Types of sunflowers

Sunflowers are annuals grown from seed. Use the filters to narrow the list by color, height and habit, then open a variety for its full record and where to buy seed.

All sunflowers

40 sunflower varieties

A American Giant sunflower flower up close on the plant American Giant F1 hybrid giant sunflower, 8 to 16 feet tall with 10-inch yellow flower heads. Single stemEarly summerTall
A Autumn Beauty sunflower flower up close on the plant Autumn Beauty Branching sunflower mix, up to 8 inch blooms in yellow, bronze and purple shades. BranchingMidsummerTall
A Big Smile sunflower flower up close on the plant Big Smile Open-pollinated dwarf sunflower, 12–24 in. tall, with golden-yellow flowers. BranchingMidsummerCompact
A Buttercream sunflower flower up close on the plant Buttercream Pollenless cut sunflower with pale butter-yellow flowers and brown centers. BranchingEarly summerMedium height
A Chocolate Cherry sunflower flower up close on the plant Chocolate Cherry Branching sunflower with chocolate-burgundy 5–8 inch blooms on 6–7 ft plants. BranchingMidsummerMedium height
A Cinnamon Sun sunflower flower up close on the plant Cinnamon Sun F1 ornamental sunflower with 5–6 inch cinnamon-bronze blooms on 5–7 ft plants. BranchingMidsummerMedium height
A Claret sunflower flower up close on the plant Claret Pollen-free F1 sunflower with dark reddish-brown blooms on bushy plants. BranchingMidsummerMedium height
A Evening Sun sunflower flower up close on the plant Evening Sun Multi-branching sunflower with 4–6 inch blooms in red, orange and burgundy. BranchingMidsummerTall
A Firecracker sunflower flower up close on the plant Firecracker F1 branching sunflower, 36–46 in. tall, with pollenless red and gold flowers. BranchingMidsummerMedium height
A Giant Primrose sunflower flower up close on the plant Giant Primrose Top-branching sunflower 8 to 12 feet tall with many pale creamy yellow flowers. BranchingEarly summerTall
A Italian White sunflower flower up close on the plant Italian White Heirloom branching sunflower with 4 inch cream petals around a dark center. BranchingMidsummerMedium height
A Jade sunflower flower up close on the plant Jade Pollenless branching sunflower with pale greenish white petals and lime-green centers. BranchingEarly summerMedium height
A Kong sunflower flower up close on the plant Kong F1 hybrid giant sunflower 13 to 14 feet tall, branching, with heads up to 10 inches golden yellow heads. BranchingEarly summerTall
A Lemon Queen sunflower flower up close on the plant Lemon Queen Branching sunflower 5 to 7 feet tall with lemon yellow flowers and brown centers. BranchingEarly summerMedium height
A Little Becka sunflower flower up close on the plant Little Becka Branching, pollenless sunflower, 2–3 ft tall, with copper-red and yellow flowers. BranchingMidsummerCompact
A Mammoth sunflower flower up close on the plant Mammoth Heirloom giant sunflower: one 10–12 inch yellow head on a single stalk up to 12 ft. Single stemMidsummerTall
A Moulin Rouge sunflower flower up close on the plant Moulin Rouge Pollenless branching F1 sunflower with deep burgundy 3–6 inch blooms. BranchingMidsummerMedium height
A Orange Hobbit sunflower flower up close on the plant Orange Hobbit Dwarf branching sunflower with pollenless 4 to 7 inch orange flowers, 30 to 40 inches tall. BranchingMidsummerCompact
A ProCut Lemon Lite sunflower flower up close on the plant ProCut Lemon Lite Pollenless single-stem cut sunflower with pale lemon-yellow 4 to 6 inch flowers, 50 to 60 days. Single stemMidsummerMedium height
A ProCut Orange sunflower flower up close on the plant ProCut Orange Pollenless single-stem cut sunflower with 4 to 6 inch orange flowers, 50 to 60 days. Single stemEarly summerMedium height
A ProCut Orange DMR sunflower flower up close on the plant ProCut Orange DMR Downy mildew resistant ProCut orange sunflower, pollenless and single-stem, 52 to 62 days. Single stemMidsummerMedium height
A ProCut Orange Excel sunflower flower up close on the plant ProCut Orange Excel Early pollenless single-stem cut sunflower with 4 to 6 inch orange flowers, 50 to 55 days. Single stemMidsummerMedium height
A ProCut Red sunflower flower up close on the plant ProCut Red Pollenless single-stem F1 cut sunflower with deep red 3–6 inch flowers. Single stemMidsummerMedium height
A ProCut White Nite sunflower flower up close on the plant ProCut White Nite Pollenless cut sunflower with creamy, almost white petals and a dark center. Single stemEarly summerMedium height
A Red Sun sunflower flower up close on the plant Red Sun Branching sunflower with 5–6 inch smoky burgundy to copper flowers. BranchingMidsummerMedium height
A Ruby Eclipse sunflower flower up close on the plant Ruby Eclipse Pollenless branching F1 sunflower with ruby-red, lemon-tipped 4–5 inch flowers. BranchingMidsummerMedium height
A Skyscraper sunflower flower up close on the plant Skyscraper Single-stem giant sunflower, 10 to 12 feet tall with 14-inch yellow heads. Single stemEarly summerTall
A Starburst Lemon Aura sunflower flower up close on the plant Starburst Lemon Aura Pollenless branching sunflower with fully double pale yellow flowers. BranchingEarly summerMedium height
A Strawberry Blonde sunflower flower up close on the plant Strawberry Blonde Pollenless F1 branching sunflower, burgundy to pink petals with lemon tips. BranchingMidsummerMedium height
A SunBuzz sunflower flower up close on the plant SunBuzz Compact F1 pot sunflower, 12–20 in. tall, with pollen-free yellow flowers. BranchingMidsummerCompact
A Sunny Smile sunflower flower up close on the plant Sunny Smile Hybrid dwarf, pollenless sunflower, 15–20 in. tall, with a branching habit. BranchingMidsummerCompact
A Sunrich Orange sunflower flower up close on the plant Sunrich Orange Pollenless single-stem cut sunflower with 4 to 6 inch orange flowers. Single stemEarly summerMedium height
A Sunspot sunflower flower up close on the plant Sunspot Dwarf sunflower, 18–24 in. tall, with yellow heads 6–10 in. across. Single stemMidsummerCompact
A Suntastic sunflower flower up close on the plant Suntastic AAS-winning dwarf sunflower up to 20 in. tall with yellow, black-centered flowers. BranchingMidsummerCompact
A Sunzilla sunflower flower up close on the plant Sunzilla F1 hybrid giant sunflower, 10 to 16 feet tall with large golden yellow heads. Single stemEarly summerTall
A Teddy Bear sunflower flower up close on the plant Teddy Bear Double, shaggy yellow sunflower with 3–5 inch blooms on 30–42 inch single-stem plants. Single stemMidsummerCompact
A Titan sunflower flower up close on the plant Titan Heirloom giant sunflower, 10 to 14 feet tall with heads up to 24 inches across. Single stemEarly summerTall
A Valentine sunflower flower up close on the plant Valentine Open-pollinated branching sunflower, 55–60 in. tall, with lemon-yellow flowers. BranchingMidsummerMedium height
A Vanilla Ice sunflower flower up close on the plant Vanilla Ice Multi-branched Helianthus debilis, about 5 ft tall, with creamy light yellow flowers. BranchingMidsummerMedium height
A Velvet Queen sunflower flower up close on the plant Velvet Queen Heirloom branching sunflower with red to mahogany blooms up to 8 inches. BranchingMidsummerMedium height

How to choose

  1. Decide between single-stem and branching plants. Johnny's Selected Seeds says single-stem types give one flower per plant and branching types several.

  2. Check the Height column. NC State Extension gives sunflowers a range of 2 to 10 feet, with dwarf and giant types beyond both ends.

  3. Look at pollen on each record if you grow for vases. Johnny's describes its single-stem hybrids as pollenless.

Frequently asked questions

When should I sow sunflowers?

NC State Extension says sunflowers are best planted from seed after the last frost in spring, in full sun of 6 or more hours a day.

How does spacing change the flowers?

Johnny's Selected Seeds says 6 by 6 inch spacing gives smaller, bouquet-sized flowers, and 12 inch spacing gives larger ones.

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