One of several plants that really stand out in the late summer garden is Mexican sunflowers.
I planted my Mexican sunflower seeds after our last frost this year. When they started growing, I thought there must have been a mistake. They were getting huge, wide and were without flowers. By now they were over 3 feet tall and still growing. I became concerned because I had acquired the seeds from a seed swap.
Since they were already there, I decided not even trying to pull them out now, that I would wait until fall and get them out then. Meantime I would break them off from their tops to maintain their size. (Good idea huh?)
Just when I was getting used to looking at them in my new garden, all of a sudden they started to bloom. The flowers now are 3 inches across with bright deep orange color surrounding a dense cluster of bright yellow disc florets! Simply stunning! I find I can't take my eyes off of them. They are beautiful and such a pleasant summer surprise! Now they're 5 feet tall and full of blooms. :)
My hummers and my huge monarch butterflies love them as much as I do too! They are drought and deer resistant. Since we live near the woods and see deer all the time, I'd have to ask, how much better does it get? :)
I will live the rest of my life with Mexican sunflowers in my gardens. I'd be crazy not to and so would you! :)
I live in Zone 7a and mine are planted in my north side yard with eastern exposure. Mine love the sun but also like a break from it too. (don't we all!)
Blooms remain open and attractive for ten days or more, making them an effective cut flower.
Aren't they pretty?
They're really pretty! I kinda want to eat them. ;)
If you tried to eat them you would have a fight on your hands with my Monarch Butterflies, they love them! lol
An Aha! moment for me. I was wondering what I had growing. Now I remember buying Mexican sunflower seeds. Never heard of them before I saw them in Walmart. Guess I was expecting them to come up like the standard sunflowers. Actually I forgot what I had planted because I just made a big mix of all the packets I had laying around plus the Mexican Sunflowers seeds.
Arlinn like you I was expecting them to be the regular sunflowers so that's what I was looking for didn't see them and thought they were sassafras trees, surprise your going to love them!
Know what, my Mexican sunflowers thought me something this week it taught me that if I let a drought resistant flowers alone they will flower for me even more.
This past week I'd been to sick to get out and water my flowers except for the ones I have in flower pots right before my eyes I could see the flowers in my yard that did fine without me, they even bloomed more without me!
From now on though I will be planting annuals that are drought and deer resistant. I'm enjoying my lesson that my Mexican sunflowers taught me this week. :)
