The hardy sunflower is native to this continent. Pollinators are drawn to its sunny smiles in late summer. In this region of the Northern Plains, volunteer sunflowers turn with the sun daily in roadside ditches.
At the Plant Exchange blog, we respect the transient sunflower for its simple beauty, its contribution as food and shelter in nature, versatility as an ornamental, and resilience as a late bloomer. It’s our gardening symbol.
Since container gardening has become recognized in horticulture, seed companies now detail plants favorable for container growth. In our location, deer are fond of young sunflower plants, so growing them in pots on the deck out of reach can be easier than in the ground.
We have grown sunflowers suitable for containers from Johnny’s and Jung seed companies and Burpee that we feature this season. Container sunflowers from past growing seasons are available for review in Plant Exchange.
For 2023, we chose Tiger Eye Hybrid, Sun Ray Yellow Hybrid, and Sunny Bunch seeds (left to right) from Burpee Seed Company to grow in containers. ( www.burpee.com)
Here they are today. A packet of seeds was planted in each 17-inch pot with Miracle-Gro potting mix. Each was watered until the water flowed through the pot. Sunflower leaves with air-born pests were removed for sanitation.
Tiger Eye Sunflower has more ray flower detail variation than flower heads in the other two containers. The average height from the soil to the top of the plant is 20 inches. Tiger Eye is “fantastic for containers too” in the catalog, indicating its in-ground versatility.
Of the three sunflowers, it was the latest to bloom. Having them peak at different times extends the flowering season.
Sun Ray Yellow Hybrid Sunflower branches with flower potential on each terminal growth point. The Burpee catalog reads that each plant may bear 14 flowers. Like the other two examples, Single terminal flowerheads are more common in sunflower plants for containers.
The Sun Ray Yellow was the first to bloom, about two weeks ahead of the other two, and is now in decline, though still bearing new blooms. The height of plants is about 14 inches. Here, it is grouped with other plants to draw attention away from the roof of the plastic greenhouse by the deck.
Sunny Bunch Sunflower is presently in peak bloom. Burpee refers to it as “dense and hedge-like.” At a height of 26 inches, it is the tallest of the three. It maintains a vertical appearance in close container conditions, even in recent windy conditions.
The taller height of Sunny Bunch allows for easy viewing of the flowerhead from indoors. A goldfinch landed on one yesterday, with the camera nowhere in sight.
We find the sunflower full of smiles in late summer and welcome your comments about your favorites at this part of the season. Thanks for visiting today. We appreciate your “Likes” of the topics you enjoy reading. Thanks to our loyal “Followers” who show up for the weekly posts.
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