The common sunflower, Helianthus annuus, is a fast-growing annual native to North America. Cultivars range from compact, branching plants to giants with a single heavy head, and their flowers can be pale cream, yellow, orange, bronze, or deep red.
- Choose a cultivar for your space and purpose. Some are bred for bouquets, some for edible seed, and some for size.
- Sow directly in full sun after frost danger has passed, or start in a pot and transplant after its true leaves form.
- Use the packet's depth and spacing. A blanket rule of 1 foot (30 cm) does not fit both dwarf and giant cultivars.
- Keep the seedbed moist. Established plants tolerate some drought, but regular water during the weeks before and after flowering supports strong roots and tall, top-heavy plants.
- Support a tall cultivar if wind may bend it. Put the support in early and use broad, loose ties.
- Sunflowers attract native bees and other pollinators. Avoid spraying flowers or using an insecticide unless an adult has identified a serious problem and follows a current label.
Do Sunflowers Follow the Sun?
Young, growing sunflower shoots and buds track from east toward west during the day and turn back east overnight. Once a head opens and the stem stiffens, that tracking stops; a mature flower usually stays facing east. The claim that every open sunflower follows the sun all day is a lovely myth.
Saving Seed
If the seed packet says the cultivar makes edible seed, an adult can decide how to harvest and prepare it. Peanut, seed, and other food-allergy policies still matter in classrooms and clubs. This children's page does not give a home roasting process; use a current, tested food-safety recipe.
For planting seed, let a healthy head dry for several days on the stalk after the petals fade. A paper bag over the head can discourage birds while allowing airflow. Store completely dry seed as described in Saving Seeds.
Fascinating Facts!
- What looks like one huge flower is a head containing hundreds of tiny flowers called florets.
- Sunflowers have been cultivated in North America for more than a thousand years for food, oil, dye, and decoration.
- Pale and deep-red cultivars are sunflowers too; yellow is only one part of their palette.