Lakeshore Garden Centres Plant Finder

Other Names:  Common Sunflower

Description:

A stunning variety, featuring 7 inch wide, light yellow blooms; fast growing and well branched, growing upwards of 5 feet; benefits from some support; low maintenance; a wonderful addition to gardens, large containers and cut flower arrangements

Ornamental Features

Valentine Sunflower features bold yellow daisy flowers with dark brown eyes at the ends of the stems from mid summer to early fall. The flowers are excellent for cutting. Its heart-shaped leaves remain dark green in colour throughout the season.

Landscape Attributes

Valentine Sunflower is an herbaceous annual with an upright spreading habit of growth. Its medium texture blends into the garden, but can always be balanced by a couple of finer or coarser plants for an effective composition.

This is a relatively low maintenance plant, and may require the occasional pruning to look its best. It is a good choice for attracting birds, bees and butterflies to your yard, but is not particularly attractive to deer who tend to leave it alone in favor of tastier treats. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Valentine Sunflower is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Accent
• Mass Planting
• General Garden Use
• Container Planting

Planting & Growing

Valentine Sunflower will grow to be about 5 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 24 inches. When grown in masses or used as a bedding plant, individual plants should be spaced approximately 12 inches apart. This fast-growing annual will normally live for one full growing season, needing replacement the following year.

This plant should only be grown in full sunlight. It does best in average to evenly moist conditions, but will not tolerate standing water. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is highly tolerant of urban pollution and will even thrive in inner city environments. This is a selection of a native North American species.

Valentine Sunflower is a fine choice for the garden, but it is also a good selection for planting in outdoor pots and containers. With its upright habit of growth, it is best suited for use as a 'thriller' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination; plant it near the center of the pot, surrounded by smaller plants and those that spill over the edges. It is even sizeable enough that it can be grown alone in a suitable container. Note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.