Helianthus Sunshine Daydream

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.