Hi,

I have this plant and I think its just amazing! I've never had to stake it, and yes, it does get quite tall - 6 feet is definitely how high it gets in my yard. Its a really great back of the border plant that fills the gap when your looking for some late Summer to Fall color.

Hi Wig-,
I agree that LQ is amazing. This is my second year and I absolutely love it. It's a little over 5' and is just starting to bloom now in my zone 5 garden. I have at least a dozen plants here and there around the back of my garden (which is at the edge of a field, so I have plenty of room).

She will probably need staking if she doesn't receive all-day sun. I don't stake mine, but I do trim back some of the outer branches to help keep it more stable. (some people cut back the entire plant, so that it reaches 3'-4' instead of 6'-8'). This is a brittle plant. I've had damage from the bigger birds sitting on the branches and breaking them down. Also, heavy rain and wind can cause them to snap and because they're large and heavy they can smash nearby plants when they fall. So it might be a good idea to stake it even if it is in full sun.

'Lemon Queen' also self-sows somewhat. I'd allow 3'space for this plant.

It's a beauty.

Patti

Mine is in full bloom now, looking the best it has ever looked. I have it in the corner against the fence. I have never needed to stake it, but it is probably getting some support from the two fencelines coming together behind it. The faux iron fence is 50 inches tall and the lemon yellow flowers are waving 18-24 inches above that. Mine is now in its fourth year, was started from a 3 inch pot, and covers a 3 ft long by 2 ft space, being restricted on the one side by a ditch & drain.

It was pocket planted (very carefully because of the power & cable lines) in heavy clay soil and took the usual 4 seasons to establish (Sleep, Creep, CREEP, Leap) that very small plants often do in harsh conditions. I have had no self-sowing (so far) but between the compacted clay & mulch that is not a surprise. Lemon Queen is a real winner even in difficult conditions.

In the spring of 2006, I bought a Helianthus Lemon Queen in a 2 gallon pot and planted it in the butterfly garden. This plant must have really liked this location because it LEPT the first year. It grew 6 feet tall x 6 feet wide - and I pinched it in June because I thought that would make it more compact! It did not require staking.

This spring, I wanted to move it to the back of the border because it towered over what it was growing around. I dug up the plant and the rootball was enormous! I divided it into six divisions - yes that's SIX - 2 of which I gave away and the other four I turned into kind of a hedge at the back of the butterfly garden.

I pinched those in June, and they are now over 4 feet tall and have just the first 1 or 2 blooms.

This plant is big, beautiful, and very attractive to pollinators, especially bumblebees. Here are a couple pics from last year:

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Thanks for that feedback and the photos. It is now officially on my list of plants to buy.

Okay...I've been looking into this (searching for seed) am I correct that it's a hybrid and so would need to be propogated from cuttings? I am finding it sold as plants and the pics of it look the same as those posted here. The seeds I've found show it with a dark brown/black center as a regular sunflower would have....not the same plant. Could someone enlighten me, please?

MeMo