Grown for their striking and colorful flowers, Helianthus (Sunflowers) can be annuals or perennials, with coarse simple leaves and large, showy daisy blossoms. Native primarily to North and South America, they belong to the aster family (Asteraceae) and count up to 70 species. Some species are cultivated as ornamentals for their spectacular flower heads and their edible seeds. Helianthus tuberosus (Jerusalem artichoke) is cultivated for its edible tubers, rich with an artichoke-like taste.

Annual Sunflowers - Helianthus annuus (Common Sunflower)

• Cherished for their beauty, Common Sunflowers are fast-growing annuals with broad, oval to heart-shaped, roughly hairy leaves. Blooming from summer to fall, they produce brilliant flowers, up to 12 in. across (30 cm), with yellow, red, orange, creamy-white or bicolor petals surrounding a dark chocolate central disk. Borne on stiff upright stalks, the flower heads tend to follow the sun from morning to night.
• These showstoppers make outstanding cut flowers and are valuable additions to beds and borders.
• Extensive hybridizing has resulted in a great number of cultivars providing a wide range of colors, flower shapes (short or long rays, frilled or double), and sizes (dwarf to giant). Some are huge and grow on towering 8-16 ft. stalks (240-480 cm), while others top off at a modest 12 in. (30 cm)

Tall Annual Sunflowers - Over 8 ft. (240 cm)