Plant Guide

Description:

This spectacular tall variety has large double blooms, with highlights of golden-orange, red-burgundy rings and dark brown centers; low maintenance and mildew tolerant; excellent for sunny spaces at the back of borders, or containers

Ornamental Features

Red Sun Annual Sunflower has masses of beautiful dark red daisy flowers with orange overtones, brown eyes and a burgundy ring 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 serrated pointy leaves remain green in color throughout the season.

Landscape Attributes

Red Sun 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 is a good choice for attracting birds, bees and butterflies to your yard. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Red Sun Annual Sunflower is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Accent
• Mass Planting
• General Garden Use
• Container Planting

Planting & Growing

Red Sun Annual Sunflower will grow to be about 4 feet tall at maturity extending to 6 feet tall with the flowers, with a spread of 3 feet. When grown in masses or used as a bedding plant, individual plants should be spaced approximately 30 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.

Red Sun Annual Sunflower is a fine choice for the garden, but it is also a good selection for planting in outdoor pots and containers. With its upright habit of growth, it is best suited for use as a 'thriller' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination; plant it near the center of the pot, surrounded by smaller plants and those that spill over the edges. It is even sizeable enough that it can be grown alone in a suitable container. Note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.