Familiar annual to most because of the giant flower-head of yellow ray flowers and brown disk flowers, these plants produce copious numbers of seeds late summer. Plants may reach 2m and have the leaves opposite each other along the stem.

Not common and not persisting; easily grown from seed

Seeds may be toasted and salted and eaten raw or in a variety of recipes.

Seeds are harvested only from dried seed-heads. The stem with flowers may be gathered when many of the yellow flowers have wilted and dropped. In NS where the climate is damp, collect the stems once the flowers have dropped and dropped the yellow staminate flowers. Remove seed-head from stem and allow to dry naturally. The seeds plump up during this drying. The seeds will be easiest to remove once flower-head is dry.