Maximillian Sunflower

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Other Names:
Maximilian's Sunflower, Max Sunflower, Michaelmas Daisy Sunflower
Latin Name:
Helianthus maximiliani
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The Maximilian Sunflower (Helianthus maximiliani) is a tall, showy perennial sunflower that pours out golden bloom late in the season — and a native food with edible seeds and sweet, artichoke-like tubers.2, 4

NOTE: Native wildflowers are dormant (no leaves/flowers) Summer–Fall.

Edible & Medicinal Uses

Much like the familiar Jerusalem artichoke, Maximilian Sunflower makes edible tubers and rhizomes — shred them raw over salads, roast them with other root vegetables, or bake, saute, or puree them into soups. They're a good source of iron, potassium, and thiamin, low in calories and high in fiber. The seeds are edible too, for oil or eaten raw as a snack, sprinkled over soups and salads. A note of care: the tubers are high in inulin, which can cause gas for some people — start with a small amount and let your system adjust.1, 4

Ornamental Qualities

A garden favorite and a chef's, too, Maximilian Sunflower sends up tall stems lined with narrow gray-green leaves and studded, top to bottom, with masses of bright golden flowers in late summer and fall — a glorious last flush of color and a feast for pollinators when little else is blooming.1

Environment & Culture

Ecology: A tough, spreading prairie perennial, Maximilian Sunflower thrives in sun and average-to-dry soil, forming bold colonies. Its late bloom is a crucial nectar and pollen source for bees and butterflies, and its seeds feed songbirds through fall and winter.1, 2

Culture: Native sunflowers are a longstanding food, their seeds and tubers eaten and their oil valued. We offer it with respect for that living knowledge and invite support for Indigenous-led restoration through our Charitable Giving page.4

In the Kitchen

Dig the tubers after frost and treat them like sunchokes — roast, saute, or puree them for a sweet, nutty side (start small, as they're rich in inulin). Toast the seeds for a snack or press them for oil. (Growing and harvest details are on the Planting Guide tab.)

Attributes

  • Native Range: Prairies of central N. America; widely grown in the West1
  • USDA Zones: ~3–93
  • Light: Full sun1
  • Water: Low to moderate; drought-tolerant1
  • Soil: Adaptable; average to dry, well-drained1
  • Habit: Tall spreading perennial sunflower; late golden bloom2
  • Edible: Tubers (cooked, like sunchokes) & seeds — tubers high in inulin4

References

  1. Native Foods Nursery field notes; USDA NRCS, Helianthus maximiliani.
  2. Pojar, J. & MacKinnon, A., Plants of the Pacific Northwest Coast, 2014.
  3. USDA PLANTS Database, Helianthus maximiliani.
  4. Moerman, D., Native American Ethnobotany, 1998.

Pot Sizing Guide

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Planting Guide: Maximilian Sunflower (Helianthus maximiliani)

Tip: Give it room — it's tall and spreads by rhizomes into bold colonies, so site it at the back of a border or in a meadow where it can roam, and expect a spectacular late-season show.

When Your Plant Arrives

Open the box promptly and lift your plant out gently, holding the pot rather than the stem. Leave it in its biodegradable eco-pot for now — the roots are settled and don’t need disturbing yet. Give it a slow, thorough drink until water runs through the bottom, then set it somewhere bright but sheltered, out of harsh afternoon sun, drying wind, and frost. Let it rest and acclimate there for a few days before planting, so the move from our greenhouse to your garden is a gentle one. If anything doesn’t look right, please contact customer service within 7 days of delivery and we’ll take care of you.

Choosing a Site

Light: Full sun.

Soil: Average to dry, well-drained; adaptable.

Space: 2–3 ft apart (it spreads).

Planting Steps

Plant in spring or fall.

If it came in a biodegradable eco-pot, plant it pot and all — the pot is pressed from composted cow manure, so it melts into the soil and gives the young roots their first feed. No need to remove it.

Set at the depth it grew, firm, and water in. Give it room to colonize, or a bounded bed.

Watering & Care

Establishment: Water the first season.

After establishment: Drought-tolerant; vigorous.

Maintenance: Cut back after bloom; it spreads by rhizome — give it room or contain it.

Protection

Wildlife: Vital late-season nectar for pollinators; seeds for songbirds.

Containment: Spreads by rhizome — bound it if you don’t want a colony.

Harvest Basics

Season: Tubers after frost; seeds in fall.

Use: Cook the tubers and rhizomes like sunchokes (Jerusalem artichoke) — roast, or shred raw over salads — but start with small amounts, since their inulin can cause gas; toast or press the seeds.