Common Names
Sneezeweed

Botanical Name
Helenium autumnale

Plant Family
Asteraceae (Daisy Family)

Native Range
Sneezeweed is native to Vancouver Island, and across Canada all the way to Quebec.

Life Cycle
Perennial

Hardiness Zone
2-9

Habit
Sneezeweed is very useful as an ornamental in the garden. It opens it's first egg yolk coloured daisy flowers around the first week of July and continues blooming through August. The plants do very well in the rich moist clay soil at the farm in full sun, are 4 feet tall, bushy, and have a luminous glow of health about them.  

Sun/Soil
Full sun, average to rich moist soil. In it native habitat it grows wild along swamp edges, and in moist meadows and thickets. 

Germination/Sowing
Seeds can be direct sown in fall or spring, or started in flats in the spring and then transplanted out. 

Growing/Care
Plants can be cut back in fall time.

Harvesting
As the plants begin to set flower buds and burst into bloom, it is a perfect time to harvest the flowers and leaves to use fresh or dried.

Culinary Uses
None known.

Medicinal Uses
Sneezeweed leaves and flowers are used as medicine for their anti-inflammatory, astringent, diaphoretic, and anti-parasitic properties. The dried flowers of have been traditionally used as a snuff to create sneezing to relieve congestion and clear nasal passages during head colds and respiratory infections, hence the common name ‘Sneezeweed’.

A distant cousin of Arnica, Sneezeweed can be made into an infused oil, salve, liniment, or poultice, and used topical for sprains, sore joints, torn ligaments, bruising, and generally for inflammation and trauma to the muscular-skeletal system. 

A strong vermifuge, Sneezeweed helps to rid the intestines of worms, and other parasites. The decoction can be used for fevers and chills. Due to the liver toxic alkaloids it contains, internal use is probably best avoided, as there are safer herbs available that can offer these same actions without the side effects.

A closely related species, Mountain Sneezeweed (H. hoopesii), also known as ‘Yerba del Lobo’ or ‘Owl’s Claw’ is native to the Southwest USA. It has similar medicinal uses, and is mentioned with a full monograph in herbalist Michael Moore's book 'Medicinal Plants of the Pacific West'.

Themes
Native Plant Garden, Drought tolerant, Apothecary Garden, Low Maintenance, Deer Resistant, Attracts Pollinators.