Garden Planner: Dazzling Sunflowers
Let Sunflowers Bring a Splash of Color to your Garden
Ever since gazing at fields of dazzling sunflowers in France, I’ve been enchanted by these bold summer beauties. Always on the lookout for a deeper red or taller giant to try, I struck gold with SunflowerSelections.com. Their breeder Tom Heaton shares results of four decades of innovation with these North American natives.
Take your pick of seeds for more than 50 varieties—more choices than from other seed companies—including the first ever white sunflowers. (Since packets contain 100 seeds there are plenty to share with friends or a nearby school garden.) The ones I’m most excited to grow are:
-
‘ProCut White Nite’
Introduced this year, after decades of breeding, this single stem flower with a high-contrast dark center turns from cream to pure white after just a few days in the sun. ‘ProCut White Lite’ has glowing gold centers. Both grow to 4 ft. tall. For fun, dye them (add food coloring to vase water) for a red, white and blue Fourth of July bouquet.
Introduced this year, after decades of breeding, this single stem flower with a high-contrast dark center turns from cream to pure white after just a few days in the sun. ‘ProCut White Lite’ has glowing gold centers. Both grow to 4 ft. tall. For fun, dye them (add food coloring to vase water) for a red, white and blue Fourth of July bouquet.
-
‘Salt N’ Roast’
Fans of sunflower seed snacks savor this commercial favorite with plate-size heads bursting with large seeds. “The only problem is fighting off birds and squirrels until harvest,” Tom says. Tops out at 4 ft. high.
Fans of sunflower seed snacks savor this commercial favorite with plate-size heads bursting with large seeds. “The only problem is fighting off birds and squirrels until harvest,” Tom says. Tops out at 4 ft. high.
-
‘Kong’
Like its namesake, this giant sunflower is a “stunning beast,” Tom says. A long row would easily hide a stretch of my backyard fence as its strong stems soar upwards of 8 feet and branch and bear multiple classic yellow flowers with brown centers.
Like its namesake, this giant sunflower is a “stunning beast,” Tom says. A long row would easily hide a stretch of my backyard fence as its strong stems soar upwards of 8 feet and branch and bear multiple classic yellow flowers with brown centers.
-
‘Starburst Panache’
Rings of color—ebony to rust, apricot and sunny yellow—glow across semi-double petaled faces on this branching plant. Pinching encourages more branches (and more flowers). Grows to 4 ft. tall. Another showy branching variety, ‘Gypsy Charmer’, is ringed with lemon yellow and red.
Rings of color—ebony to rust, apricot and sunny yellow—glow across semi-double petaled faces on this branching plant. Pinching encourages more branches (and more flowers). Grows to 4 ft. tall. Another showy branching variety, ‘Gypsy Charmer’, is ringed with lemon yellow and red.
-
‘Moulin Rouge’
Flowers with velvety burgundy-red petals with deep red tips top this 4 ft.-tall branching plant. Want even darker petals? Try ‘Black Beauty’.
Flowers with velvety burgundy-red petals with deep red tips top this 4 ft.-tall branching plant. Want even darker petals? Try ‘Black Beauty’.
