Aspen Sunflowers are in full bloom right now in the Wasatch Mountain range in northern Utah. They live in moist open woods, meadows, and aspen groves and thrive in the subalpine and montane zones of the Rocky Mountains.

The Sunflower, or Asteraceae, family consists of green plants where the head looks like one flower, but it really consists of many small flowers.

Aspen Sunflowers, or Heliantbella quinquenervis, have yellow heads that consist of both ray and disk flowers and are 3 inches in diameter. Their leaves are opposite and tend to have five main veins. The plant can grow to be 5 feet tall, but most of them currently in the Wasatch area are around 3 feet tall.

They need full sun and well-drained soil. Although this is primarily a wild flower, seeds can be planted in late fall or early spring with about 1/2 cm of soil, which needs to be kept moist.