It is one of the easiest plants for the gardener to grow. The sunflower is a true native wildflower and deserves recognition for both its wild and cultivated forms. A native American plant, the sunflower plant family has adapted so it can be grown in each state in the continental United States. Two basic categories of sunflowers are grown in home gardens.
Many gardeners produce prize winning seed heads or the tallest sunflower plant.
Recently, they have introduced new cultivars and hybrids that are short in height, mature in seventy days, and some are even disease tolerant. The second type of sunflower is the Helianthus. Helianthus are grown for their decorative flowers. They come in many colors and sizes. Dwarf size types of sunflowers are fifteen inches high and have a fully double golden chrysanthemum type.