Inula helenium - Elecampane is a perennial herb in the aster family with appearances reminiscent of a sunflower. It’s tall, anywhere from 3-6 feet(!), with bright yellow flowers with seed heads in the middle. Primarily grown for harvesting the roots in the 2nd year for medicinal purposes, it also adds some dimension and vibrancy to a cottage and wildflower garden.

Plant 12-30 inches apart.

Tip: It doesn’t flower until the second year so keep that in mind when landscaping with it. The first year it’ll just be foliage and the second year onward (if not harvesting the roots for medicinal purposes) will be tall beautiful yellow flowers.