Bush Sunflower
Simsia calva
Last reviewed: August 2026
Simsia calva, known as bush sunflower, grows in dry, sunny fields and roadsides across the southwestern United States. It produces yellow blooms from March through November and draws butterflies.
Toxicity unknown
Bush Sunflower (Simsia calva) is not listed by the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (opens in new tab) or the other sources we check, so we have no verdict for it either way. Absence from those lists is not a clearance. If your pet shows symptoms after eating any plant, call the ASPCA at (888) 426-4435.
Light
full sun
Water
low
Size
12"–36" H × 12"–36" W
Bloom
Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov
Native to
NM, TX
Pollinators
butterflies
Before you buy
Your city may pay you to plant this
Cities and water utilities offer rebates for replacing lawn with native and water-wise plants. We track 452 programs across 44 states, each with a link to the provider and the date we last checked it.
Find rebates in your areaBrowse plants for this ecoregion
Bush Sunflower is a compact native perennial that produces cheerful yellow daisy-like blooms from spring through fall. This drought-tolerant plant forms a neat, rounded mound and requires minimal water once established, making it an excellent low-maintenance choice for Texas gardens.
Growing Bush Sunflower
Grow Bush Sunflower in full sun and low water. Mature plants reach 12 to 36 inches tall and spread 12 to 36 inches wide. Expect low maintenance to keep it looking intentional in a front yard.
In an HOA neighborhood
Bush Sunflower is an HOA-friendly choice. Maintenance level: low. Tidiness: 4 out of 5.
Works well in: front yard, foundation, street edge, mid zone.
Wildlife value
The extended bloom period provides nectar for butterflies and other pollinators from March through November. Its seeds also attract birds during the fall and winter months.
Common questions
- When does Simsia calva bloom?
- Simsia calva blooms over a long season, generally from March through November, with flowering often peaking during the warmer summer months.
- What pollinators visit Simsia calva?
- Butterflies are commonly observed visiting the yellow flower heads of Simsia calva.
- What growing conditions does Simsia calva prefer?
- This forb does best in full sun with low water needs, making it a good fit for dry, well-drained soils in hot, arid to semi-arid climates.
- Is Simsia calva a shrub or a wildflower?
- Despite the common name bush sunflower, Simsia calva grows as an herbaceous forb rather than a woody shrub, dying back at the end of the growing season.
- Is Bush Sunflower HOA-friendly?
- Bush Sunflower is generally an HOA-friendly choice in the right placement, with low maintenance.
These answers were drafted with an AI model from this plant's data. Verify care details with a local expert.
See Bush Sunflower in a real native yard
Bush Sunflower is one of the natives used in these Garden Planner yard designs. Tap any one to see the before and after.
The after image is a Garden Planner preview, generated by an AI image model from the real yard photo. It replants the yard with native plants chosen to fit that yard's ecoregion, sun, and HOA strictness. The finished planting will look different.
Native range data from vouchered herbarium specimen records and regional native plant society lists. Pollinator and host plant associations compiled from GBIF, iNaturalist, and published ecological literature.
If something looks wrong
Common plant problems, and what to check first
These come up on almost any plant. Each guide lists the likely causes in the order they are worth ruling out, with one thing to check before you act on any of them, and links to the source it came from.
- It is dying right after planting
- Leaves turning yellow
- Wilting even though I watered it
- Brown crispy leaf tips
- Bugs on the plant
Ready to grow Bush Sunflower? Add it to your garden in Pollinator Patch to track it and get season-by-season care guidance.
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