Sunflower belongs to the Helianthus genus.

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Plant Wiki

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Very easy to grow, great for children’s gardens and borders. Can grow to great heights (the tallest ever recorded was over 8 metres!) – however both tall and dwarf varieties are available. Great for attracting bees and birds.

• Lifecycle The lifecycle that this plant exhibits. Annual Category The basic category that this plant belongs to. Flower
• Hardiness How frost hardy this plant is. Half Hardy Country of Origin Where this plant originated from. Mexico
• Mature Height How tall the plant will be when it grows up. 150.0 cm / 58.5" Mature Spread How wide the plant will be when it grows up. 50.0 cm / 19.5"
• Bloom Time When this plant usually blooms. Late Spring Harvest Time When this plant is usually harvested. Early Autumn

How to keep this plant happy

Protect your sunflowers from moths and birds by covering the heads with plastic netting.

• USDA Zone Range The zones that this plant is recommended to grow best in. 4 - 9 pH Range The level of acidity that this plant thrives in. 5.7 - 8.1
• Water Requirements The amount of water that this plant likes to drink. High Nitrogen Requirements The amount of nitrogen that should be present in the soil. High
• Soil The type of soil that this plant likes to live in.
  Combination Potting Mix
  Sun The type of light that this plant likes to sunbake in.
  Full Sun Partial Sun
• Min. Air Temperature The lowest air temp that this plant will be happy in. ? Max. Air Temperature The highest air temp that this plant will be happy in. ?

Sowing and Germinating Instructions

Sow one seed per pot using a 10cm / 4 inch size plant pot and place in an airing cupboard for a couple of days until the seedling pushes through.

• Can Sow Direct? Can seeds be sown directly in situ? Yes Sowing Depth Seeds should be sown at this depth. 1.25 cm / 0.39"
• Sowing Distance Apart This plant should be sown at least this distance apart 12.0 cm / 4.68" Sowing Row Distance Apart This plant should be sown in rows at least this distance apart ?
• Min. Germination Temperature The lowest temp that this plant will germinate from seed. 13°C / 55°F Max. Germination Temperature The highest temp that this plant will germinate from seed. ?

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Planting Out / Transplanting Instructions

Plant outside as soon as possible.

• Planting Distance Apart Seedlings should be planted this far apart. 75.0 cm / 29.25" Planting Row Distance Apart Rows between plantings should be at least this far apart. 75.0 cm / 29.25"

How long does it approximately take to grow?

• Days to Germination From seed to seedling 10 days Average 10 days | Min 3 days | Max 28 days (22)
• Days to Transplant From seedling to transplant / planting out + days
• Days to Maturity From transplant to harvest / maturity of plant + 60 days Total Growing Days From seed to maturity = days

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When should I start sowing and growing?

• When to sow The number of days to sow before or after your last frost date. ? When to plant out The number of days to plant out before or after your last frost date. ?

Etymology

The sunflower gets its name from the Greek word "Helios" (meaning sun) and "anthos" (meaning flower)

Folklore

Used medicinally throughout the ages for wart removal, snake bite and sunstroke treatment. The Aztecs worshipped sunflowers - they placed sunflower images made of gold in their temples. Is associated with the zodiac sign Leo (23 July to 22 August) because of their mutual relationship with the Sun. The Navajo made a tea with the leaves as a treatment for feverish pregnant women. Sunflower oil was also utilised as a skin wash.

Other Names

Tournesol, Girasol, Sonnenblume, Slonecznik, Blodyn haul, Zonnebloem, Duwwar al shams, suncokret