Water Arum vs Nuttalls Sunflower - TreeTime.ca

Water Arum vs Nuttalls Sunflower

Helianthus nuttallii

Calla palustris

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

CUSTOM GROW

Nuttalls Sunflower
Water Arum

Nuttall’s Sunflower is a native perennial wildflower known for its bright, golden-yellow blooms. Flowering from mid to late summer, it offers a late-season nectar source for various bees, butterflies, and other pollinators, while the seeds provide a fall food source for birds. The upright growth habit adds structural height and visual variety to your landscape.

Nuttall’s Sunflower can be found growing in moist to wet meadows, prairies, and open spaces. It can spread quickly via underground rhizomes, making it ideal for large-scale plantings. It is well-suited for naturalization, soil stabilization, riparian zones, and wetland restoration projects. If planting in smaller urban yards or gardens, extra care and maintenance will be required to limit its spread.

Water Arum is a native perennial wetland plant known for its showy white oval sheaths (spathe) that surround a yellow-green, cylindrical flower spike (spadix). It has large, oblong, heart-shaped leaves on stems that rise above the water from shallow, spreading rhizomes. The blossoms are followed in late summer by tiny, pear-shaped fruits that ripen to bright red, adding ornamental interest to wet habitats.

Water Arum provides food for birds and small mammals that eat its berries, and its flowers attract pollinators. It can tolerate cold climates and forms colonies in shallow water and saturated soils. It is well-suited for ecological restoration, riparian planting, naturalisation, and habitat projects in wet and shaded environments.

Nuttalls Sunflower Quick Facts

Water Arum Quick Facts

Zone: 2b
Zone: 1b
Height: 1.2 m (4 ft)
Height: 0.2 m (0.8 ft)
Spread: 0.5 m (1.5 ft)
Spread: 0.2 m (0.8 ft)
Light: full sun
Light: shade, partial shade
Moisture: normal, wet
Moisture: wet
Growth rate: fast
Growth rate: medium
Life span: short
Life span: short
Growth form: upright, colony forming
Growth form: colony-forming
Spreading: rhizomes - medium, seeds - low
Spreading: rhizomes - medium, seeds - low


Toxicity: toxic if ingested
Flowers: golden yellow, daisy-like
Flowers: white sheath around and yellow spike
Bloom time: late summer to early fall
Bloom time: spring to summer
Berries: red, in clusters
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no


Native to: AB, BC, SK, MB
Native to: AB, BC, SK, MB, ON, QC, NS, NB, NL, YT, NT, PE
Other Names: common tall sunflower
Other Names: bog arum, swamp lily, wild calla, wild dragon