The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species™
ISSN 2307-8235 (online)
IUCN 2008: T19073408A47600755
Scope: Global
Language: English
Helianthus annuus, Sunflower
Assessment by: Contreras, A., Rhodes, L. & Maxted, N.
View on www.iucnredlist.org
Citation: Contreras, A., Rhodes, L. & Maxted, N. 2016. Helianthus annuus. The IUCN Red List of
Threatened Species 2016: e.T19073408A47600755. http://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.20163.RLTS.T19073408A47600755.en
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THE IUCN RED LIST OF THREATENED SPECIES™
Taxonomy
Kingdom
Phylum
Class
Order
Family
Plantae
Tracheophyta
Magnoliopsida
Asterales
Compositae
Taxon Name: Helianthus annuus L.
Synonym(s):
• Helianthus aridus Rydb.
• Helianthus indicus L.
• Helianthus jaegeri Heiser
• Helianthus lenticularis Douglas
• Helianthus macrocarpus DC.
• Helianthus multiflorus Hook.
• Helianthus ovatus Lehm.
• Helianthus platycephalus Cass.
• Helianthus tubaeformis Nutt.
Common Name(s):
• English:
• French:
• Spanish:
Sunflower
Tournesol
Girasol
Taxonomic Source(s):
The Plant List. 2013. The Plant List Version 1.1. Available at: http://www.theplantlist.org/. (Accessed:
July).
Taxonomic Notes:
The wild Helianthus annuus is considered a primary genetic relative of the cultivated Sunflower (USDA,
ARS, National Genetic Resources Program 2016).
Assessment Information
Red List Category & Criteria:
Least Concern ver 3.1
Year Published:
2016
Date Assessed:
July 15, 2016
Justification:
Helianthus annuus is a common, widespread species within its native range, adapted to several habitats
and a wide range of environmental contitions, it is also extensively adventive. It also occurs in several
protected areas and germplasm of this species is conserved in ex situ collections; it is therefore globally
assessed as Least Concern.
Geographic Range
Range Description:
© The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: Helianthus annuus – published in 2016.
http://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T19073408A47600755.en
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Helianthus annuus is a widespread species that is native to western areas of Canada, north, central and
south of the United States, and northern Mexico as elevations between sea level and 3,000 m a.s.l.; it is
also widely naturalized and cultivated, in some areas it is present as a weed or invasive species (Heiser
et al. 1969, Gómez and González 1995, Villaseñor and Espinosa 1998, Schilling 2006, Lentz et al. 2008,
Pruski and Robinson 2015, USDA-NRCS 2016, USDA, ARS, National Genetic Resources Program 2016).
Country Occurrence:
Native: Canada (Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Saskatchewan); Mexico (Baja California, Baja
California Sur, Chihuahua, Coahuila, Durango, México Distrito Federal, México State, Nayarit, Nuevo
León, San Luis Potosí, Sinaloa, Sonora, Tamaulipas, Veracruz, Zacatecas); United States (Alabama,
Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia,
Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, Mississippi,
Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North
Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South
Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming)
© The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: Helianthus annuus – published in 2016.
http://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T19073408A47600755.en
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Population
This species is widespread in North America; it is common, widespread and abundant, so is ranked as
globally secure (NatureServe 2015).
Current Population Trend: Stable
Habitat and Ecology (see Appendix for additional information)
Wild populations can be found in river floodplains and stream banks (Lentz et al. 2008). It grows in well
drained, heavy, clayey soils (Reiseberg et al. 1995) and can tolerate soil pH from 5.7 to more than 8
(Putnam et al. 1990). In Mexico, the species is found in wet to dry open areas, as well as on roadsides
and other disturbed sites, along streams and irrigation channels as well as a crop weed (Gómez and
González 1995). Wild populations in Mexico are found in dry scrubland (Lentz et al. 2008).
Systems: Terrestrial
Use and Trade
Helianthus annuus is an attractive plant to pollinating bees for the collection of nectar and pollen (USDA
2015). The species is widely cultivated with many uses, having edible seeds, being processed as an oil or
fat source for human consumption, as well as being used as animal fodder and as a possible alternative
fuel source, it is also used as an ornamental plant (USDA, ARS, National Genetic Resources Program
2016). Wild H. annuus is considered a primary genetic relative of the cultivated Sunflower and so it has
the potential for use as a gene donor for crop improvement (USDA, ARS, National Genetic Resource
Program 2016). H. annuus is also important in traditional native American cultures as a medicinal plant
(Foster and Duke 2000, Vibrans 2009, BDMTM 2009).
Threats
Helianthus annuus is potentially threatened by the decline of managed and wild colonies of invertebrate
pollinators due to pathogens, pesticides, transgenic crops, invasive plant and pollinator species and
habitat loss, leading to a low fecundity (limitation of seed production) (Kremen et al. 2002, Committee
on the Status of Pollinators in North America 2007).
Conservation Actions (see Appendix for additional information)
This species is recorded as present within at least 83 protected areas within its native range in the
United States of America (Information Center for the Environment (ICE) 2016). In Mexico, it occurs in the
protected areas Parque Nacional Cumbres de Monterrey, Nuevo León (CONANP 2006). There are at least
943 germplasm accessions of wild Helianthus annuus conserved in the North Central Regional PI Station,
Iowa State University, with duplicates in the National Center for Genetic Resources Preservation, Fort
Collins (USDA, ARS, National Genetic Resources Program 2016).
Credits
Assessor(s):
Contreras, A., Rhodes, L. & Maxted, N.
Reviewer(s):
Fielder, H.
© The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: Helianthus annuus – published in 2016.
http://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T19073408A47600755.en
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Bibliography
BDMTM. 2009. Biblioteca Digital de la Medicina Tradicional Mexicana. Available at:
http://www.medicinatradicionalmexicana.unam.mx/index.php. (Accessed: July 2016).
Committee on the Status of Pollinators in North America. 2007. Status of Pollinators in North America.
National Academy of Science. National Academies Press, Washington, D.C.
CONANP. 2006. Programa de Conservación y Manejo Parque Nacional Cumbres de Monterrey. Available
at: http://www.conanp.gob.mx/anp/consulta/PCM-20DIC06.pdf. (Accessed: July 2016).
Foster, S. and Duke, J.A. 2000. A field guide to medicinal plants and herbs of eastern and central North
America. Sponsored by the National Audubon Society, The National Wildlife Federation and The Roger
Tory Peterson Institute. Houghton Mifflin Company, New York.
Gómez, S.D. and González, E.S. 1995. Distribution of Helianthus, Viguiera and Tithonia genera in Mexico.
Helia 18(23): 27–40.
GRIN. 2016. Germplasm Resources Information Network - (GRIN) [Online Database]. Available at:
https://npgsweb.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/taxon/taxonomyquery.aspx. (Accessed: July 2016).
Heiser, C.B., Smith, D.M., Clevenger, S.B. and Martin, W.C. 1969. The North American sunflowers
(Helianthus). Memoirs of the Torrey Botanical Club 22(3): 1–218.
Information Centre for the Environment (ICE). 2016. Biological Inventories of the World's Protected
Areas. Available at: http://www.ice.ucdavis.edu/bioinventory/bioinventory.html. (Accessed: July 2016).
IUCN. 2016. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2016-3. Available at: www.iucnredlist.org.
(Accessed: 07 December 2016).
Kremen, C., Bugg, R.L., Nicola, N., Smith, S.A., Thorp, S.W. and Williams, N.M. 2002. Native bees, native
plants and crop pollination in California. Fremontia 30(3–4): 41–49.
Lentz, D.L., Bye, R. and Sánchez-Cordero, V. 2008. Ecological niche modeling and distribution of wild
sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) in Mexico. International Journal of Plant Sciences 169(4): 541–549.
NatureServe. 2015. NatureServe Explorer: An online encyclopedia of life [web application]. Version 7.1.
Arlington, Virginia Available at: http://explorer.natureserve.org.
Pruski, J.F. and Robinson, H. 2015. Asteraceae. Flora Mesoamericana.
Putnam, D.H., Oplinger, E.S., Hicks, D.R., Durgan, B.R., Noetzel, D.M., Meronuck, R.A., Doll, J.D. and
Schulte, E.E. 1990. Sunflower In: Alternative field crops manual. Madison, WI and St. Paul, MN Available
at: https://hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/afcm/sunflower.html. (Accessed: July).
Rieseberg, L.H., Desrochers, A.M. and Youn, S.J. 1995. Interspecific pollen competition as a reproductive
barrier between sympatric species of Helianthus (Asteraceae). American Journal of Botany 82(4):
515–519.
Schilling, E.E. 2006. Helianthus annuus. New York and Oxford Available at:
http://efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=200024005. (Accessed: July 2016).
USDA. 2015. Attractiveness of agricultural crops to pollinating bees for the collection of nectar and/or
pollen. Available at:
https://www.ree.usda.gov/ree/news/Attractiveness_of_Agriculture_crops_to_pollinating_bees_ReportFINAL.pdf. (Accessed: July).
© The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: Helianthus annuus – published in 2016.
http://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T19073408A47600755.en
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USDA-NRCS. 2016. Plants Database. Available at: http://plants.usda.gov/core/profile?symbol=HEAN3.
(Accessed: July 2016).
Vibrans, H. (ed.). 2009. Malezas de México. Available at:
http://www.conabio.gob.mx/malezasdemexico/2inicio/home-malezas-mexico.htm. (Accessed: July
2016).
Villaseñor, R.J.L. and Espinosa, G.F.J. 1998. Catálogo de malezas de México. Universidad Nacional
Autónoma de México. Consejo Nacional Consultivo Fitosanitario. Fondo de Cultura Económica, México,
D.F.
Citation
Contreras, A., Rhodes, L. & Maxted, N. 2016. Helianthus annuus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened
Species 2016: e.T19073408A47600755. http://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.20163.RLTS.T19073408A47600755.en
Disclaimer
To make use of this information, please check the Terms of Use.
External Resources
For Images and External Links to Additional Information, please see the Red List website.
© The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: Helianthus annuus – published in 2016.
http://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T19073408A47600755.en
5
Appendix
Habitats
(http://www.iucnredlist.org/technical-documents/classification-schemes)
Habitat
Season
Suitability
Major
Importance?
3. Shrubland -> 3.4. Shrubland - Temperate
Resident
Suitable
-
3. Shrubland -> 3.5. Shrubland - Subtropical/Tropical Dry
Resident
Suitable
-
4. Grassland -> 4.4. Grassland - Temperate
Resident
Suitable
-
4. Grassland -> 4.5. Grassland - Subtropical/Tropical Dry
Resident
Suitable
-
5. Wetlands (inland) -> 5.1. Wetlands (inland) - Permanent
Rivers/Streams/Creeks (includes waterfalls)
Resident
Suitable
-
14. Artificial/Terrestrial -> 14.1. Artificial/Terrestrial - Arable Land
Resident
Suitable
-
14. Artificial/Terrestrial -> 14.2. Artificial/Terrestrial - Pastureland
Resident
Suitable
-
Conservation Actions in Place
(http://www.iucnredlist.org/technical-documents/classification-schemes)
Conservation Actions in Place
In-Place Research, Monitoring and Planning
Action Recovery plan: No
Systematic monitoring scheme: No
In-Place Land/Water Protection and Management
Conservation sites identified: Unknown
Occur in at least one PA: Yes
Area based regional management plan: No
Invasive species control or prevention: Unknown
In-Place Species Management
Harvest management plan: Unknown
Successfully reintroduced or introduced beningly: No
Subject to ex-situ conservation: Yes
In-Place Education
Subject to recent education and awareness programmes: No
Included in international legislation: No
© The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: Helianthus annuus – published in 2016.
http://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T19073408A47600755.en
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Conservation Actions in Place
Subject to any international management/trade controls: No
Additional Data Fields
Distribution
Estimated area of occupancy (AOO) (km²): 12216
Estimated extent of occurrence (EOO) (km²): 14244185
Lower elevation limit (m): 0
Upper elevation limit (m): 3000
Population
Continuing decline of mature individuals: No
Extreme fluctuations: No
Population severely fragmented: No
Continuing decline in subpopulations: No
Extreme fluctuations in subpopulations: No
All individuals in one subpopulation: No
Habitats and Ecology
Continuing decline in area, extent and/or quality of habitat: No
© The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: Helianthus annuus – published in 2016.
http://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T19073408A47600755.en
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The IUCN Red List Partnership
The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species™ is produced and managed by the IUCN Global Species
Programme, the IUCN Species Survival Commission (SSC) and The IUCN Red List Partnership.
The IUCN Red List Partners are: Arizona State University; BirdLife International; Botanic Gardens
Conservation International; Conservation International; NatureServe; Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew;
Sapienza University of Rome; Texas A&M University; and Zoological Society of London.
THE IUCN RED LIST OF THREATENED SPECIES™