How Much Sunlight Do Sunflowers Need?

About the Sunflower

• Native to the Americas, the common sunflower, Helianthus annuus is an annual in the Aster family. In addition to the common sunflower, and other annual varieties, there are also a number of perennial plants in the genus Helianthus.

Amount of Sun Needed

• Sunflowers need a lot of sun to grow, but they also need some shade. It is ideal if you plant them in a spot where they can get at least six to eight hours of morning and early afternoon sun and some afternoon shade.

Care

• In addition to plenty of sun, it is important to make sure that sunflowers get just enough water. Make sure that you don't over-water them. Fertilizer is not necessary since sunflowers thrive in poor soil, but they do need plenty of space.

Considerations

• Because the sunflowers' stems will sometimes grow to 9 inches and the flower heads can reach a diameter of 10 to 12 inches, the plants often get top-heavy and require some support, like a fence or a wall.

Other Sunflowers

• If you don't have a lot of room, look for some of the dwarf varieties of sunflower. Some of them will only grow to a height of 2 feet.

Fun Fact

• The head of a sunflower will gradually turn to follow the sun.