Helianthus, False Sunflower, Perennial Sunflower, Thin-Leaved Sunflower 'Sunshine Daydream'

The plant in the above photo is the cultivar 'Sunshine Daydream'. The species is single, not a double-petalled form.

I discovered this plant in the fall of 2013 while participating in a Master Gardener event at the Plant Trial Day at the Cincinnati Zoo a...Read Morend Botanical Gardens. I turned a corner and was stopped dead in my tracks by the sight of this plant tucked away in a corner. I knew I had to have one. The following spring I received mine from the Lazy S’S Farm. The plant was in great shape and I planted it fully expecting it to “sit” for a year as most new perennials do. The plant began to grow immediately and within six weeks it weeks it had grown from eight inches high to four feet high and had given me its first bloom. The bloom reminds me of a dahlia, both in its shape and the clarity of its color. The leaves have remained healthy looking, unblemished by either insects or disease. I am hopeful that by this time next year, Sunshine Daydream will be the same showstopper as the beautiful six foot specimen I saw at the zoo. In the meantime I am enjoying it as a baby perennial that graces its spot in my bed.