Helenium 'RUBY TUESDAY'

Helen’s flower (sneezeweed) is an attractive herbaceous perennial for summer and autumn borders. Newer cultivars are selected for extended blooming time or different colour play, and often also for shorter growth because sneezeweed is originally a tall plant.

Ruby Tuesday is a sneezeweed variety bred by Petrus Thomas Damen from Dutch town Hillegom in 1998 and granted a US plant patent No. PP18234 in 2007. It produces dark ruby red flowers with chocolate brown discs covered by yellow pollen in regular ring-like circles. Stems are strong, 50-60 cm tall, well branched, leaves are bright green, narrowly ovate to lanceolate and very tolerant to powdery mildew. Flowering begins in early August and continues until late summer which makes helenium a great combination plant with early summer blooming perennials such as silene, geum, salvia or others.

Sneezeweed will grow in almost soil type but prefers fertile, reasonably drained but constantly moist soil and full sun. It hates drought. It is recommended to divide every 2-4 years to encourage new roots and young plants. All parts of the plant may cause severe discomfort if eaten. Fully hardy to about -34°C (USDA zone 4).

Last update 15-11-2022