How to Grow Annual Sunflowers for Pollinators and Wildlife

17.07.2024 - 20:35 / finegardening.com

As we enter the dog days of summer, many of us are buzzing about with trips to the beach, firing up the old grill, and celebrating our country’s independence. In between our attempts to pack as much into the warmer months of the year as we can, consider growing a plant that symbolizes the peak of the season like no other, the sunflower (Helianthusannuus, annual). Though considered in some circles a somewhat pedestrian plant that befits only the beginner gardener, there are many reasons why growing sunflowers are a boon to your garden. Learn all about how and why to grow annual sunflowers below.

(Helianthus annuus)

Annual

Light: Minimum 6 hours a day of sunlight

Soil: Well-drained, slightly acidic to somewhat alkaline

Moisture: Deep, regular watering

Fertilizer: Not necessary. Can apply slow-release fertilizer after second set of leaves appear to help growth.

Did you know?

The name “common sunflower” did not come from its sunshiny appearance but the plant’s ability to follow the sun. Young flowers are able to track the sun from east to west daily and reorient themselves every night to greet the sun in the morning. As the inflorescence matures and the floral stems gain rigidity, the sun tracking ceases and the fixed position as maturation occurs is due east. This phenomenon of flower heads following the sun is called heliotropism.

Although many assume a sunflower is one large flower, the inflorescence, or flowering structure, of Helianthus annuus is actually a composite of many flowers. This is a telltale trait for the Asteraceae family, to which sunflowers, daisies, aster, and others belong. The composite head is made up of hundreds, or even thousands, of individual tiny disc florets inside a ring of ray florets. The