Don't think it's Heliopsis or Helianthus..but what?

hubble · Post by **hubble** » Jul 17, 2007 7:23 pm

My neighbor gave me a start of this plant 20 years ago. She brought her original start from Oklahoma when she moved to Kansas in the '40s.

It grows tall...some years it will hit the gutters on my garage. Because of this year's Easter freeze, it is only about 6 feet tall. The flowers are at the top of the stems. It may grow taller in my garden than normal as it only gets sun from about 11 to 4 pm.

Any help you can provide in solving this mystery is most appreciated. My thanks in advance.

P.S. Please excuse the vine weed. It gets away from you fast.

Nathalie23 · Post by **Nathalie23** » Jul 17, 2007 8:09 pm

It looks like RUDBECKIA LACINIATA `Golden Glow'

hubble · Post by **hubble** » Jul 17, 2007 10:16 pm

That is it Nathalie! It's funny....I looked it up and it is also called it "Outhouse Plant". They didn't explain why.

I knew there were outhouse hollyhocks, so the Victorian ladies could delicately ask where the hollyhocks were when they needed to go to the bathroom.

I wonder if it is similar?

It is nice to know the name after all these years. Thanks!

Karen

eastwood2007 · Post by **eastwood2007** » Jul 18, 2007 1:32 pm

The leaves look like what we have here that we call "horseweed." I've never seen it bloom though...I usually use the weedeater on it.

I'll watch some of it this year, though...

tsneal · Post by **tsneal** » Jul 18, 2007 5:48 pm

I have some and like it. I'm not sure of the official name....I call it perennial sunflower.

Stephanie

hubble · Post by **hubble** » Jul 20, 2007 10:13 am

Charla, now that you mention it....I do recall a weed down on the farm that has a similar leaf. We didn't call it horseweed...but something else....

Trust me, they are not the same plant. As I recall, the weed spreads by seeds and is an annual.

This flower spreads by rhisomes, is a perennial and stays well behaved in its own little corner of the garden.

I would recommend you keep weedeating your horseweed. I could give you a start of this one if you are interested (and you make it up this way sometime).

Karen

GrannyNanny · Post by **GrannyNanny** » Jul 28, 2007 9:48 am

Maybe it was called an Outhouse Plant because it grew to be tall enough to disguise the "little house out back", and make it more unobtrusive! Of course, the smell would give it away even if it were covered with flowers! Phyllis

eastwood2007 · Post by **eastwood2007** » Jul 28, 2007 1:10 pm

I may take you up on that, Karen, thanks! The flowers are beautiful! Is it pretty sturdy...the stems, I mean? BTW, I do plan on getting up there sometime, soon.