Helenium aromaticum
“Pineapples”

photo:Michail Belov

As a fan of fragrant plants, how can I resist a species with a common name like that? As you brush by this plant it does indeed release a pineapple-like fragrance. Yum! Though the flowers are not terrifically showy, they are borne in abundance, & the perfect yellow spheres (each a half inch in diameter) make great cut flowers & attract wildlife. Blooming the first year from seed, & exhibiting good drought tolerance, it combines & compliments many other flower colors. Perfect for the mid-border, at 1.5-2’ high, & less than 1’ wide. Reseeds!

Claire Woods
Propagator