Some helianthus are perennials and others are annual . Here ’s what to know about each type .
Laurie Black
sunflower are gorgeous native plant that can grow to amazing acme in a single yr . But are helianthus perennials that will come back after the wintertime ? That depends on which sunflower you ’re talk about , because some species are perennial and others are yearly . Here’swhat to know about each kind of sunflower .
Credit:Laurie Black
Are Sunflowers Perennials or Annuals?
There are close to 150 coinage of sunflowers in the genusHelianthus . Most are characterized by bright coloured flowers and fierce , emery paper - like leaf . Their blossom seem to take after the sun across the sky , a trait call heliotropism .
The common helianthus we see in cut blossom bouquets are annuals , as are the helianthus produce for seeds , but other mintage are perennials . Manyperennial sunflowersare native to the prairie regions of the U.S. and are unfearing and comfortable to grow . While commonly yellow , they are available in many colors and some multi - colored cultivar .
While you may have seen the pictures of giant annual sunflowers with a mortal put up next to them on a ravel , repeated sunflowers are no slouch in the height section , with some species gain 10 fundament tall . While recurrent sunflowers will come back from their tooth root , annual sunflower potpourri call for to be replant yearly .
Credit: Denny Schrock
Perennial Sunflowers
If you have n’t dabbled in the world of perennial helianthus , you should know they can spread quickly by rhizome and are challenging to control in a little distance . However , if a border of waving , cheerful , sunny font peek out of green foliage is your approximation of a good time , a interracial border of perennial sunflowers could be just what your yard needs . Line the private road , create a bloom privacy fence , or veil the garage . The possibility are just about endless .
Some pop types of perennial sunflower to grow admit :
Annual Sunflowers
The helianthus we all grew up draw isHelianthus annuusor theannual sunflower . Breeders have been work with this species for geezerhood . selection crop from the dwarf ‘ macula , ’ which reaches only 18 - 24 in grandiloquent and is gross for containers , to the ‘ Mammoth Gray Stripe , ’ which regularly attains 12 feet tall with heads weighing several pounds .
Annual sunflowers are one of the easiest peak togrow in containersor beds . To reach their full potential drop , give them loamy grunge , some aged manure , compost , or organic fertilizer , and regular lacrimation . However , they can also be planted out of the means and leave to stand for themselves .
While the bloomsmake stunning cut flowers , leave some to go to seed . The bees will often snooze on the peak headland in the evening , and as the seeds mature in early descent , the heads become rude bird feeders . A dapple of sunflower at the edge of the yard can provide entertainment from early summer when they start to fritter up all the way into winter as the birds bombard them , prying loose private seeds .
Credit: Bill Stites
Frequently Asked Questions
Absolutely , and many peoplegrow one-year helianthus for their seeds . While some varieties are better for deplete than others , you ’ll belike want to pick one free-base on ejaculate size and how meaty the seeds are . Roasting them at home lets you control how much seasoning , if any , is on the seminal fluid .
There are dozen of species of perennial sunflower with differing increase habits , but some diffuse quite a bit . In world-wide , plant perennial sunflower diversity where you wo n’t mind if they start to take over . Of course , if you arecreating a meadow gardenor hedge , that may be just what you have in mind .
They can , but probably wo n’t . A few military volunteer sunflowers popping up in the garden the next twelvemonth are common , but theseeds are so have it off by birds , squirrel , chipmunk , mice , and other critters that a large issue of leftover seeds come spring does n’t often happen .
Annual sunflowers are the tallest ; some have been bred for huge size . While many kind claim to be the grandiloquent , ‘ Mongolian , ’ ‘ Giraffe , ’ and ‘ Giant Yellow ’ are usually among the tallest get each yr . The sept at Guinness World Records list the tall helianthus ever tape at just over 30 feet tall .
