Sneeze Weed is the other name for a genus of American herb with flowers and yellow rays called Helenium.The scientific name of Sneeze weed is Helenium Autumnale. They belong to the sunflower family and are native to North America. Though the Sneeze weeds have yellow ray petals like other sunflower they are wedge shaped and widest at the tips where there are three lobes. The Sneeze weed is bright and cheerful perennials which come in shades of rust, gold, red and orange.  The common name for Sneeze weed is Swamp Flower. There was a time when the green leaves of this plant were used to make snuff so for this reason they are often called Sneeze weed. Although they hold their origin to North America, they were not much seen in the home garden there until the breeders of Europe worked with them.

Sneezeweeds grow best in an area where the sun falls fully and the soil is very rich and moist like swampy areas, wet grounds and banks of streams. The flowering season of the Sneeze weed is from August to October. They attract a lot of bees and butterflies and can also be raised from seeds in a home garden. It is seen that though the plant has chemicals that are poisonous they do not cause sneezing or hay fever.

There are many species of Sneeze Weed and the most useful are H. Autumale which bear yellow flower head and grow up to six feet tall. The variety grandiceps are huge when it grows and thus looks very showy.  The pumilum variety is much better and much like a dwarf plant. The other varieties are H.Astro-purpureum which has reddish brown flower heads and grows 3-4 feet high. The H.Hoopesi have large orange-yellow flowers and its flowering season is early summers. Of all the modern varieties the best are  H.a. superbum, H. a. Riverston Gem and H.autumnale rubrum grow about  5-  feet and produce flowers in large numbers which are yellow and crimson. All remain fresh for a long time and are useful for cutting. The taller varieties need to be provided with support. All these can be grown in a home garden.

Among the many species of Sneeze weed Amarum is one of the several species of Sneeze weed which is found in North Abama. The leaves of the Amarum species are alternate and are very narrow, thus it looks like finely divided thread. Thus the common name “fine leaved sneeze weed “is apt for it.  It is also called by its other common name bitter Sneeze weed or bitter weed as due to its bitter taste.  Attractive types of flowers are produced by the Sneeze weed over a long period of time which starts flowering during the early summers. Taller varieties need to be provided with support in the home garden.