Tall annual with massive single yellow flower heads tracking the sun. The seeds feed bees, songbirds and humans alike.
Hardiness ratings
| System | Rating | Temperature range | How to read it |
|---|---|---|---|
| USDA hardiness zone | Zone 2–11 | −45.6 °C to 10 °C | Zones where it can be grown as an annual — not a frost-tolerance rating |
| RHS hardiness rating | H7 | down to −20 °C | Plant needs at least this level of cold tolerance |
| Canadian plant hardiness zone | Zone 2–9 | −40 °C and warmer | Zones where it can be grown as an annual — not a frost-tolerance rating |
| Australian (ANBG) zone | Zone 1–7 | −15 °C and warmer | Zones where it can be grown as an annual — not a frost-tolerance rating |
As a tender annual, Sunflower doesn't overwinter — the zone range shows where the growing season supports it. See the RHS rating for its actual cold tolerance.
Growing notes
- Outstanding bee forage and a major source of late-summer pollen
- Seed heads are a key autumn and winter food source for finches, tits and other songbirds — leave heads standing
- Choose single-headed open-pollinated varieties — pollen-free double hybrids are useless to pollinators
- Tall varieties make a good seasonal windbreak for vegetable beds
Categories
Related plants
Cross-check Sunflower against your zones