[Members of the Sunflower Family with
Flower Heads like Sunflowers or Daisies in the Columbia River Gorge 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
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The photo at left shows a close-up of the flower head of sneezeweed as seen at the Dalles Riverside Park........October 7, 2006. The photo at right shows Sneezeweed blooming on the shoreline of Pierce Island, Columbia River......October 7, 2021.
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.
The photo above shows a close-up of a stem leaf of sneezeweed as seen at the Dalles Riverside Park.........October 7, 2006.
The photo above shows the growth pattern of sneezeweed as seen at Dalton Point in the western Columbia River Gorge.........October 12, 2006.
The photo above shows the involucral bracts of sneezeweed below the ray flowers of sneezeweed as seen at Dalton Point.........October 12, 2006.
Sneezeweed blooming along the Columbia River shoreline at the Sandy River Delta.............September 13, 2013.
Another view of the attractive flowerhead of sneezeweed as seen at Dalton Point.........October 12, 2006.
Common sneezeweed as seen on the beach at Dalton Point in the western Columbia River Gorge.........August 19, 2009.
The photo above shows sneezeweed as seen at Dalton Point...........September 1, 2007.
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Additional photos of common sneezeweed as seen along the Columbia River shoreline at the Sandy River Delta, Troutdale, Oregon..........September 8, 2012.
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Common sneezeweed as seen along the Columbia River shoreline at Pierce Island National Wildlife Refuge.........September 27, 2014.
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The photo at left shows common sneezeweed blooming along the Columbia River shoreline on the beach on the south side of the Washougal Dike, Columbia River Gorge..........August 31, 2015. The photo at right shows common sneezeweed as seen at Dalton Point to the west of Multnomah Falls.........September 28, 2015.
Paul Slichter