Common Sunflower, Comb Flower, Golden Flower of Peru, St Bartholomew's Star
Helianthus annuus (Common Sunflower) is a tall, fast-growing annual with broad, oval to heart-shaped, roughly hairy leaves. It produces huge, brilliant flowers in summer, up to 12 in. across (30 cm), with yellow petals surrounding a dark chocolate central disk. Borne on stiff upright stalks, the flower heads follow the sun from morning to night. Attractive to bees, their central disk gives way to sunflower seeds that provide food for birds in fall and winter. These showstoppers make outstanding cut flowers and are valuable additions to beds and borders. Loved by the artist Van Gogh and generations of children, Sunflowers are fun, easy to grow, and require little care.
Extensive hybridizing has resulted in a great number of cultivars providing a wide range of colors (yellow, red, orange, creamy-white and bicolor), flower shapes (short or long rays, frilled or double), and sizes (dwarf to giant).
| Hardiness |
2 - 11 |
|---|---|
| Heat Zones |
1 - 12 |
| Climate Zones | 1, 1A, 1B, 2, 2A, 2B, 3, 3A, 3B, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24 |
| Plant Type | Annuals |
| Plant Family | Compositae |
| Genus | Helianthus |
| Common names | Common Sunflower, Sunflower |
| Exposure | Full Sun |
| Season of Interest |
Summer (Mid, Late) |
| Height |
3' - 10' (90cm - 3m) |
| Spread |
1' - 3' (30cm - 90cm) |
| Spacing |
30" - 36" (80cm - 90cm) |
| Maintenance | Low |
| Water Needs | Low, Average |
| Soil Type | Chalk, Clay, Loam, Sand |
| Soil pH | Alkaline, Neutral |
| Soil Drainage | Moist but Well-Drained, Well-Drained |
| Characteristics | Cut Flowers, Showy |
| Native Plants | Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Midwest, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Northeast, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pacific Northwest, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Rocky Mountains, South Carolina, South Dakota, Southeast, Southwest, Tennessee, Texas, United States, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming |
| Tolerance | Drought, Deer, Dry Soil |
| Attracts | Bees, Birds, Butterflies |
| Garden Uses | Beds And Borders |
| Garden Styles | Cutting Garden, Informal and Cottage, Prairie and Meadow |
| Hardiness |
2 - 11 |
|---|---|
| Heat Zones |
1 - 12 |
| Climate Zones | 1, 1A, 1B, 2, 2A, 2B, 3, 3A, 3B, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24 |
| Plant Type | Annuals |
| Plant Family | Compositae |
| Genus | Helianthus |
| Common names | Common Sunflower, Sunflower |
| Exposure | Full Sun |
| Season of Interest |
Summer (Mid, Late) |
| Height |
3' - 10' (90cm - 3m) |
| Spread |
1' - 3' (30cm - 90cm) |
| Spacing |
30" - 36" (80cm - 90cm) |
| Maintenance | Low |
| Water Needs | Low, Average |
| Soil Type | Chalk, Clay, Loam, Sand |
| Soil pH | Alkaline, Neutral |
| Soil Drainage | Moist but Well-Drained, Well-Drained |
| Characteristics | Cut Flowers, Showy |
| Native Plants | Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Midwest, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Northeast, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pacific Northwest, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Rocky Mountains, South Carolina, South Dakota, Southeast, Southwest, Tennessee, Texas, United States, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming |
| Tolerance | Drought, Deer, Dry Soil |
| Attracts | Bees, Birds, Butterflies |
| Garden Uses | Beds And Borders |
| Garden Styles | Cutting Garden, Informal and Cottage, Prairie and Meadow |
How many Helianthus annuus (Common Sunflower) do I need for my garden?
| Plant | Quantity | |
|---|---|---|
| Helianthus annuus (Common Sunflower) | N/A | Buy Plants |
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Create a membership account to save your garden designs and to view them on any device.
Becoming a contributing member of Gardenia is easy and can be done in just a few minutes. If you provide us with your name, email address and the payment of a modest $25 annual membership fee, you will become a full member, enabling you to design and save up to 25 of your garden design ideas.
Join now and start creating your dream garden!
