Helianthus mollis

Helianthus mollis is a wide-ranging perennial herb found in prairies, barrens, and disturbed places, such as roadsides. It occurs in eastern North America from Ontario, Canada, and Maine west to Wisconsin and Nebraska south to Georgia and Texas in the United State, though it is introduced in Ontario, and apparently native to the midwestern United States and adventive in the eastern United States, though this subsequent spread obscures its original distribution. There are over 1000 occurrences, which face threats from development, conversion to agriculture or pasture, rights-of-way maintenance, recreational activities, deer browse, invasive species, and other threats in some places. Little is known about trends, but with a large range extent and large number of occurrences, abundant habitat, and broad habitat preferences, this species is considered secure.

Helianthus mollis occurs in eastern North America from Ontario, Canada, and Maine west to Wisconsin and Nebraska south to Georgia and Texas in the United States (FNA 2006, Weakley and the Southeastern Flora Team 2025). It is introduced in Ontario, and apparently native to the midwestern United States, centered in Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, Arkansas, Tennessee, and western Kentucky, and adventive in the eastern United States, with this subsequent spread obscuring its original distribution (FNA 2006, Weakley and the Southeastern Flora Team 2025). Native range extent was estimated to be approximately 2 million square kilometers using herbarium specimens, photo-based observations, and NatureServe Network occurrence data documented between 1994 and 2025 (GBIF 2025, iNaturalist 2025, NatureServe 2025, RARECAT 2025, SEINet 2025).

By applying a 1 km separation distance to herbarium specimens, photo-based observations, and NatureServe Network occurrence data documented between 1994 and 2025, it is estimated that there are over 1000 occurrences rangewide (GBIF 2025, iNaturalist 2025, NatureServe 2025, RARECAT 2025, SEINet 2025). However, this taxon is commonly cultivated and used in ecological restorations, and observations were not evaluated for evidence of cultivation.

Although threats are not widely documented, this species is threatened by development, conversion to agriculture or pasture, rights-of-way maintenance, recreational activities, deer browse, invasive species, and other threats in some places, though there is insufficient data, including anecdotal accounts, to understand scope and severity of threats for this species (NatureServe 2025). However, their overall impact is likely negligible given the species' broad range, large number of occurrences, tolerance of light disturbance, and affinity for typically abundant habitats.