About Helenium bigelovii A.Gray
Helenium bigelovii A.Gray, commonly called Bigelow's sneezeweed, is a perennial plant in the sunflower family native to North America. This species grows in moist locations including meadows, marshes, and streamsides. It occurs at moderate to high elevations ranging from 3000 to 10,000 feet, in the foothills and mountains of California and Oregon, where it can be found in regions such as the Cascades, Coast Ranges, Klamath Mountains, and Sierra Nevada. Cultivars of Helenium bigelovii are grown as ornamental plants for gardening.
Helenium bigelovii is a perennial herb that can reach up to 130 cm (51 inches, or 4.5 feet) in height. A single individual plant can produce up to 20 flower heads, which grow either one per branch or in branching clusters. Each flower head holds 14 to 20 yellow ray florets, which curve backwards and have toothed tips. These ray florets surround a center that can contain as many as 800 disc florets; the disc florets are yellow when young, and turn brown as they age. The species is named in honor of J.M. Bigelow, a plant collector who participated in the United States and Mexican Boundary Survey in the 1850s.
