Helenium is also popularly called ‘sneezeweed’ as it sometimes causes allergic reactions to some people close to the plant. Moreover, the leaves of the plant were formerly used to make snuff.

The vibrant flowers of helenium bear a close resemblance to sunflowers. They appear in the brighter hues of gold, rust, yellow, orange and red and they flower profusely during the fall. The flowers attract insects like bumblebees that, in turn, help in the pollination of the flowers.

This perennial plant grows best in moist, richly fertile soils and in bright sunlight. As they are quite familiar in the swamps, the plant is also known by the name ‘swamp sunflower’. The plant is commonly found in North and Central America as well as in Europe. It seems that European breeders helped popularize this flower in America.

The showy appearance of the plant and the cheerful shades of the flowers have made it quite popular as a garden plant. It is also used for landscaping, for borders, as a pot plant as well as a cut flower.