Heliopsis 'Asahi'

Its name means "morning sun" in Japanese, but you will enjoy long, full days of glowing yellow-gold sunshine from these lovely double blooms! Absolutely tops for cutting, the blooms last for up to 2 weeks in the vase, and this densely-branched variety offers so many of them that you'll always have plenty left to keep the butterflies and bees busy in the garden, too. A delightful perennial for a wide range of climates and soil types, 'Asahi' may just become your go-to plant for big bouquets and dependable garden color.

The flowers begin in early summer, as soon as the weather turns warm. A sun-lover, 'Asahi' doesn't mind even unseasonable heat and humidity, and once established in your garden is happy to tough out periods of drought. Its well-branched flowering stems set masses and masses of unusually large blooms with double (or more) the usual number of petals. Instead of the daisy look common to Heliopsis, these are pompons, frilly and petal-packed and glowing!

Expect the blooms to continue throughout summer and well into fall, especially if you deadhead the first few flushes of flowers promptly. The late-season display is just as profuse as the summer show, keeping the garden colorful longer than most other perennials. Cut all you like for fresh and dried arrangements; the flowers are famously long-lasting in the vase, and make vividly-colored Everlastings.

Even out of bloom 'Asahi' is handsome, with very dense dark green foliage and a compact habit just 28 to 30 inches high and 18 to 24 inches wide. It is a fine choice for containers, and will cheerfully self-sow if allowed. (If you do not want it to naturalize, be sure to pick the autumn blooms before they go to seed.) Impervious to most pests and diseases, this native is quite at home in just about any climate and soil, asking only for plenty of sunshine and good soil drainage to grow and flower its best.

Begin 'Asahi' this season in just one container or a small garden grouping. We predict that you will be enamored of its charms and ready to let it multiply in your landscape! Zones 3-9.