Great Design Plant: 'Mardi Gras' Sneezeweed Throws a Late-Summer Color Party

Late summer calls for easy-care plants that carry the show while you entertain. Sneezeweed often plays second fiddle to coneflower and black-eyed Susan, but ‘Mardi Gras’ brings a playful, multicolored palette that’s equally tough and far more festive. Mass it for a meadow effect or dot it among rich foliage — either way, it becomes a reliable summer guest.

Botanical name: Helenium ‘Mardi Gras’
Common names: Sneezeweed, Helen’s flower
USDA zones: 3–9 (hardy to –40°F)
Water: Low
Light: Full sun to partial shade
Size: 3 ft tall and wide
Benefits: Drought tolerant, deer resistant, great cut flower, attracts butterflies and bees
Season: Summer
Plant: Spring or fall

Distinguishing Traits

Not for the faint of heart. Each flower flaunts a flouncing skirt of vivid orange splashed haphazardly with gold around a dark central cone — like spinning dancers at a wild party. No two blooms are identical. As buds open, chocolate “buttons” wear necklaces of bright beads.

How to Use It

• In large drifts: Combine with smoky grasses and prairie flowers for a colorful late-season meadow.
• In smaller groups: Highlight the dark cone by pairing with deep brown, purple, or burgundy foliage like Diablo ninebark (Physocarpus spp.).

Planting Notes

Average, well-drained soil; spring or fall planting. Divide mature clumps in spring with a sharp spade. Full sun = no staking needed. Partial shade may require simple stick supports for long stems.