Heliopsis helianthoides Mars

Heliopsis helianthoides 'Mars' warms up dull autumn days with its semi-double suns with orange hearts. The bright and golden inflorescences rise to the top of tall, strong and rigid stems. It is a beautiful perennial closely related to Helianthus, the famous sunflower, to which it bears a strong resemblance. It is an undemanding plant, suitable for well-drained soil, in full sun or partial shade. Its great vigour and simplicity make it suitable for the back of borders and rustic compositions.

Heliopsis belongs to the Asteraceae family. H. helianthoides, from which the 'Mars' variety originates, is native to North America, where it is usually found in open woodland areas and tall grass prairies. 'Mars' is a non-running woody perennial. It forms a spreading bushy clump, composed of numerous sturdy stems, reaching 1.5 metres (5 feet) in height and occupying 60cm (24in) of ground space. Its growth is moderate to fast. It blooms from June to September. The inflorescence appears at the end of branched stems, composed of several heads (heads). The heads form a beautiful rounded central disk that turns orange and then brown in autumn, surrounded by a double crown of ligulate yellow flowers. The deciduous foliage extends to the top of the stems, it is bright green and rough, the leaves are lanceolate and dentate, about 10cm (4in) long and somewhat triangular.

Fashion trends can be quite inscrutable because the upright habit of these perennials, their long flowering period and their low requirements, are all keys that should open the door to every garden... but no! However, all specialists agree that they are excellent plants. 25 years ago, Alan Bloom, a famous perennial plant breeder in England, said: "They are certainly the last plants I would part with if I decided to eliminate the yellow colour from the borders of my garden." Combine Heliopsis 'Mars' with other tall, easy and vigorous perennials such as mulleins, giant scabious or Verbena bonarienses, for example, in rustic borders. It is a very good plant for quickly filling the back of a border.