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Ornamental plants of late flowering, which include perennial helenium, have always been popular among amateurs and professionals of landscape design. They perfectly decorate gardens, house beds, alleys and parks at a time when most other plants are already losing their beautiful appearance. At the same time, caring for such perennials is not difficult and usually does not cause difficulties.
Description of perennial helenium
It is believed that the name Helenium (Latin Helenium) was given in honor of Helena, daughter of the Spartan king Minelai. According to ancient Greek mythology, at that time she was considered the most beautiful of women, and it was her abduction that caused the well-known Trojan War. Perennial Gelenium is really very beautiful. Under natural conditions, this plant can be seen in the southwestern part of the North American continent, as well as in the countries of Central and South America. For decorative purposes, it is used everywhere.
There are 32 varieties of helenium in nature.
Below are the different varieties and varieties of helenium with photos and names. A brief description of the plant and its characteristics are listed in the table:
Parameter | Value |
View | Perennial or annual herb |
Family | Compositae |
Stem | Single or branched, strongly branched at the top, straight, hard, green |
Plant height | Depending on the variety, from 0.4 to 1.8 m |
Leaves | Oval, sessile, bright green, elongated lanceolate or lanceolate, with a smooth or slightly serrated edge |
Root system | Fibrous, creeping, in some species pivotal |
Flowers | Chamomile-type inflorescences with a spherical yellow or brown central part and variously colored petals along the periphery |
Appointment | For landscaping and garden decoration or for cutting |
Perennial heleniums have one interesting feature. Their root system, like the aboveground part, dies off in winter. In spring, a new stem begins from a growth bud of an annual shoot, which hibernates underground.
Photo of gelenium flowers in a flower bed:
Whole compositions can be created from Gelenium
Types and varieties of perennial helenium
There are many types of perennial helenium. However, not all of them are used in ornamental gardening. Most often, varieties and hybrids derived from some varieties are used for landscaping and decorating the site.
Helenium hybrid
Helenium hybridum (Latin Helenium Hybridum) includes varieties of indeterminate genesis, obtained on the basis of the autumn variety of this plant. This is a fairly large group. It includes most of the perennial varieties used in ornamental gardening.
Gartenzonne
Gartensonne is widely used as a curb variety. The average plant height is 1-1.2 m.The tubular part is yellowish-brown, the reed part is yellow with a reddish bloom. Flowering time - from late July to early September.
The size of Gartenzonne flower baskets reaches 4 cm
Grimson Beauty
Grimson Beauty (Crimson Beauty) - a variety with a reddish-bronze color of the reed part of the inflorescences. The tubules are yellow-brown. The plant can reach a height of 0.7 m. The flower basket is large, up to 5.5 cm in diameter.
The Grimson Beauty variety is used both for bouquets and for decorating plots.
Betty
Gelenium Betty is a two-color variety. The petals are twisted, the bottom is painted in a crimson-red tone, the upper part is yellow. The size of the baskets can reach 7.5 cm. The tubular central part is yellowish-brown.
The height of the Betty bush is 0.6-0.7 m
Brassingham Gold
A distinctive feature of the Bressingham Gold variety is the juicy, bright yellow color of the reed part of the inflorescence. The diameter of the baskets is 3.5-4 cm. The tubular part is brownish-yellow. The plant is quite tall.
The height of Brassingum Gold can reach 1.8 m
Ranchera
The perennial variety Ranchera has dark red petals and a mauve center. The bush is small and compact, its average height is 0.4-0.6 m.
Rancher bloom period is about 40 days, it lasts from July to September
Riverton Jam
Gelenium perennial Riverton Gem (Riverton Gem) can grow up to 1 m in height. Ligules are golden-red, tubular central part is greenish-brown with yellow pollen. The peculiarity of this variety is that the petals of a completely open flower are slightly lowered down, they form a kind of "skirt".
Low-rise Riverton Jam is good for curbs
Fuego
Gelenium Fuego (Fuego) refers to undersized varieties and is widely used as a curb, as well as for cutting. The height of the bush is 0.4-0.6 m. The petal part of the inflorescence is bordered, red-orange, the center is brownish. Flowering is profuse and long, from August to October.
Only fully opened Fuego flowers are suitable for cutting.
Moorheim Beauty
Moerheim Beauty is a perennial helenium variety with bright, deep red flowers with an orange tint. Baskets are large, up to 6.5 cm. The petals are slightly bent downwards.
The average height of Moorheim Beauty is about 1.1 m
Poncho
Gelenium, a perennial variety Poncho, can grow up to 0.6-0.7 m. It blooms from July to September. The petals are bright, rich red-orange hue, the edge is yellow. The central tubular part is yellow-brown.
Poncho basket, medium size, 3-4 cm
Autumn Gelenium
Autumn Helenium (Helenium autumnale) is one of the varieties of this perennial plant, many cultivars belong to it. Their main color is a combination of yellow and red colors of different intensities. Plant height - up to 1.6 m.
Autumn serenade
Mix variety, is a mixture of yellow and red colors. Plant height is about 1.2 m. It blooms from July to early September.
Autumn serenade is great for cutting
Sunrise
Gelenium Sunrise is distinguished by slightly lowered petals. The central part is reddish brown. Plant height is about 1.3 m.
Sunrise has lemon-colored petals
Biedermeier
The Biedermeier variety is widely used in ornamental horticulture for single plantings and the creation of boards. The height of the plant is 0.6-0.8 m. The petals are rich yellow, with a scarlet gap in the middle part, the tubules are darker, brownish. The diameter of the baskets is about 4 cm.
The Biedermeier variety has a long and abundant flowering.
Ruby Tuesday
The Ruby Tuesday variety grows into a small compact bush about 0.5-0.6 m high. The petals are ruby-red, the tubes in the central part are yellow and maroon-maroon.Flowering amicable and numerous, lasts from mid-July to early September.
Ruby Tuesday's baskets are numerous, but small, 2.5-3 cm in diameter
Bandera
Gelenium perennial Bandera refers to two-color, the tongues are painted in dark red, while bordered with golden yellow. The tubules are brown. Small baskets.
The Bandera variety is distinguished by strong branching and abundant flowering.
Autumn jazz
The inflorescence-basket of this variety of perennial helenium is rather large, reaches a diameter of 6 cm. Tongues are lemon-colored or claret-red, with a yellow border, the center is brown-yellow.
Plant height Autumn Jazz - up to 1.2 m
Hot Lava
Perennial helenium Hot Lava blooms from July to September. The petals are deep red, with beautiful amber strokes. The tubules are dark, maroon-red. The average height of the bush is about 0.8 m.
Average flowering time of Hot Lava is 40-45 days
Helena
This red variety of perennial helenium is more commonly referred to as Helena Red. The plant blooms profusely from late July to mid-September, medium-sized baskets, 3-5 cm. Tongues of inflorescences are red-brown with yellow edging, tubes are darker. The average height is about 1.1 m.
Helena can be used for cutting
Chelsea
Gelenium perennial Chelsey can grow up to 0.7-0.75 m. Inflorescences with crimson tongues and yellow edging. The center is brown. Flowers stand well in cut.
Chelsea blooms from July to September
Salsa
The perennial helenium variety Salsa (Salsa) belongs to undersized, the plant grows to 0.4-0.5 m.The petals are orange-red, the central disc is brown. Flowering time is from July to September.
Low-rise salsa looks great as a background
Sombrero
The Sombrero variety has a bright yellow saturated color, both petals and tubules. Plant height is 0.4-0.5 m.
Sombrero bloom period - from August to October
Double Trouble
Gelenium perennial Double Trouble blooms for a long time, from June to September. Peduncles are strong, branched. The bush is compact, up to 0.7 m high. The color of the petals is bright yellow, the tubes are greenish.
Double Trouble - the first variety with double inflorescences
Red Jewel
Gelenium perennial Red Jewel is of medium size, the plant height is usually 0.6-0.8 m. The petals are painted very unusually, in a red color with a beetroot hue, on which orange strokes appear. The central part is brown-lilac.
Red Jewel baskets, medium size, 4.5-5 cm
Gelenium Chupa
Helenium hoopes (Helenium hoopesii) is a perennial herb for open ground up to 0.8 m high. In the wild, the natural habitat of this species is the Rocky Mountains of North America. The leaves are green with a bluish tinge, large, lanceolate, forming a basal rosette. Peduncles are single, straight, naked, strong, large baskets, up to 10 cm in diameter.
Helenium Chuppa tubules are yellow
The central part of the inflorescence is flat. Flowering begins in June and lasts until August.
Spring Gelenium
Perennial spring helenium (Helenium vernalis) can grow up to 1 m and even slightly higher. Weak branching. Leaves are dark green, medium-sized, lanceolate, sessile. Flowers appear in the 2nd half of May. They are yellowish-orange, with a brown center, the diameter of the baskets is up to 7 cm. Flowering continues until the end of June.
Spring Gelenium blooms earlier than other varieties.
Gelenium Bigelow
The birthplace of Helenium bigelovii is North America, or rather its western part. In ornamental gardening, this type is used least of all.The plant is a rosette of lanceolate leaves, from the center of which a stem, branched in its upper part, up to 0.8 m high grows.
In nature, this species has a very limited growing area.
Budding occurs in June. The inflorescences-baskets reach 6 cm in diameter, their central tubular part is brown, the ligate petals are yellow. Perennial Bigelow blooms during June-July.
Helenium fragrant
Helenium fragrant (Helenium aromaticum) is also known as "strawberry grass". In appearance, the plant resembles a rounded herbaceous bush with a height of 0.5-0.75 m, since numerous shoots begin to move away from the main stem already at the base. The root is powerful, pivotal. The leaves are bright green, small, lanceolate, often with a jagged edge, slightly pubescent plate.
Unlike many other varieties, helenium aroma is an annual plant.
Inflorescences are small, spherical, yellow-green, up to 1 cm in diameter. This variety is used mainly in the confectionery industry and cooking, since the leaves, stems and inflorescences contain a large amount of essential oils and substances. In addition, fragrant helenium is used as a seasoning for vegetable crops, and for decorative purposes - for landscaping park areas as an alternative to lawn grass.
Gelenium in landscape design
In landscape design, perennial helenium is used both in individual and in group plantings. High grades look great around walls and fences. They can be planted in multi-level flower beds, along paths and alleys, used as a low hedge or curb. Weak varieties are widely used to create a color background, as plants of the second and third plan. Colorful, abundantly flowering perennial shrubs will be a great accent in any corner of the garden.
This plant looks especially impressive when creating a design in a rustic style.
Perennial Gelenium belongs to moisture-loving plants, so it feels great near water bodies. It is often planted near artificial backwaters, ponds, fountains, streams.
Increased soil moisture is a must for helenium
Perennial Gelenium goes well with many plants. Therefore, it is often used in mixborders. Good neighbors for red and burgundy varieties are white flowers: chrysanthemums, chamomile, asters.
Yellow species of perennial helenium look great in combination with purple, blue, red flowers. Sage, monarda, chrysanthemums can be planted next to it.
Landscape designers and florists love perennial helenium not only for its beauty, but also for its ease of care and reproduction. The plant is very easy to breed on your own by dividing the bush, and in some cases, you can use the seed method. Gelenium is unpretentious, almost not affected by diseases and pests, since all of its parts are poisonous and bitter to a certain extent. The use of different species and varieties allows them to be combined, creating beds of continuous flowering. Such plantings will delight all summer and until late autumn.
Conclusion
Perennial Gelenium is a frequent visitor to gardens and parks. This plant is very versatile in its purpose, it can be planted singly and in combinations, creating whole compositions from varieties of different flowering periods. Gelenium is unpretentious for many years, it is simple and at the same time very decorative, which makes it attractive for many fans to revive their personal plot in the gloomy autumn time.
