Mariachi Siesta Helenium

Light summer on fire with the hot colors of Mariachi ‘Siesta’ Helenium a red-flowered cultivar from the new series of exciting compact Sneezeweeds (Helen Flowers). Blue-red petals surround gold and maroon cone centers and attract pollinators with easy access and abundant flowers from summer ’till fall. ‘Siesta’ loves moist but well-drained soil and a hot sunny position, so use deep mulching to encourage a long bloom time. Deep green, lance-shaped foliage is dense and upright, and has a pleasing shape even when ‘Siesta’ blossoms are taking their own siesta. Use ‘Siesta’ as a mid-to-front of bed perennial, and enjoy the cut blossoms indoors particularly when paired with other hot colors for maximum impact. Hay-fever sufferers needn’t worry over the common name ‘Sneezeweed’ helenium is not an allergen, and the name most probably derives from it once being used as a medicinal herb against hay fever.

Mariachi ‘Siesta’ was featured as an honorable mention in a Mt Cuba Center Trial Garden Research Report. These reports evaluate native plants and related cultivars for horticultural and ecological value, highlighting the ecosystem services they provide.