Sunflower Seeds
Sunflower (Helianthus annuus) is a North American native wildflower that has been domesticated to create many different garden varieties.
Sowing Sunflower Seeds
Sow sunflower seeds outdoors after the last frost date, 1" deep. Thin to 18" apart. Full sun. Easy to grow.
Sunflower 'Autumn Beauty Mix' (Helianthus annuus)
55 seeds $3.00
Sunflower 'Vanilla Ice' (Helianthus debilis)
50 seeds $3.00
Sunflower 'Vanilla Ice' has 3-4" pale yellow to creamy white flowers with dark centers. It's a branching variety that blooms in abundance. Moderate height and small flowers help it fit comfortably into the border with other plants.
Cut flower expert, Sarah Raven, recommends Vanilla Ice for hand-tied bunches. For bushier plants, pinch out the tips at 10" tall.
height 4' spacing 18"
Sunflower 'Chocolate Cherry' (Helianthus annuus)
35 seeds $3.00
Sunflower 'Chocolate Cherry' has 5-8" wide, deep burgundy flowers with dark chocolate centers. The plants are nicely branched with multiple flowers.
Chocolate Cherry is lovely at the back of the border. It also makes a great cut flower. Plant bushy annuals like rudbeckia and four o'clock around the base of sunflowers to hide the leggy stems.
height 6' spacing 18"
Sunflower 'Lemon Queen' (Helianthus annuus)
45 seeds $3.00
Sunflower 'Lemon Queen' produces many soft lemon-yellow flowers with dark chocolate centers. The flowers are 4-5" in diameter.
Sunflower 'Lemon Queen' is known for being especially good for attracting bees and beneficial insects . Sunflowers add height to the garden, and the ripening seeds attract birds.
height 6' spacing 18"
Sunflower 'Velvet Queen' (Helianthus annuus)
65 seeds $3.00
Sunflower 'Velvet Queen' has 4-6" wide, mahogany-red flowers with near-black centers. The plants are well-branched.
Velvet Queen is a good plant for the back of the border. The dark flowers recede into the distance, making the border appear larger. It's also nice when paired with yellow sunflowers for a bold contrast.
height 6' spacing 18"
Sunflower 'Teddy Bear' (Helianthus annuus)
40 seeds $3.00
Children love Teddy Bear sunflowers! It's a must-have for a child's garden. The compact plants can be grown in containers, as a short hedge, or as a unique foundation planting. Also known as Sunflower 'Dwarf Sungold'.
height 2-3' spacing 15"
Sunflower 'Mammoth Grey Stripe' (Helianthus annuus)
25 seeds $3.00
Sunflower 'Mammoth Grey Stripe' is the ever-popular variety for gardeners who wish to grow their own sunflower seeds for eating or attracting wildlife.
Mammoth Grey Stripe grows 8-10' tall with 10" wide, bright yellow flowers. It's a good choice for growing on the north end of the vegetable garden (where the sunflowers won't shade the vegetables).
height 8-10' spacing 18"
Sunflower 'Taiyo' (Helianthus annuus)
100 seeds $3.00
Sunflower 'Taiyo' is a beautiful variety with 10" wide, golden-yellow flowers that have chocolate and burnt orange centers. The petals are short and well-formed.
Taiyo is a uniform variety that is recommended for cut flowers . Each plant produces one flower, and cutting encourages more blooms. Taiyo comes from Japan where the name means "Sun".
height 6' spacing 18"
Sunflower 'Earthwalker' (Helianthus annuus)
35 seeds $3.00
Sunflower 'Earthwalker' blooms in warm shades of copper, mahogany, orange and rusty red.
Earthwalker is wonderful for the back of the border, or use it to create a living fence. The flowers attract beneficial pollinators, and the ripening seed heads attract birds.
height 5-7' spacing 18"
Sunflower 'Moonshine' (Helianthus annuus)
25 seeds $3.00
Sunflower 'Moonshine' has light lemon-yellow petals surrounding a velvety black center.
Moonshine is a naturally branching variety that produces multiple blooms. It was bred for cut flowers. It's lovely at the back of the border where it grows to a manageable 5 feet tall.
height 5' spacing 18"