Sunflower Seeds for Oil

Mammoth Russian

• Mammoth Russian sunflower is an heirloom cultivar producing large amounts of seed with half as much oil as the oilseed varieties, according to Jeff Cox from Organic Gardening magazine. The seed is large and black striped and is referred to as confectionary. Reaching heights of 12 feet, the Mammoth Russian has large heads that can measure 16 inches across. Birds love the seeds as they are large, easy to shell, and contain highly nutritious oil providing calories for long migratory journeys.

Dove Hybrid

• The Dove Hybrid is frequently found in birdseed and is called "black oil" sunflower seed. "Black" refers to the color of the hull. "Oil" refers to the high oil content of the seed. It towers to 12 feet tall and has seed heads up to 12 inches across densely packed with black seeds. One lb. of an oilseed variety of sunflower can produce up to 3 oz. of oil.

Black Peredovik

• Thin shells are the easiest for birds and other wildlife to remove, and the Black Peredovik sunflower is a favorite. The seeds are black with very high oil content. Its origin is from Russia. This variety grows 5 feet tall and is a favorite of doves, quail, turkey and deer. It reaches maturity in 100 days.

NuSun Hybrid Sunflowers

• Approximately 10 varieties of sunflower seed hybrids have been developed under the brand Nusun by world renowned sunflower breeder Dr. Gary Fick. Oils from sunflower seed are categorized as midoleic or high-oleic. Nusun hybrids are rated by percent of either type of oil produced. Varieties named Barracuda, Blazer CL, and Viper are all rated as midoleic oil types according to a report by Seeds 2000. High oleic varieties are Sierra and Teton. These types of sunflower are used for oil for human consumption. Firebird is a variety used for bird food markets. It has dark shells that are easy for birds to dehull.