Dancing In The Sunlight

July 7, 2025

Dancing with glee in the dappled sunlight, a Woodland Sunflower (Helianthus divaricatus). One of many in bloom up here right now. Native to central and eastern North America. An herbaceous perennial in the Aster (Asteraceae) family that can grow 5 to 7 feet tall. As you can see in my photo, it has sessile, opposite leaves.

This Sunflower attracts a wide variety of pollinators with its pollen and nectar, and is a host plant for the Silvery Checkerspot (Chlosyne nycteis), Gorgon Checkerspot (Chlosyne gorgone), and Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui). And the seeds are enjoyed by many birds, small mammals, and even a few insects.

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Published by

Brenda Clements Jones

Brenda is a certified Virginia Master Naturalist, a Habitat Defender for Shenandoah National Park, and a devoted fan of Mother Nature. She lives in a cabin in the Blue Ridge Mountains near Shenandoah National Park, and hikes up to the higher elevations of her mountain often to see what nature is up to. Her constant hiking companion is a camera that captures nature as it unfolds through the seasons. It’s her goal to share the natural world around her through her photographs.