Scientific Name: Inula helenium
Common Name: elecampane
Family Name: Asteraceae
Origin: Central / west Asia, Europe
Hardiness Zone: Zone 4: (-34 to -29 °C)
Plant Type: Herbaceous perennial
Mature Size: 0.7 - 1.3m x 0.6 - 1.0m (height x width)
Habit: Upright
Form: Pyramidal - widely
Texture: Coarse
Landscape Uses: Medicinal plant, Summer interest
Exposure: Full sun
Soil or Media:
Leaves: Simple, Alternate, Basal, Soft flexible, Pubescent, Tomentose, Elliptic, Ovate, Serrate, Undulate (wavy)
Flowers: Head (capitulum), Yellow, Jun-Jul
Fruit: Cypsela (achene + calyx), Brown, Silver, Aug-Sep
Key ID Features:
Leaves on stem alternate, petiolate or sessile and clasping, serrate, woolly undersides, large (up to 30cm long x 12cm wide); head about 7cm wide with long, narrow, yellow ray floret corollas (50-100 per head).