Sunflower ‘Elite Sun’ F1 (Helianthus annuus)
Hardy annual
Large yellow flower heads borne on dwarf plants. A superb combination, especially for using in the border or even large containers. Ideal for exposed situations where normal height sunflowers would be damaged. Flowers summer. Height 1.2m (4ft).
Culinary note: Some parts of these flowers are edible. Seed kernels can be toasted.
Companion planting: Try growing sunflowers with chives to deter aphids.
Seeds from Thompson and Morgan
Sow indoors
Sow outdoors
Plant out
Flowers
| J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D |
Full sun
Up To 120cm (47.2in
Up To 60cm (23.6in)
Sow spring to early summer outdoors where they are to flower. Prepare the ground well and rake to a fine tilth before sowing. Sow 12mm (½in) deep in rows 45cm (18in) apart. They prefer a sunny open site but will grow in most sites and soils.
I grew these in a pot in 2020, five plants in the same container. On reflection, that wasn’t a great idea but they did grow well. A bit too well. Instead of the expected 4-5ft sunflowers, all of them topped out at around 7ft. I used 6/7ft canes to support them but also had to tie them together to stop them toppling over. The next year I planted them straight into the borders at the front of the bungalow and none of them grew. I suspect birds did for all but one which germinated and Nova promptly squashed running through the border. This year I’m going to be sowing them indoors then planting out with a bulb planter. Hopefully this should solve the bird issue.