Heliopsis helianthoides (L.) Sweet
Early sunflower, eastern ox-eye, heliopsis, false sunflower, smooth oxeye
Early sunflower isn’t actually a true sunflower, though it closely resembles them. It is native to central and eastern North America.
Plants: 3–6 ⨉ 2–4′ (91–182 ⨉ 60–121 cm), with rough-textured stems.
Leaves: Stiff, opposite, ovate, toothed leaves are 3–6 ⨉ 1–3″ (7.6–15 ⨉ 2.5–7.6 cm) in size.
Flowers: Composite flowers resembling daisies or sunflowers, have brown or golden central disc flowers shaped like a dome or cone; and 7-20 bright yellow ray florets. Flowers are 1–3″ (2.5–7.6 cm) in diameter. Flowers appear from June to August.
Fruits: The central disc forms dark achenes, each ⅛–3/16″ (4–5 mm) long.
Habitats: Open woodlands, prairies, thickets, grassy meadows, stream banks, roadsides, and fields.
Online References:
7/3/2023 · Gettysburg National Military Park, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania 
7/31/2016 · Skyline Drive, Shenandoah National Park, Virginia 
7/31/2016 · Skyline Drive, Shenandoah National Park, Virginia 
7/3/2023 · Gettysburg National Military Park, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania 
7/31/2016 · Skyline Drive, Shenandoah National Park, Virginia 
7/3/2023 · Gettysburg National Military Park, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania 
7/31/2016 · Skyline Drive, Shenandoah National Park, Virginia 
| Kingdom | Plantae | Plants, but not fungi, lichens, or algae (from Stearn's Botanical Latin) |
| Subkingdom | Tracheobionta | Vascular plants—plants with a “circulatory system” for delivering water and nutrients |
| Division | Magnoliophyta | Flowering plants, also known as angiosperms |
| Class | Magnoliopsida | Dicotyledons—plants with two initial seed leaves |
| Subclass | Asteridae | A large class that encompasses asters |
| Order | Asterales | Flowering plants with a central disk flower and surrounding petals, like daisies |
| Family | Asteraceae | The aster family, which also includes daisies and sunflowers; from the Greek ἀστήρ, “star,” for the star-shaped flowers |
| Genus | Heliopsis | From Greek helios, “sun,” and -opsis, “appearance” or “resembling” |
| Species | helianthoides | “Resembling Helianth,” the genus of true sunflowers |
Heliopsis helianthoides description by Thomas H. Kent, not updated.
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