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Sunflower
Helianthus annuus
  
25 Nurseries Carry This Plant

About Sunflower (Helianthus annuus) 25 Nurseries Carry This Plant Sunflower (Helianthus annuus) is an annual plant in the Asteraceae (Sunflower) family that is native to the Americas and widespread in California. It possesses a large flower cluster (flowering head). In the Asteraceae family, what is usually called the flower is actually a head (formally composite flower) of numerous florets (small flowers) crowded together. The outer florets are the ray florets (often sterile). In Sunflower these can be yellow, maroon, orange, or other colors. The florets inside the circular head are called disc florets, which mature into seeds. In Sunflower the disc florets are brown. Horticultural varieties are available such as 'Autumn Beauty'. The overall plant can become quite large and the flower heads are large, up to 8 in. in diameter. This plant is most often seen in disturbed areas such as road shoulders, edges of farm fields, and vacant lots. However, it can also be a spectacular performer in the garden if given plenty of room, direct sun, and normal garden watering. Aside for watering, it requires little or no care.
Plant Description
Plant Type
Plant Type
Annual Herb

Size
Size
5 - 10 ft tall
2 ft wide

Form
Form
Upright, Upright Columnar

Growth Rate
Growth Rate
Fast

Flower Color
Flower Color
Yellow, Brown, Orange

Flowering Season
Flowering Season
Summer

Wildlife Supported
 
Sunflowers seeds are very attractive to numerous birds. The flowers are important nectar source for various insects including Monarch and Bordered Patch butterflies.

 
Butterflies & moths hosted ( 9 confirmed , 28 likely * ) SHOW ALL
Chlosyne californica Image
California Patch Chlosyne californicaChlosyne californica
Chlosyne lacinia Image
Bordered Patch Chlosyne laciniaChlosyne lacinia
Agrotis ipsilon Image
Ipsilon Dart Agrotis ipsilonAgrotis ipsilon
Helicoverpa zea Image
Corn Earworm Moth Helicoverpa zeaHelicoverpa zea
Spilosoma virginica Image
Virginian Tiger Moth Spilosoma virginicaSpilosoma virginica
Suleima helianthana Image
Sunflower Bud Moth Suleima helianthanaSuleima helianthana
Adaina ambrosiae Image
Ambrosia Plume Moth Adaina ambrosiaeAdaina ambrosiae

Landscaping Information
Sun
Sun
Full Sun

Moisture
Moisture
Low

Summer Irrigation
Summer Irrigation
Max 1x / week once established

Nurseries
Nurseries
Carried by 25

Ease of Care
Ease of Care
Moderately Easy

Cold Tolerance
Cold Tolerance
Tolerates cold to 0° F

Soil Drainage
Soil Drainage
Fast, Medium, Slow

Soil Description
Soil Description
Adaptable, tolerant of sand, loam and clay. Soil PH: 5.4 - 8.6

Common uses
Common uses
Bird Gardens, Butterfly Gardens, Bee Gardens

Companion Plants
Companion Plants
This plant can be used with many native plants in the garden as long as they can accept regular water. A good use might be as a border between native plants and vegetables.

Maintenance
Maintenance
After the seeds have been dispersed, the dried stalk and leaves may be chopped up for mulch

Propagation
Propagation?
By seed

Sunset Zones
Sunset Zones?
2, 3, 4, 5, 6*, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17*, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24

Natural Setting
Site Type
Site Type
Disturbed places

Climate
Climate
Annual Precipitation: 2.5" - 58.9", Summer Precipitation: 0.13" - 2.53", Coldest Month: 27.4" - 60.6", Hottest Month: 52.0" - 89.2", Humidity: 0.69" - 40.83", Elevation: -124" - 8148"

Alternative Names
Common Names: Common Sunflower, Hairy-leaved Sunflower


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Sources include: Wikipedia. All text shown in the "About" section of these pages is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Plant observation data provided by the participants of the California Consortia of Herbaria, Sunset information provided by Jepson Flora Project. Propogation from seed information provided by the Santa Barbara Botanical Garden from "Seed Propagation of Native California Plants" by Dara E. Emery. Sources of plant photos include CalPhotos, Wikimedia Commons, and independent plant photographers who have agreed to share their images with Calscape. Other general sources of information include Calflora, CNPS Manual of Vegetation Online, Jepson Flora Project, Las Pilitas, Theodore Payne, Tree of Life, The Xerces Society, and information provided by CNPS volunteer editors, with special thanks to Don Rideout. Climate data used in creation of plant range maps is from PRISM Climate Group, Oregon State University, using 30 year (1981-2010) annual "normals" at an 800 meter spatial resolution.

Links:   Jepson eFlora Taxon Page  CalPhotos  Wikipedia  Calflora


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