This medium-height (100–150 cm) sunflower variety of Spanish origin is an excellent choice for the home gardener seeking both visual beauty and practical benefits for garden beds. What makes this plant special is its eye-catching appearance: the large central flower head features a greenish center and bright lemon-yellow ray florets. Unlike conventional single-stem varieties, this plant produces abundant side shoots from the leaf axils crowned with smaller blooms, ensuring profuse flowering from July to September.
Beyond its ornamental value, the sunflower is a highly effective cover crop. Its robust, deep-reaching root system loosens compacted soil layers, significantly improving soil structure and water permeability. Rapid early growth and dense foliage shade the ground, effectively suppressing emerging weeds. In autumn, the oil-rich seeds provide a valuable energy source for visiting garden birds. A 100-gram packet is sufficient to sow approximately 70–100 square meters.
Usage and Cultivation Instructions:
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Sowing time: For earlier flowering, sow seeds indoors in pots in April. Direct outdoor sowing can be done starting in May once the soil has warmed up sufficiently.
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Location: Prefers a warm, sunny location. Undemanding regarding soil types, thriving equally well in lighter sandy soils and heavier clay soils.
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Sowing depth: 2–3 cm.
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Planting density: Optimal spacing ensures strong stems – allow 8 plants per square meter.
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Flowering and harvest: Blooms from July to September. When used as green manure, work the green biomass into the soil before the stems become overly woody.
Tips and recommendations:
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Leave some sunflowers standing in the garden bed in autumn – their oil-rich seeds provide vital natural food for overwintering birds.
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When pre-cultivating indoors, use deeper pots, as sunflowers rapidly develop a long taproot that should not be damaged during transplanting.