Mexican Sunflower (pack)

Mexican Sunflower (Torch), Tithonia rotundifolia, is a heat-loving open-pollinated annual from the aster family that produces striking orange blooms on velvety green stems. Plants reach 3 to 5 feet tall and thrive through summer heat, making them a magnet for butterflies, bees, and other beneficial insects. This packet contains approximately 283 seeds.

At a glance

• Variety: Torch Mexican Sunflower (Tithonia rotundifolia)
• Type: Open-pollinated annual
• Days to germinate: 7 to 14 days
• Sun: Full sun
• Planting depth: 1/4 inch
• Spacing after thinning: 24 inches
• Height at maturity: 3 to 5 feet
• USDA hardiness zones: 3 to 10
• Approx. seeds per pack: 283

Best for

• Pollinator and butterfly gardens
• Hot, sunny beds where other flowers struggle
• Tall backdrops and screening borders
• Cut-flower arrangements
• Attracting bees and beneficial insects
• Low-maintenance summer color

How to grow

Sow after the last frost by scattering seed on the soil surface roughly 1 foot apart. Press lightly to a depth of about 1/4 inch and keep evenly moist until germination in 7 to 14 days. When seedlings reach 3 inches tall, thin to 24 inches apart. Plants adapt to most soil types, need only moderate water once established, and bloom from summer into fall.

About Grow Organic

Grow Organic offers seeds, amendments, and garden supplies chosen to help home gardeners grow naturally and sustainably.

Sold by Grow Organic, based in Grass Valley, California.