Helenium campestre facts for kids

Helenium campestre, also known as Oldfield sneezeweed, is a cool plant from North America. It's a type of perennial plant, which means it lives for more than two years. This plant belongs to the Sunflower Family, just like sunflowers! You can find it growing naturally in the southeastern parts of the United States, especially in Arkansas and northwestern Louisiana.

About Oldfield Sneezeweed

Oldfield sneezeweed is a type of herb (a plant without a woody stem). It can grow quite tall, sometimes reaching up to 100 centimeters (about 40 inches). Imagine a plant taller than some kids!

What it Looks Like

One single Oldfield sneezeweed plant can produce many flower heads. These flower heads grow in groups on branching stems. Each flower head is shaped like a ball or an egg.

Inside each flower head, there are lots of tiny flowers. These are called disc florets. There can be as many as 700 of them! Each disc floret is yellow near the bottom but turns purple or brown towards its tip. Around the edge of the flower head, you'll also see 9 to 15 bright yellow ray florets. These are the parts that look like petals.

Where it Grows

This plant likes to grow in certain places. You can often spot Oldfield sneezeweed in ditches, open fields, and along the banks of streams. It thrives in these sunny, often moist, environments.