Spermatophytes (seed plants): Angiosperms (flowering plants): Eudicots: Core Eudicots: Asterids: Campanulids: Asterales
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (2/10/25):
Helianthus simulans
FAMILY
Asteraceae
Go to FSUS key
Dig deeper at SERNEC, a consortium of southeastern herbaria.
Learn more from Vascular Plants of North Carolina.
H. simulans (Muck Sunflower) is often mislabeled and sold in the horticultual trade as H. angustifolius (Narrowleaf or Swamp Sunflower). The plants are similar, but Muck Sunflower is often much larger, aggressively rhizomatous, and can become quite invasive in the garden. Buyer beware. Read more in Guide to the Wildflowers of South Carolina.
SYNONYMOUS WITH
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Helianthus simulans
FAMILY
Asteraceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)
Helianthus simulans
SYNONYMOUS WITH Flora of North America north of Mexico, vol. 19-20-21 (2006)
Helianthus simulans
SYNONYMOUS WITH Aquatic & Wetland Plants of Southeastern US (Godfrey & Wooten, 1979 & 1981)
Helianthus simulans
SYNONYMOUS WITH Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Helianthus simulans
COMMON NAME:
Muck Sunflower
To see larger pictures, click or hover over the thumbnails.
)
Betsy George bmg_101325_4616
October Greenville County SC
in cultivation
Muck Sunflower is aggressively rhizomatous and can become quite invasive in the garden, per Guide to the Wildflowers of SC, 2nd ed. (McMillan, Porcher, Rayner, & White; 2022).
)
Betsy George bmg_101325_4624
October Greenville County SC
in cultivation
)
Betsy George bmg_101325_6147
October Greenville County SC
in cultivation
)
Betsy George bmg_102925_1514
October Greenville County SC
in cultivation
)
Chuck Hubbuch chk_h_simulans_fl
October Greenville County SC
in cultivation
Lobes of disc florets yellow or reddish; anthers dark brown or black, appendages dark, per Flora of North America.
)
Chuck Hubbuch chk_h_simulans_leaf
October Greenville County SC
in cultivation
Leaf blades long and narrow, > 1cm wide, linear or lanceolate and usually > 10× as long as wide, per Weakley's Flora (2025).
)
Chuck Hubbuch chk_h_simulans_overall
October Greenville County SC
in cultivation
)
Chuck Hubbuch chk_h_simulans_phyl
October Greenville County SC
in cultivation
Phyllaries loose, lance-linear to lanceolate, apices acuminate, gland-dotted, per Flora of North America.
)
Chuck Hubbuch chk_h_simulans_stem
October Greenville County SC
in cultivation
Stems pubescent, not glaucous, per Weakley's Flora (2025).
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (2/10/25):
Helianthus simulans
FAMILY
Asteraceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Helianthus simulans
FAMILY
Asteraceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)
Helianthus simulans
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Flora of North America north of Mexico, vol. 19-20-21
Helianthus simulans
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Aquatic & Wetland Plants of Southeastern US (Godfrey & Wooten, 1979 & 1981)
Helianthus simulans
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Helianthus simulans
4859
Forb
Perennial
Habitat: Wet soils, ditches, roadsides, per Weakley's Flora
Native to the GA Coastal Plain; introduced elsewhere in GA-NC-SC
Rare
CLICK HERE to see a map, notes, and images from Weakley's Flora of the Southeastern US.
LEAVES:
Simple
Lower opposite, upper alternate ?
RHIZOMES? STOLONS?
Rhizomatous, forming clonal colonies
FLOWER:
Fall
Rays: Yellow
Disc: Purplish-red
Flower heads with 12-23 ray flowers
Inferior ovary
Disc flowers bisexual & fertile/ Ray flowers pistillate but sterile
FRUIT:
Achene
TO LEARN MORE about this plant, look it up in a good book!
If a search such as "Carex leptalea var. leptalea" doesn't deliver the results you want, try "Carex leptalea".
Or, to minimize chances of a misspelling, try just "Carex le".
Less is more: If "pencil flower" doesn't deliver the results you want, try "pencil".