Flower ResourcesDiscover the right flowers for your garden.
photograph by : Pablesku / Shutterstock .
helianthus are iconic , promiscuous - to - produce plants savor by gardeners in every Department of State . One of the easiest flowers to uprise , Helianthusthrive in full sun and are n’t picky about soil . You ’re in all likelihood most conversant with the giant case that get very tall and have oversized yellow-bellied flush . But there are many other types of sunflowers to search .
On this Thomas Nelson Page : Basics|Growing Tips|Care and Maintenance|Varieties|Design Ideas|Frequently require Questions|Harvest Sunflower Seeds
On this Thomas Nelson Page :
BASICS
Botanical name:
Helianthusspp .
Hardiness Zones:
unremarkably mature as annuals ; recurrent sort 4 - 8 count on cultivar
Height:
Varies ; giant variety up to 16 feet marvelous , dwarf variety 1 to 4 fundament tall
Exposure:
Full sun , 6 + minute per day
When do sunflowers bloom?
Annual sunflower bloom during summer and into autumn . Sow new plants every few weeks and you ’ll savor non - stop flowers until the first Robert Frost . Perennial sunflowers flower for a stop of 8 - 12 weeks with some kickoff as early as July and others complete as late as October .
GROWING SUNFLOWERS
When to plant:
For annual sunflowers ( Helianthus annuus ) , sow seeds alfresco after the threat of frost has pass . If you have a short growing season they can be start out indoors . recurrent helianthus should be plant in spring or descend
Soil:
Any ; Henry Clay , sandy , silt or loam .
Spacing:
For giant sunflowers , or those grown for ejaculate production , seed seed 2 to 3 infantry aside . For small annual types popular forcut bloom gardens , you’re able to sow seeded player about 6 inches asunder .
SUNFLOWER CARE
Watering:
Once prove , they will tolerate some drought . However , in the periods before , during and after flowering , they perform good with recondite , even watering .
Fertilizing:
In most cases , they will not ask plant food . However , if your soil is very poor you could use a tiresome - expiration mealy fertiliser to encourage orotund flowers . Be careful - too much nitrogen can inhibit flowering .
Staking:
Sunflowers that uprise over 3 feet tall or have prominent , leaden flower heads are vulnerable to flopping or even breaking under the stress of summertime winds and rain . slackly attach your plant life ’s branches to interest with fabric or string to forestall this problem . Sunflowers produce from seed sown straight in the garden will have well - established root and stronger stems and be less likely to return .
To further promote proper root growth , provide well - draining , organically - rich soil , and plenty of space between plants . And do n’t forget to water deeply so that the root word will grow down rather than out .
SUNFLOWER VARIETIES
photograph by : Daniele Price / Dreamstime .
GIANT
Height:9 to 16 feet tallBloom size:10 to 14 + inch across
These one-year industrial plant gasconade giant flower , sometimes measuring more than a foot across . They make a good filmdom or backdrop and attract all sorts of pollinators . Some varieties have comestible seed . Most need staking to prevent them from go down over in the malarkey or rainwater .
Grow these :
Suncredible ® Yellow sunflower ( Helianthushybrid ) . picture by : Proven Winners .
DWARF
Height:1 to 4 substructure tallBloom size:2 to 10 inch across
Dwarf sunflowers are dear for containers or small gardens . Many dwarf types are furcate and extend multiple efflorescence per plant . Some are twice - flowered , some are bicolored , and some are pollenless . Dwarf sunflowers are the everlasting size for reduce and using in arrangements .
Helianthus annuus’Teddy Bear ' . Photo by : Diana Cochran Johnson / Shutterstock .
DOUBLE
Height:2 to 6 foundation tallBloom size:4 to 8 in across
Known for their fuzzy , fluffy , or soft grain , double helianthus are attending grabber . Available in semi - double or fully - double forms , their flowers last longer than single - bloom varieties and make fantabulous cut blossom . Many are pollenless or have minimal pollen .
Helianthus salicifolius . photograph by : Susan A. Roth .
PERENNIAL
Zones:4 - 9Height:1 to 10 foot tallBloom size:2 to 5 inches across
Perennial sunflowers will come back year - after - class . They are tough plants that bid 8 - 12 week of flush . Rather than sending up a jumbo flower head , like many of the one-year types , these helianthus form clumps with many smaller flowers .
Helianthus annuus‘Ring of Fire ’ . Photo courtesy : All - America Selections .
SPECIALTY
Many gardeners are surprised to chance on that sunflowers are usable in more gloss than the classic bright yellow . There are type with bass crimson flowers , others that show of beautiful compounding of color and still others that are snowy .
FALSE SUNFLOWERS
' Tuscan Sun’Heliopsis helianthoidesPhoto by : Proven Winners .
False sunflowers resemble smaller versions of true sunflowers , but have raised , cone - shaped centers . The petals stay with the blossom rather of withering and fall off , as sunflowers do . mistaken sunflowers are perennials and can be well develop in zona 3 - 9 .
' TUSCAN GOLD'—Buy now from Proven Winners . Size:24 to 32 inches tall , up to 2 feet wide-eyed
DESIGN IDEAS
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Are sunflowers toxicant to cats or dogs ?
If your pet use up your sunflowers or their seeds , do n’t interest because they are non - toxic . you may safely grow them in your garden and employ them in arrangements indoors . See more safe industrial plant options:20 Common Plants Safe for Cats & Dogs .
Do helianthus follow the sunshine ?
untested sunflower face east to rob up sunshine in the morning time and trail the sun as it move westwards throughout the day . This process is called heliotropism . Once sunflowers have reached maturity , they contain follow the sunshine and face east from then on .
Are sunflowers sess ?
helianthus are experience for popping up on their own ( well , actually with the help of birds ) . For some gardener they are a treasured surprise , but to others they are a frustrative weed . If you do n’t want sunflowers in your garden , simply commit them up , making certain to get the root .
HARVEST YOUR OWN SUNFLOWER SEEDS
If you desire to glean helianthus semen to nosh on ( or to feed the birds with afterwards ) , plant great varieties ofHelianthus annuus(annual sunflower ) since they have the large seeds . Good choices are ‘ Russian Mammoth ’ , ‘ Sunzilla ’ , and ‘ Heirloom Titan ’ , sometimes towering more than 10 feet tall with seed drumhead a infantry or more across . ( Note : In order for pollen - freeHelianthus annuusvarieties to form seeds for wildlife , you also need to plant types of sunflowers that develop pollen . )
Harvesting your own seeds is simple :
If you ’re just planning on have birds feast on the seeds , you could leave the seed heads on the plants for the bird to corrode . Another pick is to issue the dry right semen heads and hang them upside down on a fence to give birds leisurely access .
