narrow leaved mule ears
Few hikers can resist the bright, golden-yellow flowers of this showy native sunflower relative. The large, 2” - 3” wide flowers perch atop stems up to 2 ft. tall in the spring. Bright green, lance-shaped leaves form low rosettes at the base of the flower stalks. This mule ears grows in sunny meadows and at the edges of woodlands. Perhaps the most garden tolerant of all of the mule’s ears, accepting occasional irrigation once established but not requiring it. Does not mind soils with poor drainage. A great plant for bees, butterflies and birds. Will go dormant once it finishes flowering but will re-emerge after the rain returns.