Plant these Mexican Sunflower seeds and soon your garden will be bursting with colorful orange and yellow blooms on tall stalks. Mexican Sunflowers, also known as “Tree Marigold”, can easily reach a height of 72″ in a single season. The botanical name for this plant is Tithonia rotundifolia. There are many types of Tithonia, these are the “Torch” variety. Plants produce multiple blooms, each about 3-4″ across, with bright orange petals and a vibrant yellow center. The long hollow stalks on which the blooms reside make them excellent for use as cut flowers. You’ll see that these flowers are attractive to many pollinators including bees and butterflies as well as hummingbirds. Flowering time is from mid-summer until the plants succumb to frost. Looks great with annual borders with of tall zinnias, coreopsis, and other flowers in bright colors. These are not true sunflowers, but rather a member of the daisy family.

Grows best in full sun. Each plant grows bushy with a strong center stalk and multiple branches that grow in sort of a gangly manner. Foliage is also attractive on Mexican Sunflower plants. The large fuzzy leaves are three lobed with serrate edges reaching about 6″ in size. These plants are drought tolerant and can thrive in poor, but well drained, soil. Due to its tall size the Mexican Sunflowers should be planted at the back of the garden. Generally, pest free and not favored by deer.

Seeds can be directly sown outdoors after the threat of frost has passed. For early blooming, start seeds indoors 6-8 weeks before the last frost. Barely cover seeds as light is needed for germination. Plants should be spaced 2-3″ apart. Stalks are sturdy but may benefit from staking until well rooted. If grown outside their hardiness zone the Mexican Sunflower seeds should be planted each spring as these plants will be killed by frost. The flattened triangular seeds can be saved and grown the following year. Plants may reseed themselves if spent blooms are left on the plant.

See the rest of our flower seeds here.