access to the seedlings.

Advice! It is best to use dense non-woven material to cover the beds. It will not need to be removed to ventilate the seedlings. In addition, watering can be done directly through it.

Helenium autumn will need to be planted when the plants reach approximately 10 cm in height. Ideally per 1 sq.m. There should be only 3-4 bushes in the area.

Before planting in open ground, seedlings will need to be removed from the pots and the roots of the bushes immersed in water for half an hour

Watering and fertilizing schedule

Due to the fact that autumn helenium is very difficult to tolerate drought, it needs regular and abundant watering, especially during the dry periods of summer. At the same time, stagnation of moisture at the roots is also detrimental to the plant.To prevent this, every time after watering or heavy rain, the soil under the autumn helenium should be loosened. This must be done extremely carefully: the root system of the plant is close to the surface and is very easy to damage.

Autumn helenium is fertilized several times during the season, alternating organic fertilizers with mineral ones. Its approximate diagram is as follows:

in early May, at the stage of active development of the green mass of the bushes, they are watered with nitrogen-containing fertilizers, for example, urea, dissolving 20 g of the substance in 10 liters of water;
at the budding stage, to stimulate the flowering process, you will need to feed autumn helenium with complex mineral compounds (Agricola-7, Agricola-Fantasy), mixing them with 1 liter of mullein and 10 liters of water;
at the end of October, when preparing plants for winter, they are fed with potassium sulfate and superphosphate, dissolving 20 g of each drug in 10 liters of water.

Helenium needs regular, abundant watering and timely fertilizing.

Weeding and mulching

Autumn helenium plantings require regular weeding. This measure eliminates the need for the flower to compete with weeds for nutrients and moisture contained in the soil. In addition, dense growth in an area with autumn helenium can become a “cradle” of parasitic insects and encourage the development of various diseases.

Mulching the soil under the plant helps make it easier to care for by helping to retain moisture and inhibit the growth of weeds. This procedure reduces the need for frequent weeding of the beds and loosening the soil. Sawdust, dry peat or humus are perfect as mulch for autumn helenium.

Trimming

Timely pruning will help the plant maintain its dense greenery and lush, beautiful shape, as well as delight the eye with abundant flowering. Pinching the tops of shoots of autumn helenium, carried out in early summer, will contribute to better branching of the bush. In addition, throughout the entire flowering season, it is necessary to remove faded buds from plants, including a piece of the stem. This will help extend flowering time. In place of the cut areas, young shoots will quickly develop, which will later bear buds again.

Preparing for winter

Autumn helenium is a winter-hardy plant, but it still needs some preparation for the cold season. It includes the following measures:

in October, before the first frost, the stems of autumn helenium should be cut, leaving approximately 10 cm above the ground level;
cover the remaining part of the plant for the winter with mulch from peat, moss, sawdust, fallen leaves;
if the winter is expected to be snowless or very frosty, it is also advisable to build additional protection from non-woven fabric (lutrasil) for autumn helenium.

Before the onset of frost, helenium is cut off and then mulched with moss, peat or sawdust.

Diseases and pests

If autumn helenium grows in favorable conditions and is properly cared for, then diseases and parasitic insects rarely harm its health.

Problems may arise if the soil in the area with this plant is often waterlogged. This can cause root rot, rapid withering and death of the plant.

Of the pests for autumn helenium, chrysanthemum nematodes pose a certain danger. These are worms that attack the foliage and flower buds of the plant.They can be identified by noticing numerous brown spots on the surface of leaf blades and buds. Autumn helenium, attacked by nematodes, stops blooming.

Numerous brown spots on the leaves may be a sign of damage to the plant by chrysanthemum nematode

If the damage is severe, it is recommended to dig up the plant and burn it. If there are few pests, you can try to save the autumn helenium plantings. Affected areas should be cut out and destroyed, and the plants should be watered with lime milk or a solution of powdered sulfur.

As a preventive measure against nematodes, before planting autumn helenium, it is necessary to inspect the soil on the site. If these worms are found, you will need to add sulfur or slaked lime to the soil. At the end of July, it is also recommended to spray the bushes with a solution of the contact insecticide Thiophos.

Conclusion

Autumn helenium is a bright and elegant decoration of the garden towards the end of the season. The densely branching shoots of this perennial in August and September are abundantly strewn with flowers, painted in all possible combinations of red, yellow and brown tones. Autumn helenium is good not only for site design, but also for cutting, allowing you to create beautiful bouquets. It is unpretentious, resistant to pests and diseases, and overwinters well in the ground. Proper care for it is not difficult to organize. It is not surprising that every year more and more gardeners plant the varieties of autumn helenium that they like on their plots in order to be able to admire the beauty of this plant for many seasons until frost.