It’s getting to the point when the briefest glimpse of blue sky is cause for wonder. I’m talking a quick break in the clouds. Nothing else. Sunlight–as in warm, golden rays streaming earthwards that create actual shadows–is a distant memory. This may be the reason why I’ve been obsessively scrolling last summer’s photos most of which, I’ll admit, are not of family and friends but of gardens and flowers.

Giant sunflower (Helianthus giganteus) growing in a large patch near the marina in Oakville, Ontario.

Let me say right away that my two amazing step-granddaughters are sunshine personified and every photo of them makes me smile. However, at the risk of sounding terribly un-grandparent-like, these photos of Helianthus giganteus are equally giving me the warm and fuzzies.

These wildflowers, native to eastern Canada as well as the eastern United States, look like drops of sunlight on sticks. Happily, they are easy to grow.

I could only take photos of this clump of Helianthus giganteus looking upwards because, true to their name, they were very, very tall.

Although the word ‘sunflower’ usually conjures thoughts of those giant dinner plate-sized blooms prized for the edible seeds they produce, there are actually about 70 species of sunflower, all belonging to the daisy family, and a lot of them have pretty normal sized flowers. Helianthus giganteus gets its name not for the size of its bloom which is actually only about 2″ to 3″ in width but for its height. These lovely flowers can grow upwards of 10 feet tall.

If you want to add more native Canadian flowers that capture all the cheer of sunbeams, look for (clockwise from upper left) Shrubby Cinquefoil (Dasiphora fruticosa), Cup plant (Silphium perfoliatum) and Sneezeweed (Helenium autumnale).

The Giant sunflower is a fall-blooming rhizomatous perennial that really puts on a show. Starting in late August, it will explode in blooms right until the end of September. You need a lot of space for this spectacular plant not only because of its height but for the fact that it can grow into a huge clump upwards of 6 feet in width and it will do so surprisingly quickly.

Like the Cup plant (see above), its gangliness can be a problem. You can stake the thing. And you can try being mean to it–denying it rich soil and fertilizers, etc., which can lead to less robust growth. But I’ve heard tell that simply planting it in an unprotected, wind-whipped spot can result in plants with stouter stems less prone to flopping over. The photos in this post are a testament to that. I found these flowers happily thrashing around in a stiff breeze coming off of Lake Ontario. We were steps from Oakville’s busy marina.

Giant sunflower, once established, will come back year after year adding brillian colour to the fall garden.

Unfortunately, this gorgeous plant isn’t easy to purchase in Canada. I’ve seen seeds for sale through the Etsy website although I don’t know whether the distributors are Canadian or elsewhere. Breck’s Canada offers a (slightly) smaller tall sunflower called Lemon Queen Sunflower that grows to 8 feet. They ship the roots in early spring for planting after last frost.