Days to Maturity: 98
Tickseed Sunflower Bidens is a native annual wildflower that blooms mid to late summer, continuing into early fall. Borne on long, erect, often purplish or moddled stalks, the large composite flowers have 6 to 8 bright yellow rays surrounding a center of yellow disk florets. Nectar and pollen rich, the flowers sustain butterflies, beneficial insects, and bees, including honey bees, native bees, and the specialized bee Dieunomia heteropoda. Their thin, dry seeds nourish songbirds and ducks.
A Bidens aristosa, commonly called swamp marigold or bearded beggarticks, Tickseed Sunflower Bidens is an herbaceous annual or biennial herb. This distinctive multistemmed plant has an erect, bushy habit of compound leaves with toothed leaflets. It has a rapid growth rate and naturalizes easily in moist prairies, meadows, and fields as well as along pond margins and roadsides. Under optimal conditions, Tickseed Sunflower Bidens will quickly form a large, striking population.
Easy to grow and low maintenance, Tickseed Sunflower Bidens grows and flowers best in locations with full sun and moist soil. But it is adapted to dappled shade and most soil types, apart from very sandy soils.
A native plant, Tickseed Sunflower is indigenous to the eastern half of the U.S., extending into Canada. Native plants are not only beautiful but also environmentally friendly. Naturally adapted to the climate and soil conditions of the region, they thrive without fertilizers or extra watering, once established. They also act as natural pest controls, reducing the need for pesticides in the garden. Landscaping with native plants promotes biodiversity and provides shelter and quality food for wildlife and pollinators, bringing gardens to life.
