BBC Gardeners' World

Plant details

• Common Name: Helen's flower
• Genus: Helenium
• Cultivar: 'Moerheim Beauty'
• Skill Level: beginner
• Exposure: full sun
• Hardiness: hardy
• Soil type: clay/heavy, moist, well-drained/light
• Height: 0.9m
• Spread: 0.6m
• Flowering period: June to August
• Time to divide plants: February to March

Heleniums have very characteristic flower shapes quite unlike those of other daisy flowers. The crimson red of 'Moerheim Beauty' is a very versatile colour, useful for both hot, orange-red planting schemes and with coppery pink. Try them with orange or yellow flowers of red-hot poker, solidago or other late daisy flowers, such as rudbeckias and heliopsis. Or in a pastel scheme with pink Japanese anemones, schizostylis and Michaelmas daisies. The flowers are good for cutting. Plants will not reach their final height until their second year. To restrict their size, cut back to about 30cm (1ft) tall in May. This not only reduces their final height but will also delay flowering by a week or two. To propagate, divide plants in spring. Dividing in autumn often fails as the small plants produced die during the winter.