helenium

Meanings

1. 1nouncountable or uncountabletechnical

   A tall garden plant with daisy-like flowers in yellow, orange, or red that bloom in late summer.

   Grammar: Countable for one plant or flower; uncountable when talking about the plant type in general.

   Patterns

   • a bed of helenium
   • heleniums in the border

   She planted helenium along the back fence, where its orange flowers glow in late summer.

   Helenium likes damp soil and full sun, so it does well beside a pond.

   The garden center sells three kinds of helenium in early autumn.

2. 2noununcountabletechnicalold-fashioned

   The dried, powdered flowers of certain sneezeweed plants, formerly used as a medicine.

   Grammar: Uncountable; refers to the processed plant material, not to individual plants.

   Patterns

   • powdered helenium
   • helenium used as a medicine

   Older herbals describe helenium being dried and ground for use as a remedy.

   The powdered helenium was stored in a small jar.

Word forms

Common combinations

helenium flower

The helenium flower has a raised brown center ringed with petals.

plant helenium

We planted helenium where the soil stays moist.

helenium in autumn

Helenium in autumn gives the border a warm orange glow.

a clump of helenium

Divide a clump of helenium every few years to keep it healthy.

Synonyms and how they differ

sneezeweed

The everyday English name for the same group of plants; use it in general conversation, and helenium in plant catalogs or botany writing.

Word family

Helenium proper noun

The scientific genus name for these plants, written with a capital H.

Commonly confused: helenium or helium?

Practice

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