By Barbara Pleasant, November 15, 2024
Sunflowers are a beloved sight in gardens, their bright faces spreading joy throughout summer. While traditional sunflowers are a staple, the allure of reblooming varieties has captured my heart in recent seasons. These sunflowers not only continue to bloom for months, but they also provide vital support for pollinators and attract wildlife, making them a great choice for garden enthusiasts.
Reblooming Sunflowers: A Garden Favorite
Annual varieties like the Silverleaf (Helianthus argophyllus) and Beach sunflowers (Helianthus debilis) are just as easy to grow as their more common counterparts, but they offer the added benefit of extended bloom time and branching habit. Unlike typical sunflowers that bloom for a few weeks, these reblooming varieties can flower for months, often continuing until the first frosts of fall. Their saucer-sized blossoms are adored by bees and butterflies, and their seeds draw finches and other small birds when they’re ripe.
The Beauty and Benefits of Silverleaf Sunflowers
Native to the Gulf Coast of the United States, the Silverleaf sunflower stands out with its silvery, felted leaves that help it resist drought and insect damage. This unique foliage enhances the beauty of the plant, which boasts vibrant yellow flowers with deep chocolate centers, creating a striking contrast. These flowers attract pollinators, offering medicinal pollen that supports the health of bees by helping combat common pathogens.
The Silverleaf sunflower can reach impressive heights of 12 feet or more, though its branches often fall over due to its adaptation to hurricane-prone climates. This characteristic isn’t a problem—new upright branches will grow from the tilted ones, and the plants can lean on a fence or cage for added support. The plants thrive in the wind, even when their branches break, showing resilience and offering an added touch of nature’s beauty.
Beach Sunflowers: Tough, Vibrant, and Bird-Friendly
The Beach sunflower, also known as dune or cucumberleaf sunflower (Helianthus debilis), originates from the southeastern US coast. It thrives in hot, humid, and salty conditions, requiring minimal care. The cucumberleaf subspecies, recognized for its ragged leaves, blooms for up to three months, extending the sunflower season well into the fall.
Over time, breeders have developed new varieties of Beach sunflowers, including the popular Vanilla Ice, which produces creamy white blossoms and grows to about 5 feet tall. These plants bloom continuously from midsummer through fall, offering vibrant color when other flowers begin to fade. If you’re looking for more variety, the Soluna series, developed by Dutch breeders, showcases sunflowers in shades from lemon yellow to rusty bronze. These compact plants, ideal for bouquets, reach 3 to 4 feet in height and add rich color to any garden.
Growing Reblooming Sunflowers
Like tomatoes, these sunflowers are warm-season plants that cannot withstand frost. To get a head start, sow seeds indoors in mid-spring, about three weeks before your last expected frost. You can transplant them outdoors once the soil has warmed and the risk of frost has passed. While waiting for the weather to warm, seedlings can be kept in containers until it’s safe to plant them in the garden.
To encourage strong, branching growth, pinch off the first buds once they open. This simple step prompts the plant to branch, ensuring a fuller bloom later in the season.
For those interested in saving seeds, be aware that Silverleaf sunflowers can cross-pollinate with common varieties. To avoid this, wait until late in the season to harvest seeds, after the petals have fallen. To protect ripening seeds from birds, tie small paper bags over the blossoms. Once the stems turn brown, gather the seeds and let them dry in paper bags indoors.
Why Grow Reblooming Sunflowers?
These sunflowers offer beauty, resilience, and environmental benefits. Their extended bloom times help support local pollinators throughout the growing season, while their seeds provide food for birds in fall and winter. By planting these reblooming varieties, you can enjoy months of colorful, bee-friendly blooms and create a haven for wildlife in your garden.