Don t worry about remembering these names if the variety is pollen-free, the seed package or catalog description will mention it because it is considered a big plus. Another reason Mezo likes sunflowers is that some varieties make great plants for containers. At Chicago Botanic, she will fill containers 3 feet wide with a single-stem sunflower, patio tomato, several sage plants and several trailing nasturtiums. When the one sunflower has bloomed, she ll remove it and put in another sunflower that was germinated several weeks after the original one. This method provides four to five weeks of sunflower color in the one container.
Gardeners have their choice of two basic types of sunflowers single-stem and branching.
Pollen-free varieties are mostly found in the branching type. Single-stem varieties produce but one flower. When it s gone, the plant is done. Sowing seeds five weeks or so after the first seeds are sown will provide a second flush of color. The branching types do just that branch out, and as they do, produce a lot of flowers.