🌸 Flower
ANX-FLOWER-0000018
Common Sunflower
Helianthus annuus
Common Sunflower (Helianthus annuus), an annual of the Asteraceae family, known for its large flower heads with golden-yellow ray florets around a dark central disk.
Log in to request a quotation- Family
- Asteraceae
- Plant type
- Annual
- Bloom color
- Golden yellow ray florets with a blackish-brown to purplish disk
- Bloom season
- Summer to early autumn
- Mature height
- 60-240 cm cm
- Sun requirements
- Full sun
- Fragrance
- Very faint, hay-like scent, easily missed
- Native region
- Central and western United States into northern Mexico
Growing
Growing Conditions
- Water requirements
- Moderate; keep soil consistently moist but not waterlogged.
- Climate requirements
- Warm-season annual, frost-sensitive; fast-growing in temperate to warm climates.
- Soil types
- Tolerates poor to average soils provided drainage is good; heavy clay stunts growth.
- Propagation method
- Seed, direct-sown (long taproot, does not transplant well)
Ecology
Pollinators & Toxicity
- Pollinator value
- Highly attractive to bees, butterflies (including monarchs), and other pollinators, especially as a late-season nectar source.
- Toxicity
- Non-toxic to cats, dogs, and horses (ASPCA); seeds are commonly eaten by humans, pets, and wildlife.
Use
Uses & Economic Importance
- Uses
- Cut flowers, seed oil production, birdseed, snack seeds, ornamental bedding
- Economic importance
- The world's fourth-largest oilseed crop by production; Ukraine and Russia together account for roughly half of global sunflower output.
Trade
Marketplace
Not currently listed on the Marketplace. List it →