Modern cultivars now offer a range of orange, gold, lemon yellow, bronze, amber, mahogany and even white. Another development is a more highly branched plant that may carry many smaller flower heads rather than one large head. Sunflowers have been gaining prominence as a cut-flower crop in the florist industry. Breeders have responded by creating new hybrids that bloom without producing pollen. These new floral cultivars solve the problem of pollen stains on fabrics and also extend the vase life of the cut flower.
Sunflowers are easy to grow in just about any type of garden soil and climate.
But choose a sunny place for best flowering. Although the sunflower is considered a warm-season crop, most will tolerate a light frost. A long-season crop, sunflowers must be fertilized several times over the growing season. To harvest sunflowers, cut the head when at least two-thirds of the seeds are mature. You can protect your harvest from birds by covering the maturing head with cheesecloth, netting or a paper bag.