Helianthus giganteus

Helianthus giganteus, the giant sunflower or tall sunflower, is a species of Helianthus native to the eastern United States and eastern and central Canada, from Newfoundland west to Alberta south to Minnesota, Mississippi, and South Carolina.

Description

A tall herb. It keeps growing from year to year. It grows 4.5 m high and spreads 0.9 m wide. The roots are fleshy and shaped like spindles. The leaves are opposite and simple. They do not have a leaf stalk. They are narrow and rough on both sides. The leaves are 20 cm long. They have shallow teeth and are finely hairy. The leaves are oval and pointed or sword shaped. The flower is a yellow disk. The flower heads are 8 cm wide. The disk is yellow-brown and the ray florets are yellow. The flower heads occur on long stalks. The fruit is a smooth dry achene.

Edible Uses

The tubers of the var. 'subtuberosus' are edible when cooked and have a similar taste to Jerusalem artichokes, though they are less productive. The seed can be eaten raw or cooked; it can also be dried and ground into a powder, then mixed with cornmeal to make bread. The seed is very small and fiddly to work with.

Traditional Uses

The tuberous roots are edible. The seeds are ground to flour and mixed with maize flour to make bread. The seeds can be boiled in water to obtain oil or can be ground to make flour. The flour can be used for a type of bread or used to thicken vegetable soups.

Medicinal Uses

None known.

Distribution

It is a temperate plant. It grows in moist salty lowlands. It suits hardiness zones 4-9.

Where It Grows

Australia, Canada, North America, USA,

Cultivation

Succeeds in most soils in a sunny position. Requires a rich soil. Dislikes shade. Likes moist soils, doing well by a stream. The young growth is extremely attractive to slugs, plants can be totally destroyed by them. Members of this genus are rarely if ever troubled by browsing deer or rabbits. Plants have a running root system and can be invasive.

Propagation

Sow seed in spring in a cold frame. When seedlings are large enough to handle, prick them out into individual pots and grow on in the greenhouse through their first winter. Plant out into permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. Divide plants in spring or autumn — larger clumps can go directly into permanent positions, though smaller clumps are best potted up in a cold frame until rooting well, then planted out in spring. For basal cuttings in spring, harvest shoots when about 10–15cm long with plenty of underground stem, pot into individual pots, and keep in light shade in a cold frame or greenhouse until rooting well before planting out in summer.

Other Uses

None known.

Notes

Almost all Helianthus (60 species) in N and S America are edible.

Synonyms

Also Known As

Tuberous-rooted sunflower

References (11)

• Beckstrom-Sternberg, Stephen M., and James A. Duke. "The Foodplant Database." http://probe.nalusda.gov:8300/cgi-bin/browse/foodplantdb.(ACEDB version 4.0 - data version July 1994)
• Cormack, R. G. H., 1967, Wild Flowers of Alberta. Commercial Printers Edmonton, Canada. p 379 (As Helianthus subtuberosus)
• Cundall, P., (ed.), 2004, Gardening Australia: flora: the gardener's bible. ABC Books. p 684
• Facciola, S., 1998, Cornucopia 2: a Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications, p 39
• Hedrick, U.P., 1919, (Ed.), Sturtevant's edible plants of the world. p 339

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