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Common Name: Sneezeweed

General Information

Helenium autumnale is a perennial plant that can grow up to 1.80 metres tall.
It is harvested from the wild for local use as a medicine and source of materials..

Known Hazards

The plant is poisonous to ruminants[]. Contact with the plant might cause dermatitis in sensitive people[].

Botanical References

, ,

Range

Eastern N. America - Quebec to Florida, west to British Colubia and California.

Habitat

Wet meadows and marshes[]. Rich thickets, meadows and shores[]. Low, moist calcareous soils in Texas[].

Properties

Medicinal Rating
Habit	Perennial
Height	1.80 m
Pollinators	Bees, Lepidoptera
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Grows well in ordinary garden soil[, ], succeeding in most conditions other than boggy soils[]. It prefers a fertile moisture retentive soil[] in a sunny position[, ]. Dislikes dry soil[].
Plants seem to be immune to the predations of rabbits[].
A good bee and butterfly plant[].
A very ornamental plant[], some named forms have been selected for their ornamental value[].

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

The dried nearly mature flower heads are used in a powdered form as a snuff to treat colds and headaches[, , ]. When made into a tea they are used in the treatment of intestinal worms[].
The powdered leaves are sternutatory[, ].
An infusion of the leaves is laxative and alterative[].
An infusion of the stems has been used as a wash in the treatment of fevers[].
The plant contains helenalin, a compound that has shown significant anti-tumour activity[].

Other Uses

The plant contains helenalin, a compound that has insecticidal properties, though it is also toxic to fish and worms[].

Propagation

Seed - sow spring in a greenhouse. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts.
If you have sufficient seed it might be worthwhile trying a sowing in mid to late spring in situ outdoors[].
Cuttings of soft wood from the base of the plant, early summer/July in a frame.
Basal cuttings in spring[]. Harvest the shoots when they are about 10 - 15cm long with plenty of underground stem. Pot them up into individual pots and keep them in light shade in a cold frame or greenhouse until they are rooting well. Plant them out in the summer.
Division in spring or autumn[]. This needs to be done fairly regularly because the clumps soon become congested[]. Very easy, larger clumps can be replanted direct into their permanent positions, though it is best to pot up smaller clumps and grow them on in a cold frame until they are rooting well. Plant them out in the spring.