Flower profile

Narrowleaf sunflower

Helianthus angustifolius

Narrowleaf sunflower (Helianthus angustifolius) is a flowering plant in the Asteraceae family, native in the lower 48 states, blooming mostly September–October across the U.S.

Native in the lower 48

Narrowleaf sunflower is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. It's on our flower lists for 2 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in September–October.

23states where USDA records it

2Bloomipedia state lists include it

5,090U.S. sightings*

*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.

On our lists for: Louisiana, Mississippi

Quick look

Helianthus angustifolius is a species of sunflower known by the common name narrowleaf sunflower or swamp sunflower. It is native to the south-central and eastern United States, found in all the coastal states from Texas to Long Island, and inland as far as Missouri. It is typically found in the coastal plain habitat, particularly in wet areas.
From Wikipedia's article Helianthus angustifolius, CC BY-SA 4.0.

It belongs to the Asteraceae family. ^iNaturalist
USDA PLANTS describes it as an herb (forb) with a perennial life cycle. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 23 states. ^{USDA PLANTS}
NatureServe lists it as native to Mississippi and Louisiana. ^NatureServe
In Mississippi, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in September–November. ^iNaturalist
USDA PLANTS lists its flower color as yellow. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS gives its bloom period as late summer. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS lists a mature height of about 5.6 ft. ^{USDA PLANTS}
iNaturalist has 413 research-grade sightings of it in Mississippi, ranking #61 among the 154 flowers on our Mississippi list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 404 research-grade sightings of it in Louisiana, ranking #95 among the 154 flowers on our Louisiana list. ^iNaturalist

When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (756 records)

Bloom time in the 2 states whose Bloomipedia list includes it

State	Type	Peak bloom	Sightings*
Mississippi	Native	September–November	413
Louisiana	Native	few records (31)	404

Conservation status

Federal (U.S. ESA): Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. ^{USFWS ECOS}
NatureServe global: G5 Secure worldwide. ^NatureServe
Mississippi: No list Mississippi has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Mississippi ranks instead. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Mississippi.
Louisiana: No list Louisiana has no state list of endangered or threatened plants separate from the federal list, so we show federal status and NatureServe's Louisiana ranks. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Louisiana.
Rare elsewhere: Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: IL (S2), IN (S1), MO (S2), NY (S2), PA (SX). (S1 critically imperiled, S2 imperiled, SH possibly extirpated, SX presumed extirpated.)

Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.

Can you eat it?

For peopleNot well documented

None of the sources we checked (NC State Extension (no edibility or poison notes on its page), USDA PLANTS) say whether it's edible or poisonous for people. ^{NC State Extension}

For petsNon-toxic to dogs, cats and horses

ASPCA's entry “Sunflower” (Helianthus angustifolius) lists it as non-toxic to dogs, cats and horses. Eating lots of any plant can still upset a pet's stomach. ^ASPCA

🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.

Where does it grow?

USDA PLANTS records narrowleaf sunflower in 23 states plus Washington, D.C.

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recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia; District of Columbia.

Mississippi counties with USDA records: Franklin, Hancock, Harrison, Jackson, Kemper, Lafayette, Madison, Newton, Scott, Smith, Wayne, Winston.

Louisiana counties with USDA records: Acadia, Allen, Ascension, Avoyelles, Beauregard, Bienville, Bossier, Caddo, Calcasieu, Caldwell, Cameron, Catahoula, Claiborne, De Soto, East Baton Rouge, East Feliciana, Evangeline, Franklin, Grant, Jackson, Jefferson Davis, LaSalle, Lafayette, Lincoln, Livingston, Morehouse, Natchitoches, Orleans, Ouachita, Rapides, Red River, Richland, Sabine, St. Helena, St. Tammany, Tangipahoa, Union, Vermilion, Vernon, Washington, Webster, West Carroll, Winn.

Growing conditions

USDA PLANTS gives Narrowleaf sunflower a medium shade tolerance, medium drought tolerance and medium moisture use. It is rated for soil pH 4.0 to 7.0 and winter lows down to -28 °F.

Shade tolerance: Medium
Drought tolerance: Medium
Moisture use: Medium
Soil textures it is adapted to: coarse, medium
Soil pH range: 4.0 to 7.0
Minimum temperature tolerated: -28 °F
Frost-free days needed (minimum): 160
Annual precipitation range: 25 to 65 inches
Minimum root depth: 6 inches
Salinity tolerance: None
Fertility requirement: Low
Growth rate: Moderate
Lifespan: Moderate
Active growth period: Spring and Summer
Fruit or seed: Brown · Summer to Fall
Can be propagated by: seed, sprigs
Commercial availability: Routinely Available

From the USDA PLANTS characteristics data for HEAN2. USDA ratings are general guidance for the species, not a guarantee for your garden.

Names, range and relatives

County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 439 counties across 23 states; the most are in North Carolina (52), Arkansas (48), Florida (48).

Other Helianthus on Bloomipedia (5): Sunflowers, Common sunflower, Maximilian sunflower, Cucumberleaf sunflower, Prairie sunflower.

More from the Asteraceae family (212 on Bloomipedia; most observed first): Common yarrow, Goldenrods, White snakeroot, Chicory, Black-eyed Susan, Bull thistle, Common dandelion, Firewheel.

More Mississippi flowers

Bristle thistle

Cirsium horridulum

Native

🌼 Blooms in MS: March–May

Black-eyed Susan

Rudbeckia hirta

★ MD state flowerNative

🌼 Blooms in MS: May–July

Dogfennel

Eupatorium capillifolium

Native

🌼 Blooms in MS: October–November

Sources

USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile HEAN2.
iNaturalist, Helianthus angustifolius: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
Wikipedia, Helianthus angustifolius (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
Mississippi: Mississippi Noxious Weed List (2 Miss. Code R. 1-3-01-136.01).
USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
NatureServe Explorer, Helianthus angustifolius (global and state ranks).
Edibility and toxicity: NC State Extension; ASPCA.
Photo: Jeff Wilson via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.