In this area, Sunflowers fall under what I call highway weeds, meaning that as wildflowers, they are primarily found along highway or rail spaces. The primary area for them as pavementplants has long been along Columbus Boulevard. That can be divided between an area where the highway turns west before it turns into Pattison Avenue, where it runs along the CSX railyard, in which they grow along the fence. A decade ago, they used to grow along the west side as well, as seen in this shot from October of 2017, but they now mow that side down, which at least makes the stretch much less dangerous.
The Sunflowers on either side kept feeding a persistent population along the Jersey barriers that form the median of the highway. Even as the surrounding populations have been decreased, that population has persisted on its own, creating the most spectacular pavementplant wildflower population of the city, hands down.
I've shot in that spot numerous times over the years. This string of galleries represents over a score of different photo shoots, all linked so they can be viewed sequentially in chronological order.
Start: August of 2017
This gallery combines two shoots, exact dates uncertain.
August of 2019, part one
August of 2019, part two
More than one shoot, exact dates uncertain.
August 5th, 2025
August 12th, 2025
August 18th, 2025
September 3rd, 2025
September 14th, 2025
September 21st, 2025
September 28th, 2025
October 26th, 2025
July 5th, 2026
August 15th, 2026
August 18th, 2026
August 23rd, 2026
August 25th, 2026
August 30th, 2026
September 6th, 2026
September 12th, 2026
North of the Walt Whitman Bridge, there has been a persistent population growing in the dirt and gravel on the east side of Columbus, between the highway and the train tracks. They have been working in that area this year and I have not seen any Sunflowers growing north of the Walt Whitman this year. The shots below show the view from the same area in October of 2017 (left), facing southeast, and November of 2018 (right), facing northwest.
That population has repeatedly spilled out onto the sidewalks and occasionally the medians, which are flat there. The sidewalks are only present north of the Walt Whitman. That is where it changes from sidewalks and a flat median to dirt sides and Jersey barriers like a normal highway. It was not designed for pedestrian traffic south of the bridge.
When I first visited the spot, some years before my renewed interest in the area in 2017, the Sunflowers had populated the flat medians. I can't recall when this picture was taken, but it was well over a dozen years ago. This was taken standing on the median, looking south toward the Walt Whitman.
This picture of one grown out of the median was taken at the same time. These shots were taken in blazing sun on old equipment, hence their appearing a bit blown out.
In the past, along that stretch of Columbus Boulevard was my favorite area in the city to take wildflower photos but now they have taken to spraying so that not much will grow there and much of what does is disfigured.
This shot of one growing out of the curb, in the street, was taken during my renewed interest in the area, around 2016 to 2018. I'm not sure exactly. I also don't remember if it was growing out of the sidewalk or the median, but I suspect that it was the east-side sidewalk.
These two galleries are of Sunflowers grown out of the sidewalks of Columbus Boulvard in that area. The first is of a tiny Sunflower that grew out of the southernmost point of the east-side sidewalk in the area along where the Sunflowers commonly grew.
The second is from a few blocks' distance north, along where the shopping center is, between Best Buy and Lowes, where two grew out of the medians dividing the main lanes of Columbus from the truck lane that becomes what is left of Delaware Avenue.
In late November of that year, I took more shots of the larger plant. The only shot that I still have from that shoot is one of my favorite Sunflower photos, despite it being spent and wilting, for the way it appears to crown the Center City skyline.
In August of last year, I found one growing out of the overgrown sidewalk of Oregon Avenue across from Weccacoe, which is about a block and a half's distance off Columbus. This is in the same population range as Columbus. That immediate area is known for hosting similar wildflower populations to along Columbus, especially for its Spotted Knapweed and Slender Snakecotton. The plant was mowed down before I got to see it bloom.
The first residential neighborhood Oregon hits running in from Columbus is the southern end of Whitman, which may explain the Sunflower that I found growing out of a house in Whitman, a few blocks north of Oregon.
This was shot in late July of 2018, which is early compared to the blooming schedule of the Columbus population, which does't usually start blooming until further into August. More ornamental varieties bloom earlier, which makes me think it is likely that this one is rather a cultivated garden escapee. Further, it is on the far side of Whitman, making it over a dozen block's distance from the intersection of Columbus and Oregon. You can see a flower detail shot and a pre-flowering shot from early July here.
Equally mysterious is the one which popped up about four blocks west of that one, in Lower Moyamensing, off Moyamensing, itself. I spotted this in June of 2026 but it was gone within the month.
About seven blocks north of that, spotted in East Passyunk Crossing on the first of July, 2026, this specimen grown out from the crack between the sidewalk and alley pavements, is definitely a cultivated specimen.
In none of these case was there an apparent seed source. In the case of the house, I would suspect that the seed was cached by a squirrel, which is common. The alleyway Sunflower was probably washed down the alley from plants behind the houses. There are many ways that Sunflower seeds can be spread, including being dropped by birds or even humans. Sometimes, the parent source-plants are easily seen nearby, as was the case with this specimen, found in Pennsport in the middle of June, 2025, where sunflowers were grown in a nearby container.
Thus, Sunflowers can exist either as an urban wildflower or as a feral ornamental. Those in residential areas can generally be assumed to be likely the projeny of cultivated ornamentals while those growing in wasteland and highway spaces are wild populations. As noted above, cultivated varieties can often be identified as such by their larger flower heads and earlier growing seasons.
Returning to the wild populations, there is only one other that I know of in South Philly, which is along the west side of Vare, which runs along I-76, west of Grays Ferry. This is connected to the Columbus population by both rail and highway, despite being on the opposite side of residential South Philly. How connected these two populations might be or have been is an open question, as much of the riparian space between them is not open to the public. I have seen no evidence of the species in the Navy Yard or FDR Park, however, so while one might be a result of the other one spreading is possible, I do not think that the populations are currently connected. It is likely that these are islands remaining of a previously more widespread population that was broken up be development. It is debated whether or not Helianthus annuus is actually native to the East Coast region, but even as an introduced species, it would have easily been able to spread around the drier areas of the generally swampy southern end of what is now Philadelphia. It is also entirely possible, if not probable, that both of these populations were the result of seeds carried along the highways adhered to vehicles by mud, shed along the highways by water-splashing or bumps in the road.
While I have been seeing Sunflowers along the road while traveling on I-76 for decades now, I've only managed to get out there during an active flowering season this year. I managed two sessions before the few plants growing out of the sidewalk were knocked down and killed. An active population can be seen off to the west of the highway, but current redevelopment construction there might end up being the death of that population.
And that's the story of pavementplant Sunflowers in South Philly as I know it.
