Noteworthy CharacteristicsCultivars include 'Giant Grey Stripe' and 'Russian Giant'; 4- to 5-foot-tall ‘Primrose Yellow’; pure yellow, black-centered ‘Sunrich Lemon’, a pollen-free cultivar ideal for cut flowers; ‘Valentine’, a 5-foot-tall, base-branching plant with pale yellow petals and a big brown middle; 6- to 8-foot-tall ‘Autumn Beauty’ and the similar ‘Inca Jewels’, with flowers in a mix of colors; ‘Music Box’, a 2-1/2 footer similar to ‘Autumn Beauty’; ‘Sunburst’, another mix of colors on 4-foot plants; ‘Taiyo’, a 6-foot version of the classic tall sunflower; ‘Sunbeam’, a green-hearted golden flower; and ‘Teddy Bear’ and ‘Orange Sun Double', doubles.

CareTall cultivars may require support. Needs long, hot summers to flower well. Grow in moist but well-drained, moderately fertile, humus-rich soil.

PropagationSow seed in situ in spring or in pots in late winter.

ProblemsCommon: downy mildew, powdery mildew, canker, rust, and many fungal leaf spots. Also susceptible to damage from caterpillars, cutworms, beetles, and weevils.