Sunflower Planting Zones

Identification

• You can identify sunflowers by their heads' distinctive yellow-orange rays and round, brownish-colored centers. Their leaves are positively phototropic -- they always orient themselves toward the sun's rays. They typically grow between 3 and 10 feet tall on upright, stiff stalks.

Zones

• Sunflowers exist in all zones of the U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness map. The University of Florida Cooperative Extension Service recommends planting sunflowers in zone 7 from April to May, in zone 8 from March to April, in zone 9 from February to March and in zones 10 and 11 from December to February.

Conditions

• Sunflowers are low-maintenance annuals that thrive in locations with access to full sun and well-drained soil. They can exist in dry locations with poor soil. The University of Florida Cooperative Extension Service says that sunflowers can tolerate soil that ranges from acidic to slightly alkaline and in clay, sand or loam.