Sawtooth Sunflower

Helianthus grosseserratus

Pollinator Value

🔑 Keystone: Helianthus supports 52 lepidoptera species as caterpillar host plants in the Ottawa-Gatineau region per NWF data. The genus ranks among the top host plant genera in Eastern Temperate Forests, providing critical larval habitat for moths and butterflies including the Great Leopard Moth, Isabella Tiger Moth, and Milbert's Tortoiseshell.
S13 52 species; S15 local observations
🐛 Larval Host: Hypercompe scribonia, Pyrrharctia isabella, Orgyia leucostigma, Euxoa albipennis, Ogdoconta cinereola, Euxoa ochrogaster, Aglais milberti
S13+S15 7 verified Eastern NA
🐝 Specialist Bee Host: Andrena helianthi, Melissodes denticulatus, Melissodes druriellus, Melissodes agilis, Pseudopanurgus labrosus
S17 Helianthus pollen specialists with Eastern NA range; S68 Andrena helianthi confirmed visiting
❄️ Winter Food Source: Helianthus seeds are consumed by at least 39 bird species. Key winter seed consumers include American Goldfinch, Mourning Dove, Northern Bobwhite, and Wild Turkey. Red-winged Blackbird and Brown-headed Cowbird show particularly high dietary reliance on sunflower seeds. S11 notes high fruit/seed abundance but low persistence, so standing seed heads provide a late-summer through fall food pulse rather than deep-winter forage.
S57 39 bird species documented; S11 Fruit/Seed Abundance=High, Persistence=No; S4 gamebirds, songbirds and rodents eat seeds

Proximity Score: 3a
Native Status: ❌ Outaouais ❌ Ottawa ❌ QC ❌ ON
Closest Direction: W
CEC Eco-Regions: 8 – Eastern Temperate Forests, 8.1 – Mixed Wood Plains, 8.1.5 – Driftless Area
Rarity Notes: Ranked SNA (Not Applicable) in both Ontario and Quebec, reflecting its introduced status in both provinces. Not listed under SARA or COSEWIC. Globally secure at G5 and IUCN Least Concern. The species is native to the central US tallgrass prairie region; Canadian populations represent introductions beyond its natural range.
S22 G5, NNA in Canada, SNA in ON/QC; S26 not SARA listed; S1 introduced in ON and QC
Rarity Ranks: QC SNA – Not Applicable, ON SNA – Not Applicable
Migration: Disjunct
Ecological Context: A rhizomatous prairie forb native to the tallgrass prairies and wet meadows of the central United States. Typically found in moist to wet sites along stream margins, marsh borders, and low-lying meadows. In the Ottawa-Gatineau region it is introduced and rare, occurring in old fields and disturbed sites on the Ontario side. Its native range is centered in the Midwest, from the Dakotas south to Texas and east to Ohio.
S7 moist places, wet meadows, marsh borders, disturbed sites; S61 anthropogenic habitats, meadows and fields; S62 introduced, Rare in Ottawa; S1 introduced in ON and QC

Roles: Fire Retardant, Fortress/Barrier, Pollinator Attractor
S73/S29/S72 Evidence: Fire Retardant: S73 [MEDIUM]: S11 Fire Tolerance = Medium (not definitional)] | Fortress/Barrier: S61 keyword match: spines? (supporting signal only)] | Pollinator Attractor: S73 [HIGH]: S64 Xerces listed (source-classified)]

Category: Burn Dressing
S28 Meskwaki Drug category=Burn Dressing
Notes: The Meskwaki (Fox) people used a poultice of the blossoms as a burn dressing. Go Botany notes folk remedies including a tea to reduce fevers and loosen phlegm, and stems used to treat malaria and burns.
S28 Moerman: Meskwaki Drug, Burn Dressing; S61 folk remedies: fever tea, malaria, burns

❌ Not Edible

Foraging Notes: USDA lists Palatable Human=Yes but no specific food uses are documented in the Moerman ethnobotanical database. The related species H. tuberosus (Jerusalem artichoke) is widely eaten, but no traditional food use of H. grosseserratus is recorded.
S11 Palatable Human=Yes; S28 no Food category