Plant Guide
Miss Sunshine Annual Sunflower
Helianthus annuus 'Miss Sunshine'
Plant Height: 10 inches
Flower Height: 16 inches
Spacing: 10 inches
Sunlight:
Hardiness Zone: (annual)
Description:
This delightful dwarf variety produces plentiful double yellow blooms; this hybrid variety produces no pollen; low maintenance and mildew tolerant; excellent for small sunny spaces and containers
Ornamental Features
Miss Sunshine Annual Sunflower has masses of beautiful yellow daisy flowers with brown eyes at the ends of the stems from mid summer to mid fall, which are most effective when planted in groupings. The flowers are excellent for cutting. Its pointy leaves remain dark green in color throughout the season.
Landscape Attributes
Miss Sunshine Annual Sunflower is an herbaceous annual with an upright spreading habit of growth. Its medium texture blends into the garden, but can always be balanced by a couple of finer or coarser plants for an effective composition.
This is a relatively low maintenance plant. Trim off the flower heads after they fade and die to encourage more blooms late into the season. It has no significant negative characteristics.
Miss Sunshine Annual Sunflower is recommended for the following landscape applications;
- Accent
- Mass Planting
- General Garden Use
- Container Planting
Planting & Growing
Miss Sunshine Annual Sunflower will grow to be about 10 inches tall at maturity extending to 16 inches tall with the flowers, with a spread of 10 inches. When grown in masses or used as a bedding plant, individual plants should be spaced approximately 10 inches apart. This fast-growing annual will normally live for one full growing season, needing replacement the following year.
This plant should only be grown in full sunlight. It does best in average to evenly moist conditions, but will not tolerate standing water. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is highly tolerant of urban pollution and will even thrive in inner city environments. This is a selection of a native North American species.
Miss Sunshine Annual Sunflower is a fine choice for the garden, but it is also a good selection for planting in outdoor pots and containers. It is often used as a 'filler' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination, providing a mass of flowers against which the larger thriller plants stand out. Note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.