Nuttalls Sunflower vs Joe-Pye Weed - TreeTime.ca

Nuttalls Sunflower vs Joe-Pye Weed

Helianthus nuttallii

Eutrochium maculatum

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

Nuttalls Sunflower
Joe-Pye Weed

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.

Joe-Pye Weed is a tall native perennial wildflower known for its clusters of fragrant pink flowers. Blooming from mid-summer to early fall, its long-lasting blooms attract a wide range of pollinators, including bees, butterflies, moths, and other beneficial insects. Adding to its ecological value, Joe-Pye Weed also serves as an important host plant for several species of butterflies and moths, and its seed heads provide food for small birds into the fall and winter.

Joe-Pye Weed is well suited to pollinator gardens, rain gardens, riparian zones and wetland plantings, as well as naturalization and restoration projects. It spreads through underground rhizomes to form small colonies and is generally easy to manage, though it may require additional care and maintenance in smaller urban yards and gardens. It is also resistant to deer, making it a good choice for gardens where deer are a concern.

Nuttalls Sunflower Quick Facts

Joe-Pye Weed Quick Facts

Zone: 2b
Zone: 3a
Height: 1.2 m (4 ft)
Height: 1.8 m (6 ft)
Spread: 0.5 m (1.5 ft)
Spread: 0.6 m (2.0 ft)
Light: full sun
Light: partial shade, full sun
Moisture: normal, wet
Moisture: normal, wet
Growth rate: fast
Growth rate: fast
Life span: short
Life span: short
Growth form: upright, colony forming
Growth form: upright, clump forming
Spreading: rhizomes - medium, seeds - low
Spreading: rhizomes - medium, seeds - low


Flowers: golden yellow, daisy-like
Flowers: pink clusters
Bloom time: late summer to early fall
Bloom time: mid summer to early fall
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, PE
Other Names: common tall sunflower
Other Names: joe pye weed, joe pyeweed, queen of the meadow, spotted joe pye, spotted joe pye weed, spotted joe-pye weed, spotted trumpet weed