While they may bloom from June to September, prairie sunflowers are generally most abundant and conspicuous in August. Native to the High Plains, clumps of these wildflowers adorn almost every highway and country road in Eastern Colorado; since they favor full sun and sandy soil, prairie sunflowers have spread throughout most of the West and much of the Eastern U.S., wherever such conditions exist.
These common annuals may look a bit scraggly where they dot an abandoned field but can produce stunning swaths of gold in more favorable areas. Their seeds are consumed by small mammals and a wide variety of grassland birds and have been used by humans as well (either in whole form or churned into a butter).
Prairie sunflowers are certainly among the more widespread wildflowers on the Great Plains and are especially appreciated when the intense summer sun has baked away most of the greenery. To me, they represent the vanguard of autumn splendor.
These common annuals may look a bit scraggly where they dot an abandoned field but can produce stunning swaths of gold in more favorable areas. Their seeds are consumed by small mammals and a wide variety of grassland birds and have been used by humans as well (either in whole form or churned into a butter).
Prairie sunflowers are certainly among the more widespread wildflowers on the Great Plains and are especially appreciated when the intense summer sun has baked away most of the greenery. To me, they represent the vanguard of autumn splendor.
