Gelenium is a herbaceous annual and perennial plant belonging to the family of Astera or Asteraceae. In the wild it grows in North and Central America. Some types of flower are grown as ornamental plants.
Plant height is 75-160 cm. Stems are flat and strong, branching from above. The leaves are oval, lanceolate. Baskets of flowers are single or gathered in a shield, diameter 3-7 cm.
Flowers have a varied color and depend on the type and variety of gelenium. The fruit looks like an oblong-cylindrical achene with a slight pubescence.
Autumn
This is the most popular and common type of gelenium in Russian gardens. In nature, it is found in North America, in wet meadows and marshes.
Did you know? For landscape design, autumn helenium has been used since the 17th century.
The plant has strong, lignified, upright stems, the height of which reaches two meters. The stems are close to each other, thereby forming a columnar bush.
At the same time in the upper part of this type of gelenium shoots strongly branched.
Flowers are small, do not exceed six centimeters in diameter. They open at the ends of branched shoots, so when flowering the whole bush is richly covered with bright golden flowers. Flowering plants in August.
Popular varieties of autumn helenium:
- "Magnificum". The flower grows only up to 80 cm tall. It has bright yellow flowers with a yellow core. The diameter of the inflorescence is about 6 cm.
- "Katharina". This grade is 140 cm high. The marginal petals are yellow, and the central petals are brown. Flowering falls on the last month of summer.
- "Superboom". The height of this variety reaches 160 cm. Begins to bloom flowers of golden hue from mid-August.
- Altgold. The height of this flower reaches a maximum of 90 cm. The size of the baskets is 6 cm in diameter. The marginal petals are yellow with reddish strokes, brown in the middle. Flowering of this variety should be expected in late August.
- "Di Blonde". The height reaches 170 cm. The shoots are even and strong, due to which a dense bush is formed. The diameter of the inflorescences is 5-6 cm. The color is reddish brown.
- Glutaug. The undersized variety, which height only 80 cm. Diameter of a basket makes 6 cm.
Did you know? Gelenium looks great with perennial asters that bloom in the fall (September women).
Hybrid
The basis of hybrid varieties is autumn helenium. All varieties of hybrid gelenium are distinguished by their height, small baskets, as well as the color of leaves and inflorescences.
Most popular varieties:
- "Gartazonne". The height of the flower reaches 130 cm. This variety of gelenium blooms in small baskets with a diameter of 3.5-4 cm. The color of the petals is reddish-yellow, in the middle is yellow-brown. This variety of helenium begins to bloom in July, this process lasts about a month.
- "Goldlakzverg". This plant consists of exactly standing stems one meter long. The diameter of the baskets is only 3-4 cm. This variety blooms with an orange-brown color, the tips of the flowers are yellow.
- "Rothgout". This is a herbaceous perennial plant, whose height is 120 cm. It blooms in mid-summer with a dark red color, sometimes with a brown tinge.
The Astrovye family also includes a buzulnik, cornfield, cineraria, divine tree, ore beak, kosmeya, coreopsis, goldenrod, pyrethrum, ageratum, liatris, osteospermum, gatsania.
Hupa
This plant is sometimes referred to as "gupaza." Gelenium Hupa is a perennial herbaceous flower. In the wild, this species of helenium grows on the rocky hills in North America.
The stems are straight, reaching a height of 90-100 cm. In the upper part they branch strongly. The leaves are green with a grayish tint, have an oblong shape.
Single baskets, located at the ends of the stems, their diameter is 8-9 cm. This plant blooms with yellow-golden inflorescences. This process usually begins in late June - early July. 
Important! Gelenium inflorescences in autumn bouquets cut off when they are fully blossomed, because they are no longer disclosed in the water.
Bigelow
Gelenium Bigelow belongs to the Astrovye family. It can be found in the west of North America. This is a perennial rhizome plant with smooth stems, which height is about 80 cm. The leaves of the flower are whole, lanceolate.
Baskets of this species are up to 6 cm in diameter. Tongue-shaped flowers have a yellow color and tubular ones are brown. It blooms actively in the first two months of summer. It bears fruit. 
Low
Gelenium low is a rare species of the plant in question, only 60 cm tall. The flowers are yellow, their diameter is usually 4 cm.
Flowering long, begins in August and comes to mid-September. Low helenium is mainly represented by the Magnificum variety. 
Fragrant
Helenium is fragrant (formerly called Cephalophora is fragrant) - it is an annual herb, 45-75 cm tall. The taproot of this flower goes deep into the soil.
The leaves of the plant are alternate, entire, but also sparsely toothed and lanceolate.
Baskets at the flower are very small, yellow color. They are collected at the ends of the shoots into single heads that look like balls. The diameter of the inflorescences of only 8-9 mm.
The fruit is similar to the seed of a dark brown color. Its length is about 1.5 mm, width - about 0.7 mm.
Did you know? In one inflorescence of fragrant helenium there are about 150 seeds.
This type of gelenium grows in the mountainous regions of Central America. In nature, it can be found in the central provinces of Chile or in mountain subtropical regions.For successful cultivation of gelenium, it is necessary to choose an illuminated area so that there is a moist fertile soil that has a neutral reaction.
Varieties with yellow flowers can bloom in partial shade, but this does not apply to varieties with red flowers. Autumn and hybrid geleniums are more popular in our gardens.
These species like moisture, equipped with a shallow root system. In this regard, in order to avoid drying out the roots, planting should be mulched.
Important! In dry weather it is necessary to water twice a week and at least, because of the lack of moisture, the lower leaves of the plant will begin to dry out.
When planting plants should pay attention to their variety and height. Therefore, they should be placed at a distance of 25 to 75 cm from each other. Tall flowers need to tie up.Gardeners appreciate this plant because its flowering begins at the end of summer, when their gardens become faded. You will not regret if you choose this flower for your site.
