Helianthus giganteus

Classification	Dicots
Family	Asteraceae
Family (Traditional)	Asteraceae
Genus	Helianthus
Species:	Helianthus giganteus L.
Common Name	Giant Sunflower; Tall Sunflower
Growth Habit	forb
Plant Notes	**
Characteristics	Armaments: No; Milky Sap: No; Photosynthetic: Yes; Stipules: No; Woody Herbaceous: Herbaceous; Natural Area Presence: NRG; Duration: Perennial; General Ecology: Terrestrial; Growth Habit: forb; Moisture Requirements: Dry-mesic; Moisture Requirements: Mesic; Moisture Requirements: Mesic-Hydric; Moisture Requirements: Hydric; Moisture Requirements: Wetland; Region of Origin: North America; Reproductive Phenology: July; Reproductive Phenology: August; Reproductive Phenology: September; Reproductive Phenology: October; Leaf Arrangement: alternate; Leaf Complexity: simple; Leaf Dissection: 0; Leaf Fragrance: No; Leaf Persistance: Deciduous; Leaf Petiole Type: petiolate; Leaf Type: broadleaf; Leaflet Margins: entire; Leaflet Margins: serrulate; Leaflet Number: 0; Anther Type: Basifixed; Base Flower Color: Yellow; Carpel Number/Pistil: 1; Fruit Complexity: Simple; Fruit Dehiscence: No; Fruit Type: Cypsela; Fruit Wet/Dry: Dry; Hypanthium Present: No; Inflorescence Position: terminal; Inflorescence Types: corymb/cyme/umbel; Inflorescence Types: head; Ovary Position: Inferior; Overall Flower Symmetry: Actinomorphic; Overall Flower Symmetry: Zygomorphic; Ovules per Carpel: 1; Perianth Present: Yes; Petal Fusion: Yes; Petal Number: 5; Pistil Complexity: Simple; Pistil Number: 1; Placentation Type: Basal; Sepal Fusion: N/A; Sepal Number: N/A; Sexuality: monoclinous; Sporangium Arrangement: N/A; Stamen Number: 5; Tepal Number: N/A
C value	5
Status	Native; AGCP (FACW), EMP (FACW) (NWPL); TN[SNR] KY[S5] (State Rank); G5 (Global Rank)
Specimen(s)	View and Download Specimen Details »

** Not applicable or data not available.

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Species Distribution Map

This species has been reported in the counties highlighted in the interactive distribution map below. Click on a county to display the its name. Click the question mark icon () to view additional information about the ecoregions shown. In the map legend, there are links to toggle the visibility of the ecoregions and/or their labels. In addition, clicking on an ecoregion name will highlight that region on the map.

State Boundaries
Counties
Counties - Species Present

Ecoregions

Southeastern Plains
- Blackland Prarie
Blue Ridge Mountains
Ridge and Valley
Cumberland Plateau
Cumberland Mountains
Allegheny Plateau

Interior Plateau
- Bluegrass Region
- Nashville Basin
- Pennyroyal Karst Plain
- Western Highland Rim
- Eastern Highland Rim

Interior River Valleys and Hills
- Shawnee / Caseyville Hills
Mississippi Alluvial Plain
Mississippi Valley Loess Plains
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Synonyms

No synonyms exist for this species.

Specimens and Distribution

This species has been reported in the following counties by the herbaria listed. An overview of the individual specimens are provided in the table that follows. Click on the accession number to view details; click on column headers to sort.

Counties included on distribution map: Graves (KY), Jackson (KY), Laurel (KY), Lincoln (KY), McCreary (KY), Marshall (KY), Montgomery (KY), Muhlenberg (KY), Pulaski (KY), Carroll (TN), Cheatham (TN), Loudon (TN), Monroe (TN), Overton (TN), Rutherford (TN), Scott (TN)

Herbaria represented by specimen data listed below: APSC, EKY, HTTU, MTSU, TENN, VDB

Range of years during which specimens were collected: 1972 - 2013

Accession No. (click for full details)	County	State	Coll. Date	Collector & Collection No.	Herbarium & Herbarium Name Used
31234100260312	Lincoln	Kentucky	02 Sep 1990	Ronald L. Jones 6653	EKY Helianthus giganteus
APSC0111038	Scott	Tennessee	05 Oct 2013	Chris Mausert-Mooney	APSC Helianthus giganteus
BRIT96574		Tennessee			VDB Helianthus giganteus
TENN-V-0230077	Scott	Tennessee			TENN Helianthus giganteus
APSC0116260	Marshall	Kentucky			APSC Helianthus giganteus
31234100746088	McCreary	Kentucky	03 Sep 2008	Tara R. Littlefield 2008-054	EKY Helianthus giganteus
31234100260338	Montgomery	Kentucky	21 Aug 1984	Julian Campbell 958	EKY Helianthus giganteus
31234100260379	Carroll	Tennessee	04 Sep 1972	Betty Ann Thompson 836	EKY Helianthus giganteus
TENN-V-0230075	Monroe	Tennessee			TENN Helianthus giganteus
APSC0116262	Marshall	Kentucky			APSC Helianthus giganteus
MTSU021912	Rutherford	Tennessee	15 Sep 2000	M. Penuel	MTSU Helianthus giganteus
31234100260304	Jackson	Kentucky	28 Aug 1982	Ronald L. Jones 3956	EKY Helianthus giganteus
31234100260320	Lincoln	Kentucky	02 Sep 1990	Ronald L. Jones 6653	EKY Helianthus giganteus
APSC0110942	Pulaski	Kentucky			APSC Helianthus giganteus
HTTU003417	Overton	Tennessee			HTTU Helianthus giganteus
HTTU035581	Scott	Tennessee			HTTU Helianthus giganteus
APSC0069463	Pulaski	Kentucky	30 Sep 1987	Max Medley	APSC Helianthus giganteus
APSC0069464	Pulaski	Kentucky	30 Sep 1987	Max Medley	APSC Helianthus giganteus
APSC0076343	McCreary	Kentucky	16 Oct 1987	Max Medley	APSC Helianthus giganteus
31234100260346	Montgomery	Kentucky	03 Sep 1984	Julian Campbell 1257	EKY Helianthus giganteus
TENN-V-0230076	Scott	Tennessee			TENN Helianthus giganteus
APSC0116261	Graves	Kentucky			APSC Helianthus giganteus
APSC0110943	Pulaski	Kentucky			APSC Helianthus giganteus
TENN-V-0230078	Scott	Tennessee			TENN Helianthus giganteus
TENN-V-0230074	Loudon	Tennessee			TENN Helianthus giganteus
TENN-V-0230079	Scott	Tennessee			TENN Helianthus giganteus
BRIT96573		Tennessee			VDB Helianthus giganteus
31234100260361	Muhlenberg	Kentucky	15 Sep 1993	Landon E. McKinney 6056	EKY Helianthus giganteus
31234100260353	Montgomery	Kentucky	14 Sep 1984	Julian Campbell 1289	EKY Helianthus giganteus
31234100260387	Cheatham	Tennessee	24 Sep 1990	Ronald L. Jones 6721	EKY Helianthus giganteus
TENN-V-0230080	Scott	Tennessee			TENN Helianthus giganteus
TENN-V-0232145	Laurel	Kentucky			TENN Helianthus giganteus
APSC0116345	McCreary	Kentucky			APSC Helianthus giganteus
APSC0116346	McCreary	Kentucky			APSC Helianthus giganteus

View a List of All Ecological Communities

Helianthus giganteus

Related Links

Species Distribution Map

Ecoregions

Synonyms

Specimens and Distribution

Plant Photos