Tall & Short Sunflowers

Giant Sunflowers

• Giant sunflower (Helianthus annus) reaches a mature height of 10 to 15 feet and exhibits annual growth. The enormous, seed-bearing flower head of the plant sports yellow petals, may grow as large as one and a half feet across and blooms through the summer and fall. Giant sunflower flourishes in soil of medium moisture and only grows in full sun exposure or areas receiving at least 6 to 8 hours of direct sunlight every day. The plant attracts birds to the garden though commonly suffers problems with downy mildew, powdery mildew, canker, rust other fungal leaf spots, caterpillars, cutworms, beetles and weevils.

Tall Cultivars

• Cultivars constitute variations of plants created by gardeners and horticulturalists specifically for gardening and landscaping purposes. Tall giant sunflower cultivars include Mammoth Russian and Kong, both of which reach heights of 12 feet and Russian Giant, which reaches a height of 10 feet and sports a seed head measuring 20 inches in diameter. American Giant, Paul Bunyan and Cyclops represent the tallest cultivars, and reach mature heights of 12 to 15 feet. Always provide support for tall varieties.

Medium Cultivars

• The Primrose Yellow, Valentine and Velvet Queen cultivars reach a mature height of 4 to 5 feet, while the slightly taller Taiyo, Autumn Beauty and Inca Jewels reach heights of 6 to 8 feet. Other giant sunflower cultivars in the 4 to 7 foot range include those named after beverages, such as cappuccino, Chianti, Italian white and lemonade, and others like soraya, ring of fire, strawberry blond, sungold. Pollenless medium cultivars include joker, claret, ruby moon and starburst lemon aura. Pollenless sunflowers make better cut flowers because they create less mess and reduce the risk of allergic reactions.

Dwarf Cultivars

• Dwarf giant sunflower cultivars constitute those reaching mature heights of 3 feet or shorter. Such plants include Sundance Kid, Big Smile, Pacino and Elf, all of which reach a mature height or 12 to 24 inches. The Music Box cultivar reaches a height of 30 inches. The sunset and teddy bear dwarf cultivars reach heights of 2 to 3 feet. Dwarf varieties produce flowers ranging in size from 3 to 5 inches across and, like all cultivars, come in a number of colors, including yellow, red, orange, burgundy, mahogany and white. Polleneless dwarf cultivars of giant sunflower include Double Dandy, Munchkin and Bashful.