[Members of the Sunflower Family with Flower Heads like Sunflowers or Daisies East of the Cascade Mountains of Oregon and Washington]

Common Sneezeweed, Large-flowered Sneezeweed, Mountain Sneezeweed, Sneezeweed

Helenium autumnale

Synonyms: Helenium autumnale var. autumnale, Helenium autumnale var. grandiflorum, Helenium autumnale var. montanum

Common Sneezeweed, Large-flowered Sneezeweed, Mountain Sneezeweed, Sneezeweed: Helenium autumnale (Synonyms: Helenium autumnale var. autumnale, Helenium autumnale var. grandiflorum, Helenium autumnale var. montanum)

This image shows a close-up of the flower head of sneezeweed as seen at the Dalles Riverside Park.........October 7, 2006.

Common Sneezeweed, Large-flowered Sneezeweed, Mountain Sneezeweed, Sneezeweed: Helenium autumnale (Synonyms: Helenium autumnale var. autumnale, Helenium autumnale var. grandiflorum, Helenium autumnale var. montanum)The photo at right shows sneezeweed near the base of the Dalles Dam.
Characteristics:

Sneezeweed is a fibrous-rooted perennial with erect stems from 15-120 cm in height. The stems may be several branched. The leaves are numerous. They are lanceolate and the base narrows to a sessile base. The leaves retain their size far up the stem. The leaves are 4-15 cm long and 4-40 mm wide with entire to slightly toothed edges.

The heads are several to numerous at the tips of the branches. Both the disk and ray flowers are yellow. The disk measures 1-2 cm wide, and the 10-20 rays are 1.5-2.5 cm long.

The plant is toxic to livestock.


Habitat:

Sneezeweed is found along streambanks and on moist ground in the valleys and foothills.


Range:

Sneezeweed is found from British Columbia south along the eastern base of the Cascade Mts to Arizona. It is found to Quebec and Florida in the east.

It is found at river level throughout the length of the Columbia River Gorge.


Leaf of Common Sneezeweed, Large-flowered Sneezeweed, Mountain Sneezeweed, Sneezeweed: Helenium autumnale (Synonyms: Helenium autumnale var. autumnale, Helenium autumnale var. grandiflorum, Helenium autumnale var. montanum)

The photo above shows a close-up of a stem leaf of sneezeweed as seen at the Dalles Riverside Park..........October 7, 2006.

Common Sneezeweed, Large-flowered Sneezeweed, Mountain Sneezeweed, Sneezeweed: Helenium autumnale (Synonyms: Helenium autumnale var. autumnale, Helenium autumnale var. grandiflorum, Helenium autumnale var. montanum)

The photo above shows the growth pattern of sneezeweed as seen at Dalton Point in the western Columbia River Gorge.........October 12, 2006.

Involucral bracts of Common Sneezeweed, Large-flowered Sneezeweed, Mountain Sneezeweed, Sneezeweed: Helenium autumnale (Synonyms: Helenium autumnale var. autumnale, Helenium autumnale var. grandiflorum, Helenium autumnale var. montanum)

The photo above shows the involucral bracts of sneezeweed below the ray flowers of sneezeweed as seen at Dalton Point..........October 12, 2006.

Flower head of Common Sneezeweed, Large-flowered Sneezeweed, Mountain Sneezeweed, Sneezeweed: Helenium autumnale (Synonyms: Helenium autumnale var. autumnale, Helenium autumnale var. grandiflorum, Helenium autumnale var. montanum)

Another view of the attractive flowerhead of sneezeweed as seen at Dalton Point..........October 12, 2006.

Paul Slichter