12 Fall-Colored Sunflowers to Plant In August
Sunflowers are in full swing as we move into late summer. In the fall, they make vibrant additions to seasonal displays in harvest colors in the garden bed and containers. Pollinators and birds, too, appreciate their lasting interest. Explore options for growing late-season annual and perennial sunflower selections with garden expert Katherine Rowe.
Contents
Sunflowers, in golden yellow, oranges, and reds, usher in fall in a cheerful fashion. The big bloomers evoke sunny days, blue skies, and late-season harvests.
Early August marks National Sunflower Day, when the sunny blooms hit their peak in many regions. There’s still time to sow fall sunflowers in warm climates to enjoy a late bloom. Use them in fresh or dried autumnal arrangements in tones of the season.
To gauge seed-sowing, plan around your area’s anticipated first frost date. Counting the days to maturity ensures time for the variety to grow and flower before heavy frost. Use fast-growing and dwarf varieties where the first frost is around the corner. Grow them in the ground or containers for a bright show. Opt for perennial sunflowers, too, which are perfect for establishing now.
Sunflowers germinate best in the warm temperatures of late summer and early fall. For late crops, grow them in optimal conditions of full sun with consistent moisture. The adaptable growers tolerate varying soils, partial shade, and periods of drought. Sunflowers are edible, from the seeds to the petals to the young buds.
Enjoy the iconic flowers as we move through the seasons. Don’t forget to leave some seed heads for birds and wildlife to enjoy as they forage into the cool season. The spent blooms also extend garden interest as the seasons change.
‘Teddy Bear’
|
common name ‘Teddy Bear’ |
|---|---|
|
botanical name Helianthus annuus ‘Teddy Bear’ |
|
height 2-3’ |
The fuzzy yellow pom pons of ‘Teddy Bear’ cheer on fall by the stem full. ‘Teddy Bear is a dwarf grower with a compact height and width. The multi-branched stems produce loads of large gold blooms.
This small selection is excellent in containers and small spaces. The three-to-five-inch flowers are double and fine-petaled for extra fluff and color.
‘Teddy Bear’ is a fast-growing variety. It germinates in about ten days, with 65 to maturity.
‘Sunspot’
|
|
common name ‘Sunspot’ |
|---|---|
|
|
botanical name Helianthus annuus ‘Sunspot’ |
|
|
height 18-24” |
‘Sunspot’ produces huge flowerheads on small plants. The flowers are 10 inches across and have large golden-brown centers packed with seeds.
This variety is versatile for pots and requires less growing space. It offers the classic sunflower heads and seeds we love in a compact form.
The short stems are upright and stout to hold the nodding blooms. Fast-growing ‘Sunspot’ makes a good border accent or low-growing annual hedge.
Tithonia
|
|
common name Tithonia |
|---|---|
|
|
botanical name Tithonia rotundifolia |
|
|
height 1.5-6’ |
Tithonia, or Mexican sunflower, produces deep orange daisy-like flowers on tall stems. The ray petals fan around a bright yellow center and tower in the back of the border. The heat-loving annuals tolerate drought and less-than-ideal soils. They bloom nonstop in summer conditions until heavy frost and are a favorite of pollinators.
‘Torch’ is a characteristically tall variety with four-to-six-foot-high multi-branching stems. This sunflower’s fiery orange petals beautifully contrast with other fall bloomers, especially purple leaves and flowers. Pair it with ornamental grasses, millet, amaranth, mums, and aster for a seasonal display.
‘Fiesta del Sol’ is a dwarf variety and an All-America Selections award winner. It bears a profusion of blooms and attractive leaves on dense stems that reach only 18 inches tall. The flowers are rich and dark orange with continual reflowering.
‘Zohar’
|
|
common name ‘Zohar’ |
|---|---|
|
|
botanical name Helianthus annuus ‘Zohar’ |
|
|
height 4-5’ |
This hybrid is quick to flower and makes a long-lasting cut flower. ‘Zohar’ has six-inch blooms with broad golden petals around a chocolate central disc. Petals are deep yellow at the center and lighten toward the tip.
‘Zohar’ flowers in about two months and produce one bloom per plant on sturdy stems. Sow multiple seeds for a bundle of flowerheads.
This selection is pollen-less, meaning it is less messy in cut floral arrangements and centerpieces. It produces nectar for pollinators and seeds if cross-pollinated with other sunflowers.
‘Shock-O-Lat’
|
|
common name ‘Shock-O-Lat’ |
|---|---|
|
|
botanical name Helianthus annuus ‘Shock-O-Lat’ |
|
|
height 6’ |
‘Shock-O-Lat’ is a showstopper with giant flowers and multi-tonal petals. Dark brown-black centers ringed in a gold corona transition to deep scarlet, copper, mahogany, and yellow tips. No two flowerheads are alike, and the dynamic scheme becomes a focal point.
‘Shcok-O-Lat’ grows tall and flowers on multi-stems with purple tinges. This pollen-less variety has a long vase life and is excellent cut fresh or dried.
‘Autumn Beauty’
|
|
common name ‘Autumn Beauty’ |
|---|---|
|
|
botanical name Helianthus annuus ‘Autumn Beauty’ |
|
|
height 4-10’ |
‘Autumn Beauty’ basks in the season’s colors with shades of purple, bronze, and yellow. Vigorous plants produce heads that reach up to eight inches across on tall, branching stalks.
‘Autumn Beauty’ produces numerous seeds. Its high frame is good for the back of the border and quintessential sunflower mazes and hedges.
Pair ‘Autumn Beauty’ with other autumnal sunflowers in red and gold for a striking combination of varying heights. Plants flower about 75 days after sowing.
‘Chocolate’
|
|
common name ‘Chocolate’ |
|---|---|
|
|
botanical name Helianthus annuus ‘Chocolate’ |
|
|
height 4-5’ |
This dark selection features rich mahogany petals with black-brown centers. The deep chocolate upper petals have yellow highlights on their undersides and lighter tips.
‘Chocolate’ is a fun variety for autumn and ready to pair with pumpkins and gourds. Dry them for lasting interest toward Halloween. Look for ‘Chocolate Cherry’ with six-to-seven-foot stalks for dark petals with a burgundy red glow.
Both varieties mature about 65 days after seeding. For a mixed collection, they pair beautifully with ‘Autumn Beauty.’
‘Vanilla Ice’
|
|
common name ‘Vanilla Ice’ |
|---|---|
|
|
botanical name Helianthus debilis ‘Vanilla Ice’ |
|
|
height 5’ |
‘Vanilla Ice’ lightens the arrangement in creamy white. Petal edges are soft ivory and transition to lemon around deep brown central discs.
Each plant produces multiple flower heads on long, sturdy stems. Pair the butter-cream blooms with jewel tones like garnet, gold, purple, and rose. The prolific flowerheads are four to six inches on long-flowering plants.
‘Evening Sun’
|
|
common name ‘Evening Sun’ |
|---|---|
|
|
botanical name Helianthus annuus ‘Evening Sun’ |
|
|
height 6-8’ |
‘Evening Sun’ flowers are waving flags of autumn. Each bloom combines blazing red, orange, gold, and chocolate hues for a lit-from-within glow.
Tones vary per head for a range of sunset shades on each plant. The four-to-six-inch flowers make a statement on towering stems and produce forage for bees and birds.
For a fast-maturing, single-stem red, look for ‘Pro Cut Red.’ Deep crimson flowers top five-to-six-foot stalks that bloom 50 days after sowing.
Swamp
|
|
common name Swamp |
|---|---|
|
|
botanical name Helianthus angustifolius |
|
|
height 5-8’ |
Unlike their annual relatives, swamp sunflowers are perennials hardy to zones 5-9. If you live in an area that is cool enough, August is perfect for adding perennial sunflowers to your fall collection. The easy-growers tolerate high heat and have time to establish before cold temperatures.
H. angustifolius is a U.S. native wildflower with tall, branching stems and clusters of yellow daisy-ray flowers. Plants bloom at the end of summer and fall for a late-season sea of color.
Swamp sunflowers create a naturalized look in the planting arrangement. They’re a host plant for the silvery checkerspot butterfly and native bees. Leaving aged flowers in place makes an excellent food source for birds. Grouse, quail, doves, songbirds, and small mammals feed on the seeds in fall and winter.
Swamp sunflowers prefer moist soils in regions with rainy fall weather. They tolerate humidity and occasionally wet conditions.
Willow-Leaved
|
|
common name Willow-Leaved |
|---|---|
|
|
botanical name Helianthus salicifolius |
|
|
height 2-10’ |
Like swamp sunflowers, H. salicifolius, or willow-leaved sunflower, is a perennial bloomer perfect for fall displays. It grows with handsome, narrow foliage and prolific blooms on tall stems. Bright yellow flowers emerge in late summer for a display that extends into autumn.
Dwarf cultivars like ‘Low Down’ and ‘First Light’ offer compact forms for smaller spaces. They grow two to four feet with dense stems. The seeds are sterile, and they won’t spread in the landscape.
False Sunflower
|
|
common name False Sunflower |
|---|---|
|
|
botanical name Heliopsis helianthoides |
|
|
height 2-5’ |
False sunflower sneaks onto our list as another perennial option with sunflower appeal for fall color. Heliopsis is native to the central and eastern U.S. In summer and fall, golden sunflower-like blooms with fuzzy yellow button centers rise above deep green leaves.
Heliopsis has stiff, sturdy stems. Compact varieties like ‘Tuscan Sun’ and ‘Sunstruck’ make excellent options for the front of the border and containers. ‘Tuscan Sun’ is heat-tolerant and doesn’t need deadheading for prolific flowering. ‘Sunstruck’ produces loads of deep yellow ray florets above unique, variegated foliage.
False sunflowers are attractive to pollinators and birds and naturally self-seed. They adapt to various soil conditions and are hardy in zones 3-9.
