By Kelsey Deckert, Horticulture agent

NDSU Extension - Burleigh County

I have been hosting an annual garden tour for the past five years and I look forward to it every year! Garden tours are perfect for learning new techniques and methods to implement in your own garden. It’s a wonderful time to share advice with fellow gardeners and most of all, find inspiration for new plants to try!

This year’s garden tour plant inspiration for me is False Sunflower, specifically the variegated variety. False Sunflower is a perennial from the Aster Family and is very easy to grow. It is suitable for zones 3 to 9. It will perform best in the full sun and can tolerate a range of soils. It doesn’t generally have any pests or diseases.

False Sunflower will range from 3 to 6 feet tall and will spread from 2 to 4 feet, making it a great flower for group plantings. False Sunflower is an early bloomer and offers a long bloom period from June to September, making it a great pollinator plant. Deadheading will encourage additional blooms and keep the plant in a uniform appearance. Finches are attracted to the seeds in the fall.

There are a lot of varieties to choose from with a range of coloring, leaf variation and stem coloring. Bleeding Hearts will offer deep green leaves with stunning orange-red flowers. Prairie Sunset has a dark reddish center and purple stems. Summer Sun is unique with its semi-double golden flowers. Sunstruck and Bit of Honey offer variegated leaves, making it a striking plant in any garden.

If you are a low-maintenance gardener or love creating a wildlife habitat, add False Sunflower to your list of plants and inspire neighbors!

For more information about False Sunflower, contact your local NDSU Extension agent. Find the Extension office for your county at ndsu.ag/countyoffice.  

NDSU Agriculture Communication – July 30, 2025

Source: Kelsey Deckert, 701-221-6865, kelsey.j.deckert@ndsu.edu

Editor: Kelli Anderson, 701-231-6136, kelli.c.anderson@ndsu.edu