Skip to main content

Helianthus Sunshine Daydream

Fully rounded, dahlia like flowers.

Sunshine Daydream was discovered by North Creek Nursery’s General Manager Tim McGinty in 2006, but it caught my eye while visiting their trial gardens on a trip during the Perennial Plant Association Symposium in 2008. The weather was phenomenal for July in Philadelphia and the trial gardens had been manicured to perfection. This plant really stood out in the trials, so I began asking about its origin. It was covered in blooms and standing there—a group of three plants—straight and strong and five feet tall—in perfect form. The foliage was perfectly clean and there were leaves covering every inch of the stems—even after the wretchedly hot, dry summer it had already endured.

This selection really stood out as a gem for the mid-summer garden. It’s a winner. I think it could soon replace all other double-flowered helianthus. I know there are a lot of yellow, summer-blooming perennials, but most of them can't withstand the torture of an East Coast summer and still stand tall with such clean foliage. I believe it is a winner and I do think it could very well replace all other helianthus of this type on the market.

Who Am I?

  • Common Name:
    Sunshine Daydream perennial sunflower
  • Botanical Name:
    Helainthus xmultiflorus 'Sunshine Daydream'
  • Type:
    Perennial
  • U.S. Native:
    YES

Cultural Details

TYPE

Perennial

U.S. NATIVE

YES
  • Light:
    Full Sun
  • Soil:
    Average garden soil
  • Moisture:
    moist, but well drained
  • Hardiness Zone
    4-8
  • Bloom Time:
    from June to August, flowering continuously.
  • Bloom Color:
    Yellow
  • Size:
    5 -6' tall by 2-4' wide
  • Diseases & Pests:
    This selection is generally free of powdery mildew

What Makes Me Special?

Sunshine Daydream has fully rounded, dahlia-like blooms on deep black stems that are smaller in diameter, but much more numerous in quantity and a deeper yellow color than other selections.

Landscape Use

Middle of the border, foundation plantings, mass plantings, butterfly gardens, cutting gardens, cottage gardens.

Propagation

Cuttings

Who Am I?

  • Common Name:
    Sunshine Daydream perennial sunflower
  • Botanical Name:
    Helainthus xmultiflorus 'Sunshine Daydream'
  • Type:
    Perennial
  • U.S. Native:
    YES

Image Library

Download hi-res files by clicking the blue button next to the image.