Maximilian sunflower, Illinois Bayou Park, on Lake Dardanelle, near Russellville, Arkansas, September 8, 2022
I’m starting a new series of posts on plants that I find growing in natural surroundings that are not looked after by people. Some of those may be plants very close to home. Many will be in other areas.
Helianthus maximiliani
Wikipedia
accessed 9/12/2022
Helianthus maximiliani is a North American species of sunflower known by the common name Maximilian sunflower.
This sunflower is named for Prince Maximilian of Wied-Neuwied, who encountered it on his travels in North America.
Helianthus maximiliani is native to the Great Plains in central North America, and naturalized in the eastern and western parts of the continent. It is now found from British Columbia to Maine, south to the Carolinas, Chihuahua, and California. The plant thrives in a number of ecosystems, particularly across the plains in central Canada and the United States. It is also cultivated as an ornamental.
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The plants in this image project will be from within the bounds of this map, derived from an app called RV Trip Wizard, which represents an “advanced driving radius” around Russellville based on driving 1 hour at an average speed of 55 mph.
