Mexican Sunflower | Tithonia

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5-7 feet tall 85 days to bloom Tithonia rotundifolia

HEIRLOOM Easy to grow and thrumming with hummingbirds, monarch butterflies and countless beneficial pollinators, tithonia is native to North America and often quite massive. Dozens upon dozens of 3″ vivid tangerine blooms are borne on long stalks, though they’re not a favored cut flower since they bend so quite easily.

Friends, if your resident rodentia nibble all your sunflower sprouts relentlessly, grow Tithonia, whose seeds and sprouts are much less delectable to mammals of all sizes!

Classic sunflowers have one huge, main blossom on top with a dozen or so smaller secondaries that generally dissipate before frost; Mexican sunflowers bear dozens upon dozens of equal size flowers with increasing abundance all the way to frost. The 5 to 6 foot plants grow several feet wide and their silver-green velvet leaves are deeply serrate and ornamental, as well. Our seed originally came from Siskiyou Seeds in Williams, Oregon where I spent one spectacular season apprenticing with our friend and mentor Don Tipping.

Would you love to receive these seeds? Rather than selling and shipping, we share seeds as an embodied gift practice.

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2 reviews for Mexican Sunflower | Tithonia

Rated 5 out of 5

Jenny Stark – March 9, 2022

I wish I could clip a picture in this review. These sunflowers gave us such joy in 2021. It took awhile for them to mature, but once they did we had flowers galore. Three were planted in a grow box on our deck and we enjoyed butterflies and hummingbirds and big bumble bees all summer and late into the fall. They also grew well in our garden area. I would cut the deadheads and they just kept producing more and more flowers. They were tall–at least 7.5 feet. I do suggest some support. I tied loosely with old pantyhose to a tall trellis or stakes. Loosely is emphasized, because the way these leggy beauties sway in the breeze is wonderful…but a big wind or storm can take them down. They were the last flowering plants. (We live outside of Philadelphia)
Rated 5 out of 5

Bija (verified owner) – March 7, 2023

These are my favorite flower, even though every flower is my favorite, but these give me joy in late summer, Into late late fall, so many bumblebees and MONARCH butterflies and every kind of pollinator love them! I plant them in front of my kitchen window so I can watch the dance of nature while I wash dishes – they’re 6 to 7′ tall so they peek in the windows! Since the chipmunks eat ALL my sunflower starts, we’ve only grown these, for some reason they leave them alone long enough to grow. Definitely give them some support, and they will last til your final final frost, giving hope to life! I can’t WAIT to grow the yellow ones as well! Should I miss them together? Should I plant yellow apart from orange? Who cares, let’s just get this season started!! XOXO to all who grow.
- Sylvia – March 8, 2023
  
  Bija, thanks for the feedback! Did you know Tithonia is a totally separate genus/species than sunflowers? They are tall, resplendent sunshine (just like classic sunflowers) but they are distinctly bitter, fuzzy not delicious and very much not enjoyed by our chipmunk friends. It’s one of the reasons we love them so! Happy sowing <3

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Organic Mexican Sunflower

When to sow (Direct Seed recommended): After final frost, sow every 8″ and thin to one every ~2′. Any (even poor) soil is suitable. To Transplant, sow indoors 2-3 weeks before last frost. Harden off 5 days and transplant after frost.

Seed Depth: barely cover (light required to germinate)
Full Sun Days to Germination: 7-14 days
Plant spacing after thinning: 2 feet
Days to Flower: 76-84 Height: 5-7 feet

Harvest: Tithonia’s hollow stems are sadly not ideal for cutting, but if you must, harvest flowers when 90% open for bouquets.