Ornamental Sunflower Varieties

Growing Ornamental Sunflowers

• Ornamental sunflowers prosper in full sun -- at least six hours of direct sunlight per day -- and rich, well-drained soil. They grow best from seeds sowed directly in the garden at a depth of 1 to 2 inches. While the seeds survive mild frosts, planting them after the last expected frost date in your area removes all risk of cold-killed seedlings. The seedlings need regular watering in dry springs. Established seedlings benefit form an application of slow-release or low-nitrogen fertilizer. Excessive nitrogen leads to foliage development at the expense of blooms. Planting seeds at regular intervals from early to late spring yields a continuing crop of summer and fall flowers.

Dwarf Varieties

• Dwarf ornamental sunflowers stand less than 3 feet high, a good size for pots and small gardens. The "Big Smile" dwarf cultivar, just 1 foot to 15 inches high and up to 10 inches wide, has short, golden-yellow, single petals surrounding large, showy greenish-brown centers. Like-sized "Pacino Lemon" features golden centers and lemon yellow petals. "Sundance Kid's" yellow-to-bronze, curly petals enclose an irregular, light-brown eye. The blooms nearly conceal the plant's 2- to 3-foot-high, 18-inch-wide frame in late summer.

Semidwarf Varieties

• Semidwarf ornamental sunflower grow from 3 to 8 feet high. Smaller varieties work well scattered among other bedding plants. Taller ones draw attention to the backs of borders. "Chianti," at 4 to 5 feet tall with a 2- to 3-foot spread, has orange-to-rust-red, single flowers. Their long stems make blooms appropriate for floral designs. "Ring of Fire," a 3- to 5-foot-high cultivar, has late-summer blooms with chocolate eyes and yellow-tipped, dark-red-based petals. Their 4- to 5-inch-wide centers are dark-brown.

Large-Flowered Varieties

• Impressive, golden-yellow pomponlike flowers measuring up to 10 inches across top "Giant Sungold's" 6- to 7-foot stems. The double blooms have chartreuse eyes. Their large size combined with the cultivar's relatively tall stems mean that Sungold benefits from staking in windy locations. Dwarf sunflower cultivar "Sunspot" is an unusual combination pairing of a single, 10-inch flower on a bushy, 20- to 24-inch-high frame. The compact plant's yellow-petaled, golden-brown-centered bloom opens in midsummer to early fall.