Helianthus annuus
Common Name(s):
Previously known as:
- Helianthus annuss var. macrocarpus
- Helianthus annuus subsp. jaegeri
- Helianthus annuus var. lenticularis
- Helianthus annuus var. texanus
- Phonetic Spelling
- hee-lee-AN-thus AN-yoo-us
- Description
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Common sunflower is a warm-season, fast-growing annual with tall, upright stalks and 3- to 6-inch-wide flowers with orangish-yellow petal rays and blackish-brown to purplish center disks. Blooming occurs from July to October. It is a member of the daisy family (Asteraceae), native to the western United States and parts of Mexico, and has been introduced almost worldwide. This plant is commonly seen growing along roads, fences, in fields, or in waste areas west of the Mississippi River. Hybridization has produced many cultivars, expanding the range of flowers from the common yellow to red, mahogany, bronze, white, and bi-colors. The specific epithet annus means annual. The origin of its common name is derived from the myth that the plant's flower heads tend to follow the sun's direction during the day.
The common sunflower is easy to grow and requires very little maintenance. It prefers full sun and moist, well-drained, loamy, sandy, or clay soils, with a neutral or alkaline pH. It is tolerant of poor soils and dry soils and is drought-tolerant once established. It is best grown in temperatures between 70 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit and is not frost-tolerant. This annual is best planted by seed after the last frost in the spring, and harvested before the first frost in the fall. It is a seasonal crop and will not survive the winter in North Carolina. They may also be started in pots or seed trays in the late fall and overwintered indoors or in a cold frame. The taller varieties of sunflowers should be planted in a sheltered location to protect them from wind damage, and stakes to support the stems may be needed. The birds and squirrels will appreciate your leaving the seedheads for them to enjoy during the winter. The plant self-seeds and will spread readily by volunteers.
This plant has a taproot and rough, coarse, hairy stems that grow 2 to10 feet tall. Its leaves are large, green, ovate to lanceolate, coarse, hairy, with serrated margins. Its large, showy flower heads appear at the end of the stems. The common sunflower is grown as an ornamental in the garden for both humans and wildlife. The stalks are used in agriculture as fodder for livestock and a food source for poultry.
Bright and colorful when planted in mass. May be used in cottage, wildflower, cutting, or native gardens. For borders and beds, plant the dwarf varieties in front, and the taller varieties in the back border.
Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: Caterpillars, slugs, snails, and beetles will munch on the foliage. This plant may be susceptible to powdery mildew, leaf spots, and rust. By self-seeding, it may become weedy.
Click here to see a calendar of planting schedules, time-to-harvest, and recommended spacing.
- See this plant in the following landscape :
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- 'Aztec Sun'
Grows 3 to 4 feet tall, with yellow petal rays and golden yellow center disks - 'Big Smile'
Dwarf, grows 1 to 2 feet tall, with 3 to 6-inch blooms of golden-yellow petal rays and black center disks - 'Delta Sunflower'
Grows up to 6 feet tall and 4 to 5 feet wide, with a long blooming season - 'Mongolian Giant'
Grows 12 to 14 feet tall, with 16- to 18-inch-wide golden flower heads - 'Moonwalker'
Grows 4 to 5 feet tall, with yellow petal rays and dark chocolate center disks - 'Pastiche'
Multi-stemmed, grows up to 4 to 5 feet tall, bicolor and tricolor flower heads of deep yellow, orange-red, and mahogany - "Russian Giant'
Grows up to 10 feet tall, with yellow petal rays and dark center disks - 'Suncredible Yellow'
1st Place in the 2019 NC State Annual Color Trials (in ground plantings) - Sunfinity® Double Yellow Sunflower
Grows up to 32 to 40 inches tall, with double yellow flowers, rebloomer, long blooming, disease-resistant - 'Teddy Bear'
Grows 2 to 3 feet tall, with fluffy, pompom-like, golden yellow flower heads (double flowers) - 'Velvet Queen'
Grows up to 5 feet tall, with velvet red petals and a chocolate-colored center disks
- 'Aztec Sun'
- 'Aztec Sun', 'Big Smile', 'Delta Sunflower', 'Mongolian Giant', 'Moonwalker', 'Pastiche', "Russian Giant', 'Suncredible Yellow', Sunfinity® Double Yellow Sunflower, 'Teddy Bear', 'Velvet Queen'
- Tags:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
-
- 'Aztec Sun'
Grows 3 to 4 feet tall, with yellow petal rays and golden yellow center disks - 'Big Smile'
Dwarf, grows 1 to 2 feet tall, with 3 to 6-inch blooms of golden-yellow petal rays and black center disks - 'Delta Sunflower'
Grows up to 6 feet tall and 4 to 5 feet wide, with a long blooming season - 'Mongolian Giant'
Grows 12 to 14 feet tall, with 16- to 18-inch-wide golden flower heads - 'Moonwalker'
Grows 4 to 5 feet tall, with yellow petal rays and dark chocolate center disks - 'Pastiche'
Multi-stemmed, grows up to 4 to 5 feet tall, bicolor and tricolor flower heads of deep yellow, orange-red, and mahogany - "Russian Giant'
Grows up to 10 feet tall, with yellow petal rays and dark center disks - 'Suncredible Yellow'
1st Place in the 2019 NC State Annual Color Trials (in ground plantings) - Sunfinity® Double Yellow Sunflower
Grows up to 32 to 40 inches tall, with double yellow flowers, rebloomer, long blooming, disease-resistant - 'Teddy Bear'
Grows 2 to 3 feet tall, with fluffy, pompom-like, golden yellow flower heads (double flowers) - 'Velvet Queen'
Grows up to 5 feet tall, with velvet red petals and a chocolate-colored center disks
- 'Aztec Sun'
- 'Aztec Sun', 'Big Smile', 'Delta Sunflower', 'Mongolian Giant', 'Moonwalker', 'Pastiche', "Russian Giant', 'Suncredible Yellow', Sunfinity® Double Yellow Sunflower, 'Teddy Bear', 'Velvet Queen'
- Tags:
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Attributes:
- Genus:
- Helianthus
- Species:
- annuus
- Family:
- Asteraceae
- Uses (Ethnobotany):
- Indians ground the seeds into flour and baked into cakes. They applied a poultice of crushed plants to snakebites and also used an infusion of the flowers for chest pains or pulmonary problems. The seeds can be used to make a purple-gray dye.
- Life Cycle:
- Annual
- Recommended Propagation Strategy:
- Seed
- Country Or Region Of Origin:
- Southwestern United States to Mexico
- Distribution:
- Native: Arizona, California, Mexico Central, Mexico Northeast, Mexico Northwest, Mexico Southwest, Nevada. Introduced: United States--AL, AK, AR, CO, CT, DE, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MS, MO, MT, NE, NH, NJ, NM, NY, NC, NC, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SC, TN, TX, UT, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, and WY. Introduced: Albania, Alberta, Argentina, Austria, Bangladesh, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Bolivia, Botswana, British Columbia, Bulgaria, Cape Provinces, Chile, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cyprus, Denmark, East Himalaya, El Salvador, European Russia, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Greece, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Hungary, Inner Mongolia, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Korena, Libya, Manchuria, Manitoba, Morocco, Namibia, Nepal, Netherlands, New Brunswick, New South Wales, New Zealand, Newfoundland, North Caucasus, Northern Provinces, Northern Territory, Northwest Territories, Norway, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Pakistan, Palestine, Paraquay, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Prince Edward Island, Queensland, Quebec, Romania, Sicily, South Australia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Tasmania, Thailand, Tibet, Turkey, Ukraine, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Victoria, West Himalaya, West Siberia, Western Australlia, and Xinjiang.
- Wildlife Value:
- It is a great late-nectar plant for butterflies including monarch's and other pollinators. This is a larval host plant that supports Silvery Checkerspot (Chlosyne nycteis). The Silvery Checkerspot has at least 1-2 broods in the north from June-July in the deep south and Texas, they have as many as 3-4 broods from May through September. Birds are attracted to seeds so leave standing dead flowers into the winter as natural bird feeders. Members of the genus Helianthus support the following specialized bees: Andrena (Callandrena s.l.) accepta, Andrena (Callandrena s.l.) aliciae, Andrena (Callandrena s.l.) helianthi, Melissodes (Eumelissodes) agilis, Dieunomia (Dieunomia) heteropoda, Megachile (Sayapis) pugnata, and Paranthidium (Paranthidium) jugatorium.
- Play Value:
- Attractive Flowers
- Attracts Pollinators
- Colorful
- Wildlife Food Source
- Wildlife Larval Host
- Edibility:
- Seeds are used for cooking oil, livestock feed, and as a snack food or garnish. Petals are edible and young flower buds can be steamed like artichokes.
- Dimensions:
- Height: 1 ft. 6 in. - 10 ft. 0 in.
- Width: 1 ft. 6 in. - 3 ft. 0 in.
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Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Annual
- Edible
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Deciduous
- Habit/Form:
- Erect
- Growth Rate:
- Rapid
- Maintenance:
- Low
- Texture:
- Coarse
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Cultural Conditions:
- Light:
- Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
- Soil Texture:
- Clay
- Loam (Silt)
- Sand
- Soil pH:
- Alkaline (>8.0)
- Neutral (6.0-8.0)
- Soil Drainage:
- Good Drainage
- Moist
- Occasionally Dry
- Available Space To Plant:
- 12 inches-3 feet
- NC Region:
- Coastal
- Mountains
- Piedmont
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Fruit:
- Fruit Color:
- Black
- Brown/Copper
- Fruit Value To Gardener:
- Edible
- Display/Harvest Time:
- Fall
- Fruit Length:
- < 1 inch
- Fruit Width:
- < 1 inch
- Fruit Description:
- The fruit is a cypsela, which is a dry, single-seeded fruit with fluffy hairs. It looks similar to an achene.
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Flowers:
- Flower Color:
- Black
- Brown/Copper
- Gold/Yellow
- Orange
- Purple/Lavender
- Flower Inflorescence:
- Head
- Flower Value To Gardener:
- Edible
- Good Cut
- Showy
- Flower Bloom Time:
- Fall
- Summer
- Flower Shape:
- Radial
- Flower Petals:
- 7 - 20 petals/rays
- Flower Size:
- 3-6 inches
- Flower Description:
- Ray flowers surround the center disc flowers, and the flowers can measure 3 to 6 inches across. Rays are orangish-yellow, and the disc flowers are blackish- brown to purplish. The center disk has more than 50 flowers. The number of petal rays varies from 11 to over 50. Blooms mid to late summer.
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Leaves:
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Deciduous
- Leaf Color:
- Green
- Leaf Feel:
- Rough
- Leaf Type:
- Simple
- Leaf Arrangement:
- Alternate
- Leaf Shape:
- Lanceolate
- Ovate
- Leaf Margin:
- Serrate
- Hairs Present:
- Yes
- Leaf Length:
- > 6 inches
- Leaf Width:
- 3-6 inches
- Leaf Description:
- The coarse, green leaves with serrate margins are alternate, but may be opposite lower on the stalk and are mostly cauline. The leaves may be ovate to lanceolate, measuring 4 to 12 inches long and 2 to 10 inches wide with long petioles, measuring 1 to 8 inches long. The underside of the leaf is fuzzy and hairy.
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Stem:
- Stem Color:
- Green
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
- Stem Cross Section:
- Round
- Stem Form:
- Straight
- Stem Surface:
- Hairy (pubescent)
- Stem Description:
- The stems are green, erect, stiff, stout, hairy, coarse, and grow from 1.5 to 10 feet tall. Branching occurs on the upper half of the stem, bearing the flower heads terminally.
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Landscape:
- Landscape Location:
- Meadow
- Naturalized Area
- Landscape Theme:
- Butterfly Garden
- Cottage Garden
- Cutting Garden
- Drought Tolerant Garden
- Edible Garden
- Pollinator Garden
- Design Feature:
- Border
- Mass Planting
- Attracts:
- Butterflies
- Pollinators
- Songbirds
- Specialized Bees
- Resistance To Challenges:
- Deer
- Drought
- Dry Soil
- Poor Soil
- Problems:
- Weedy
