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Golden Skytop Sunflower Mix
Helianthus annuus
Give your birds, bees, and butterflies a golden observation deck as they drink the nectar and eat the seeds of this impressively large native plant. 7-11' tall plants each yield many sunny, yellow-petaled flowers with brown faces, and purple-black seeds. This variety has emerged on our farm over the years from diverse origins, so you may find some that have orange or red petals, and some have white and grey striped seeds. This mix works great as a beautiful privacy hedge, food for people or birds, cut flowers (if you can reach!), and pollinator forage.
Sunflowers are native to the Americas and their seeds have been found at the San Andres dig site in Tabasco, Mexico (dating to 2600 BC) and in dig sites in Tennessee (as early as 2300 BC).
Days to maturity: 60-75
Seeds per pack: 50
Germination rate: 86% on 01/18/2024
Planting / harvesting notes
Sow seeds directly in full sun, keep soil from drying out, and thin seedlings to 12-18" apart. This species is an annual in most of North America, but may self-sow in subsequent years.
Seed keeping notes
To harvest the seeds, cut the dried, browned flowers flower heads into a paper bag. Dislodge the seeds by breaking apart the seedheads/flowers. Use a strainer to sift out the larger chaff. Use your breath, wind, or fans to winnow off lighter weight chaff. Birds will likely start eating the seeds as they develop, so consider how much you'd like to leave for them, and how much you would like to save for yourself. Best harvested for seed during a dry spell.
