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Year of the Sunflower
Celebrate the Year of the Sunflower - National Garden Bureau
Celebrate the Year of the Sunflower

Year of the Sunflower

The Sunflower is one of the most popular genera of flowers to grow in your garden. First-time to experienced gardeners gravitate to these bold, easy to grow flowers.

Sunflowers originated in the Americas and domestic seeds dating back to 2100 BC have been found in Mexico. Native Americans grew sunflowers as a crop, and explorers eventually brought the flowers to Europe in the 1500s. Over the next few centuries, sunflowers became increasingly popular on the European and Asian continent, with Russian farmers growing over 2 million acres in the early 19th century (most of which was used to manufacture sunflower oil).

Dutch painter Vincent Van Gogh famously painted a world-renowned still-life series of sunflowers. His sunflower paintings are so famous, the Van Gogh museum has teamed up with the breeder of Sunrich sunflowers to create the “Sunrich-Van Gogh’s Favorite” label of sunflowers.

The sunflower head is actually made up of thousands of tiny flowers - Year of the Sunflower - National Garden Bureau
Did you know the tallest sunflower grown was 30'1" in Germany in 2014 - Year of the Sunflower - National Garden Bureau

Sunflower Types:

Sunflowers can be annual (Helianthus annuus) or perennial (Helianthus maximiliani), but most modern sunflowers are annuals.

Single Stem vs Branching Sunflowers:

Single stem sunflower varieties are best for high-density plantings and produce consistently beautiful flowers on tall stems. Succession planting will be needed for continuous Year of the Sunflower blooms throughout the season.

Branching varieties produce flowers on multiple shorter stems throughout the season, which makes them ideal for sunflowers all season long.

Single stem: ProCut® Series, Sunrich™ Series, and Vincent® Series
Branching:
Autumn Beauty Mix, Soraya (AAS Winner), SunBuzz, Suncredible®, Sunfinity™, SunBelievable™

Pollen vs Pollen-free Sunflowers:

Sunflowers that produce pollen are a great option for gardeners focused on supporting pollinators or for those looking for a lower price point.

Many modern sunflower varieties are bred to be male sterile, or pollen-free, to help foster extended vase life and a nice, clean appearance. These also keep your table clean from pollen!

Luckily, there are many varieties of both pollen and pollen-free:

Pollen-free: Moulin Rouge, ProCut Series, Sunbuzz, Sunrich Series, and Vincent Series
Pollen: Soraya (AAS Winner), Ring of Fire (AAS Winner), and Valentine

Sunflowers are a great addition to a pollinator garden providing both nectar & seeds - Year of the Sunflower - National Garden Bureau
Sunflowers are one of the most recognizable flowers in the world - Year of the Sunflower - National Garden Bureau
Sunflowers track the sun; the flower heads turn as the sun moves across the sky. This is called heliotropism - Year of the Sunflower - National Garden Bureau
Sunflowers are native to the Americans and were exported to other countries around 1500 - Year of the Sunflower - National Garden Bureau

Height/Size of Sunflowers:

Another way to distinguish sunflowers is by their height and size. Smaller, ornamental sunflower varieties, such as the Sunrich or ProCut series are only a few feet tall, while American Giant Sunflowers can grow to be 15+ feet. Depending on their height, the size of the flower will also change with larger flowers on the taller varieties.

Tall: American Giant, Kong, Mammoth, Sunforest
Dwarf: Smiley, Sunbuzz, Suntastic, Teddy Bear, Suntastic Yellow with Black Center (AAS Winner)

Sunflowers for Edible Seeds:

Some varieties have been bred to produce large, edible seeds that are great for snacking. The seeds are ready to harvest once the petals have withered and the seeds can be seen.

Edible seed types: Feed The Birds, Mongolian Giant, Skyscraper, Super Snack Mix, Titan

Sunflower seeds traveled to space in 2012 when astronaut Don Petti took them on board the Int'l Space Station - Year of the Sunflower - National Garden Bureau
More sunflowers are grown in North Dakota than in any other U.S. state - Year of the Sunflower -- National Garden Bureau
Some people have a fear of sunflowers. It's called Helianthophobia - Year of the Sunflower - National Garden Bureau
The Sunflower symbolize optimism, positivity, long life and happiness. - Year of the Sunflower - National Garden Bureau

How to Grow and Care for Sunflowers:

Sunflower seeds can be direct sown after the risk of frost has passed or started indoors. Seeds should be sown ¼” to ½” deep and kept moist. Taller, larger sunflower varieties have a large taproot to keep them rooted and do not do well when they are transplanted so direct sowing of those varieties is recommended. Choose a site, or a container, in full sun, with average fertility and good drainage.

Recommendations for the best vase life:

If you’re growing sunflowers for cuts, here are some recommendations to extend the vase life of your flower.

  • Cut when the petals or ray flowers just begin to open, before they have opened off the disc completely. It is recommended to cut in the early morning before the heat of the day.
  • Remove the leaves below the water line and place in freshwater or properly measured fresh flower food solution
  • Check water regularly; sunflowers are heavy drinkers and can empty a bucket or vase overnight
  • Change water daily; sunflowers have what some call a dirty stem, as the water quickly turns cloudy with potential for bacterial issues

Learn more about the Year of the Sunflower from our NGB members…

    • All about Sunflowers by West Coast Seeds
    • How to Grow Sunflowers  by Burpee
    • How to Harvest Sunflower Seeds  by American Meadows
    • Sunflowers for Bees, Song Birds, and Garden Splendor by Black Gold
    • Sunflower Guide – Growing, Caring, & Varieties  by Jung Seed
    • Easy to Grow Edible Seeds  by Territorial Seeds
    • Sow and Grow Guide for Sunflowers  by Botanical Interests
    • How to Choose the Best Sunflower Varieties by Johnny’s Selected Seeds
    • 7 Tips For Growing a Sunflower Garden by Ferry-Morse
    • Plant a Sunflower House by Kids Gardening

Interested in celebrating the Year of the Sunflower in your garden? Click the links below to shop our members:

Jung Seed Company YouTube VideosAP Whaley Seed CompanyPinetree Garden SeedsGardener's Supply CompanyHarris SeedsTerritorial Seed CompanyGurney's Seed & Nursery Co - National Garden Bureau memberBreck'sBotanical Interests - National Garden BureauOsborne Quality SeedsSilver Falls Seed Company - National Garden Bureau Member -https://silverfallsseed.com/ParkSeed.comFerry-Morse - NGB memberGardens Alive! - National Garden BureauProvenwinners.comJohnny's Selected Seeds Logowestcoastseeds.comAmerican MeadowsEarl May | National Garden Bureau MemberTrue Leaf Market Logo - National Garden BureauWillhite Seed Inc - National Garden Bureau Member

The National Garden Bureau recognizes and thanks Harris Seeds, an NGB member, as author and contributor to this fact sheet. 

This Year of the Sunflower fact sheet is provided as an educational service of the National Garden Bureau. There are no limitations on the use. Please credit National Garden Bureau, and link to this page, when using all or parts of this article or referencing the Year of the program.

Please consider our NGB member companies as authoritative sources for information. Click on the Member Directory for details about our members. Gardeners looking for seed and plant sources should select “Shop Our Members” at the top of our homepage.

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Year of the Sunflower Slideshare Presentation

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