Sunstruck is a short variegated false sunflower for smaller spaces. Its cream-and-green leaves brighten the garden all season, and golden yellow 2-inch flowers begin a little earlier than typical false sunflowers and continue until fall.
At just 14 to 16 inches tall it fits the front of a border or a combination container. The flowers are fuller and deeper in color than older variegated types, and butterflies love them.
What it looks like
Single to semi-double daisy flowers about 2 inches across with rich golden yellow petals around a golden-orange center. Flowers are held just above the foliage on short branched stems. Leaves are triangular and toothed, creamy white with green veining and green edges, giving a marbled cream-and-green look. The plant is a compact, bushy mound 14 to 16 inches tall and 12 to 14 inches wide. At peak bloom golden flowers sit atop a bright variegated mound.
Growing it with lavender
Its short size and bright foliage suit the front of a lavender bed, where the golden flowers contrast with purple spikes in full sun.
Care
Grow in full sun to light part shade in average, well-drained soil; established plants tolerate dry spells. Hardy in zones 4 to 9. Deadhead to extend bloom, remove any all-green shoots, and cut the plant back after frost.
At a glance
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Botanical name: Heliopsis helianthoides
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Flower color: Golden yellow
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Foliage: Cream and green variegated
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Growth habit: Compact, bushy mound
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Mature size: 14–16 in tall × 12–14 in wide
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USDA hardiness zones: 4–9
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Light: full sun, part sun to part shade
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Bloom start: Late-June
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Peak bloom: Mid-July
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Bloom pattern: Long Blooming
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Deer resistance: Moderately resistant
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Pollinator value: Great
Sizes and shipping
Dormant bare-root plant, sold in boxes of 25 per variety (order in multiples of 25). Bare-root plants ship or are picked up March 1–May 31 only. They are soil-free, so they may ship to every state in that window. Dormant plants often show little or no top growth on arrival; plant or heel them in promptly.