Natthager · CC BY-SA 4.0
Elecampane
Plant·Inula helenium
Full sun
Sun
Medium
Water
Moist soil
Drainage
Zones 3–8
Hardiness
Elecampane (Inula helenium) is a plant. It grows best in full sun and has moderate water needs.
Through the year
DormantFloweringLeafing outDying back
Works well with
from wiki dataNo companions recorded.
WHAT IT NEEDS
Wants full sun
Needs moderate water
Tolerates moist soil, as long as it drains well
Prefers soil pH 5.5–7.5
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Prefers loam, clay soil
Tolerates some soil compaction
Draws up potassium, calcium, magnesium, sulfur from deep in the soil
Adds a lot of organic matter to the soil
Partners with mycorrhizal fungi to boost nutrient uptake
WHAT IT GIVES
Gives mulch biomass (high)
Gives nectar (abundant)
Gives pollen (abundant)
Provides potassium
Provides calcium
Provides magnesium
Provides sulfur
Attracts pollinators
Attracts beneficial insects
HOW IT GROWS
SIZE & SPACING
Herbaceous
Height150–250 cm
Spacing90 cm (min 60 cm)
Root depthDeep
Width60–120 cm
Width figures are rough estimates, the most variable measurement in our data.
AI estimate · accuracy improves as growers contribute corrections.
HOW TO PROPAGATE
Propagate by seed, division
Difficulty
Establishes in about 1 yr
Self-seeds readily on its own
Where this comes from
Parsed11 Sept 2026
ConfidenceNot recorded
Photograph Natthager · CC BY-SA 4.0