The 1 Resilient Yet Beautiful Flower That Can Make A Heat-Damaged Garden Look Good Again By Fall
Revive your yard with this tough yet cheery bloom
Our yards have taken a beating over the summer with relentless high temperatures and scorching sun. But if there's one plant that can revive them, it has to be Mexican sunflower.
Known botanically as tithonia rotundifolia, this tall, branching annual glows bright with its many orange and red daisy-like flowers, well until the first frosts arrive. Sending out a succession of blooms, it's vibrant presence peps up tired borders and container alike all while attracting a range of pollinators seeking out energising nectar.
A true showstopper that is surprisingly easy to grow and care for, Mexican sunflower is one of a few late summer resilient plants that no yard should be without. Check your local garden center for plants this month, or you can find Mexican sunflower seeds at True Leaf Market and get ready to sow them next spring, after the final frost.
Why Mexican Sunflowers Will Revitalize Your Late Summer Yard
The definitive, late summer yard reviver, Mexican sunflower is a joy to behold. It's tall stands of cheery orange-red flowers re-energize tired, parched borders, and mix effortlessly with fast-fading summer blooms and sun-bleached grasses.
Native to Mexico and Central America, this flowering beauty loves heat, direct sun and absolutely thrives in poor soil. A low-maintenance drought tolerant plant, it can be grown in USDA Hardiness zones 2-11, although it is best treated as an annual in zones 7 and colder.
Producing many, successive blooms, often measuring 2 to 3 inches (5 - 7.5cm) across, tithonia rotundifolia is an important source of late season nectar for bees, butterflies and other hardworking pollinators.
Reaching heights of around 28-42'' (71-106cm), these tall, branching plants make a big and useful addition to the garden.
'Tithonia is excellent at the back of a mixed border, along a fence line, or in a loose row where it can act as an informal late-summer screen,' explains plant expert Laura Coggan. 'Compact varieties like ‘Fiesta del Sol’ are better choices for containers, but any pot should have excellent drainage and heavy enough to support the plant.'
She also adds, 'tithonia is also a strong choice for cutting gardens, because the flowers are showy, pollinator-friendly, and useful in late-season arrangements,' continues Laura.
Try sowing Tithonia Goldfinger Seed from True Leaf Market for bloom laden branches and pair them with this 3D Garden Vase from Anthropologie for a bold centerpiece.
How To Grow Mexican Sunflower
Straightforward and undemanding to grow, this specialist pollinator plant is best sown undercover 6 to 8 weeks before the final frost. 'In most regions, the most dependable approach is to start fresh seed each spring after frost danger has passed or start seed indoors for earlier blooms,' says Laura. 'Mexican sunflower can self-seed where conditions allow, but gardeners should not rely on it as a guaranteed returner in colder climates,'
Thriving in a sunny spot with well drained soil, Mexican sunflower needs little watering once established and is ideal for xeriscaping. 'One of the surprising things about Tithonia is that it does not need rich soil to grow well,' explains Laura. 'Poor to average soil is often better, because too much fertility, especially nitrogen, can push leafy, leggy growth at the expense of flowers.'
A tall plant with a spread of 14-16'' (35-40cm), tithonia's brittle stems will benefit from support, especially when occupying an exposed position. Try grow-through grids, from Lowe's installed early in summer or opt for ring supports, also from Lowes that can easily fit around taller stems.
Alternatively, surround the plant with sturdy wooden stakes firmly knocked into the ground, such as these from Amazon, and using Walmart's natural jute twine, create a supportive cats cradle or mesh to contain the stems.
Make Mexican Sunflowers Bloom For Longer
Mexican sunflowers need minimal encouragement to keep producing their cheery blooms. 'Deadheading is the best way to keep Mexican sunflower blooming. Removing spent flowers encourages the plant to keep producing buds rather than putting its energy into seed,' says Laura.
These slender-nosed snips from Walmart make nipping off spent and fading flowerheads a quick task, but for tackling a large area of flowers you could use a sharp pair of hedge shears, such as these wavy-edged ones from Walmart. Aim to cut just above a leaf node as this will encourage healing and new flower buds to form.
Leaving some seedheads to fade and ripen naturally will not only provide garden birds and small mammals, such as chipmunks and squirrels, with a nutritious food source but it can also be handy for gardeners too.
'If gardeners leave a few late-season seedheads, they may be able to collect seed for the following year,' Laura explains. 'Just note that saved seed from hybrid or selected varieties may not produce plants identical to the parent, so fresh seed is the best route when you want consistent height, habit, and flower color.'
If you do want to try collecting your own seeds, why not use these nifty Seed Packet Envelopes from Walmart and gift them to friends.
Environmental horticulture specialist for Park Seed, with formal training in plant performance, garden design, and seasonal crop selection.
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Extend your yard's floral display well into the cooler months with these best fall-blooming native plants and the pot plants to grow now for blooms through fall.
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