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I grew these along with giant sunflowers in my small 4x6 garden, it was competing with the giant sunflowers and one stalk grew just as tall and thick, then one small flower bloomed. A few week later it exploded with blooms, 50 plus on one stalk, amazing!
Those Mexican Sunflowers have got to be THE MOST brightest orange flowers out there! Thanks Kaye for sharing your experiences, knowledge, success & failures... but especially YOUR GARDEN with the You Tube world.
My sister has this in her garden and sent me your video so now I will plant them too with my milkweed plants. Thank you for the wonderful videos to help us in the garden!
+Laurie Nykaza Thank you so much for commenting Laurie, and please thank your sister for sharing! I hope you have subscribed and if you are a relatively new gardener, please subscribe at latebloomershow.com and download my FREE ebook, "10 Steps to a Great First Garden"! Thanks! Please share.
Hello Kaye and garden lovers, enjoyed your presentation, and your beautiful garden. The pics are really nice seeing the birds, bees butterflies and ladybugs haveing a good time eating and helping out the process😊 I've planted Mexican sunflower seeds last yr for the 1st time I didn't expect anything especially because they took long time to germinate. But when they bloomed, I was amazed at the beautiful color, they were out of this world gorgeous. Bright and beautiful. Will try again in couple weeks. My first time watching your video. My planting zone is 13 in the Bahamas, hot and humid😊 I'll watch another of your video's. Happy planting and keep sharing your garden knowledge with us thanks!
Excellent presentation and I agree those numerous blooms appear way better then individual traditional sunflowers. Here in South Texas I expect they will do very well.
I'm a late bloomer too, lol. I'm going to give this flower a try for the first time this year. Just found some seeds and was wondering about this plant. Very nice video, thank you.
Tithonia is on that I'm happy I planted. The Monarchs were here in Pittsburgh, PA in late September, perhaps early October. I felt proud to have a flower to offer them beyond Swamp Milkweed. A caller on Mike McGraph's "You Bet Your Garden" podcast mentioned it being a late forage plant for the Monarchs. I was so proud to offer it and it is still growing in early November, but of course the Monarchs have gone.
I was too early with Chard twice. A (17) degree night wiped it out. My daughter & I planted Gladioli bulbs yesterday. I used my Sneeboer bulb planter. It's so convenient to use. I have been growing Swamp Milkweed from seeds I harvested. What temp have you found to be too cold for Tithonus?
Amazing video! Thank you for this information. A friend of mine just told me yesterday she has some baby Mexican Sunflower plants to share with me. After watching your video, I am even more excited!
I had no idea there were wild parrots in the United States! That’s so awesome! If we had them in Texas, I’d plant my entire yard with sunflowers for them! I love birds!
Its a beautiful dark orange flower i planted a seed a few days ago and now its sprouting 4 weeks maybe from now it may blooms.. 🌻🦋🐦🍃-love from Philippines. 😎
Kaye, thank you so much for this wonderful video. I have a certified Monarch butterfly waystation in my backyard and planted Mexican sunflowers this past summer. They were the show stopper of the garden and attracted many types of pollinators each day. I wanted to save seeds but didn't know how until I found this video. I enjoy all of your gardening videos!
+Susan Fluharty If you didn't save seeds, let me know. I have some. Also, you can expect some volunteer plants next summer popping up, not necessarily where you might plant them either. I'm so proud you are doing that. The seed pods, when dry are almost like thorns, so you don't want to use your fingers to try and pull them out. Thank you so much for watching and I'm thrilled you are enjoying them. Please share with a friend.
Thanks so much, Kaye, but I bought some Mexican sunflowers seeds at the Mother Earth News Fair recently because I didn't know how to save the seeds and wanted to make sure I had some for next summer. But thanks to your video, I'll save seeds from next summer's flowers! Keep those wonderful gardening videos coming!
+Susan Fluharty Thank you, Susan! I am committed to 100 episodes on my own money. After that, must raise money to keep going. If the fundraising efforts I implemented last year don't raise required funds I will have to do something. Thanks for your support!!
Love my Mexican Sunflowers! It's interesting that growers say they attract bees... I for sure get different butterflies daily, which is lovely! But the bees don't bother with them AT ALL. They are way too in love with the Spanish Needles growing along side them. They are obsessed! It's so fun to watch. Would be nice to see them enjoying the sunflowers as well, but I guess they're just too satisfied with what they've got. 🍃🌼🐝
I grow scented flowers and herbs along the path to my house. I also grow giant Zinnias, sunflowers, cosmos and marigolds. They are great because they can handle our hot weather here in Australia. I am going to find some Mexican sunflowers and give that a go.
Kaye Kittrell - I grew these after seeing your video on them. Not sure if you remember me but I was going to grow them in pots, which I did. I don't think my pot (4 gallon) was big enough ... it's still growing a producing a flower here and there, but the ones I put in the ground exploded! They are so beautiful! From now on they get a place in my garden. (Bees and butterflies do love them too!)
Lori Daup Yeah, don't think they will be happy in a pot, just because they don't like too much water or fertilizer and it's hard to get that right in a pot. And yes, they can get huge! Yes, bees and butterflies love them! I've got a few growing, but nothing like the monster plant in the video last year. Thanks for letting me know!
I grew these years ago, and forgot about them till this spring and found a pack of seeds at Lowe's. They are one of the most rewarding and enjoyable flowers you can grow. I plant quite a few seeds in one hole, so they are really bushy. My one cluster was 8 ft tall. I have videos of humming bird s and monarchs. I have about 30 friends that I have gathered seed for. Sadly next week I will be pulling them as we will be getting frost.
Great recommendations. I just started Mexican sunflowers and milkweed. I'm super excited to see all of the butterflies these flowers will attract! Thanks for all of the great tips.
Yes, Mexican sunflowers or tithonia certainly🌻 attract all kinds of pollinators. 🦋🐝 Even hummingbirds.They’re an ideal plant for full sun here in the Carolinas. I’ve just started some seeds. ☀️
Those Mexican Sunflowers look gorgeous and butterflies love them.. You are correctly creating a place for benefical insects. The clip of the hummingbirds at the end was fantastic- like 3D. The wild Parrots are a nuisance and can wake you up in the early morning. Over here they can devour or distroy the leaves from a big tree in an hour and they have eaten phone wirers. They are beautiful to watch. I hope the sunflower keeps looking east towards London as much as possible. Best wishes
Just purchased a Mexican Sunflower plant at our local farmers market. It is only about 6" tall, but I was told I could expect blooms in the fall. Hope mine will eventually be as lovely as yours!
Beautiful Mexican sunflowers Kaye! It's great that you are creating a nice place for beneficial birds and insects. Those parrots are pesky, but they sure are pretty. Are you going to grow sunchokes this year?
Are the Mexican Sunflowers native to southern California? I know there are many types of Milkweed, native to many parts of the US. Way to go supporting Monarchs. I'll be planting Milkweed this year to hopefully attract some Monarchs, although I have only seen one in our area over the course of many years. My wife and I have a wide variety of native perennials that attract lots of diverse insect species, which really helps in the vegetable garden.
+John hope I have many milk weed plants and many seeds from them...the orange flowering kind that are in SoCal...they do attract Monarchs....have photos of the butterflies...and the caterpillars eat like crazy....however one problem is they can get aphids which can really be devastating to both caterpillar and plants. Ants overwinter aphids and reintroduce them to plants...so it can be a war with aphids...the flowers look nice....you should have numerous plants because a healthy caterpillar can chomp through a small plant pretty fast...fun to see the butterflies though and the flowers in full bloom make quite a display.
***** Unfortunately, I don't have any extra. They're actually a perennial. So, when you harvest tubers, you keep enough of them in the ground for the next crop. They're also invasive, so you'd probably want to grow them in a container in your garden. I don't think parrots would bother them. They don't have big seeds like sunflowers.
Hi from Auckland, New Zealand, Kaye. It’s mid spring here and I have just bought some Tithonia seeds to sow. Looking forward to more Monarch butterflies arriving in the garden! Thanks for your lovely video, most informative.
I absolutely love them My first year growing them, there matienice free I have lot more butterflies and hummingbirds and the monarch butterflies too ✌️ these are now 1 of my favorite to grow
Wonderful! I didn't manage to get seeds this year, but hope to next year. I have seen three Monarchs here on my Tennessee homestead (moved in 2020 back to my home state and have a large yard and gardens, check out newer videos!). What did really well for me were zinnias, sunflowers, African marigold (4' tall!), Ammi Dara, Garden Balsam, and Sulphur Cosmos. Hope to hear from you again!
Wow i have one of these! I had no idea it was a Mexican sunflower! I just thought it was a red sunflower! I planted about 100 seeds of these but only 2 plant popped up its huge and each plant has about 20 flowers so im guessing next year ill have dozens of these due to reseeding from the blooms dropping.
ApocalypticStorms It's interesting, it will reseed if the conditions are right. Obviously there were 1000 seeds that fell in the parkway underneath that huge bush and I have about a half dozen plants total and only about four over there and none near the size of the one in the video. The thing is if you deadhead it will keep blooming till the weather gets cool. You will be able to tell when all the leaves are brown and no new buds come out, or they come out small. Keep me posted on it's progress!
I made a rain garden last fall and now I'm going to try to grow swamp milkweed in it. I have mexican milkweed but, I'm hearing that can give the monarchs some kind of fungus or something that kills them.
Grand Prairie, Texas. Our monarchs severely decreased in numbers as well. Here is an article about the dangers of tropical milkweed. monarchjointventure.org/images/uploads/documents/Oe_fact_sheet.pdf
Joan Smith Just seeing this, thank you SO much, Joan. I'd heard you shouldn't grow it, but when they showed up in November and my native had died back, the reseeded Tropical (from a nursery plant the year before) gave them food. I have pulled out all the big ones, and think I will cut all Tropical that reseeds back in fall when the native dies off. That way they won't stop and breed here. It's true, the first winter I provided food and the ones born in Jan., all had OE. Devastating to see that. Thanks! Sharing! If you want to order Mexican Sunflower seeds, please order through my website. Thanks! www.latebloomershow.com/2015/04/20/order-mexican-sunflower-seeds/
I had never heard of Mexican Sunflowers! Thank you so much for this video. I noticed that they are perennials in zones 10-11.. I wonder how they would do in hot and humid North Carolina...
Claudette Faglie I would say they would do fine, but they will not be a perennial there. Just don't need to overwater. Or maybe it rains enough where you are that you don't have to water. Here, it doesn't rain all summer.
Claudette Faglie If you are interested in buying seeds, please buy them through the Late Bloomer store. You will be helping to produce more Late Bloomer episodes. Thanks! www.latebloomershow.com/2015/04/20/order-mexican-sunflower-seeds/
Hey Kaye - I love your Mexican sunflowers. I grow them too, they do well in Tx. The butterflies are just so attracted to that deep orange. They are in my clay soil and doing just fine. We just had quite a few days of rain, so a few plants got so heavy, they bent right to the ground. I tied them up to my garden fence and they are still blooming. I grew borage last year but it dropped seeds everywhere. They are beautiful and really attract the bees, I just need to find a different place to grow them. You have made me want to get some milkweed seeds.
Oh, yes, you MUST!! We have to do all we can for Monarchs and you especially as you are in the corridor for the Mexican migration which may or may not survive another year. Along the corridor all the wild milkweed has been killed with Roundup. So yes, find some milkweed native to your area, and I would try to find some plants because they self seed really well, but sowing the seeds is more tricky. Nature works best for milkweed, not that it can't be done.
Hi. I have quite a few plants in my back yard this year not knowing the name of it. By watching your channel, I learned that it is Mexican sunflower. Thanks.
These are easy to grow! Even when the high winds knocked them down to the ground they just kept on blooming their hearts out. While most of our Tithonias were red there were some that were more orange.
Thank you for watching!! I absolutely loved growing these and they attracted so many beneficial insects and were stunning to see. But, when I planted the parkway in pineapple guavas, there was no space. Can't wait for a huge yard! Stay with me during this transition! Check out what's growing now in my front yard with my two recent videos! xxx
suburban homestead Siloe if you are thinking or ordering seeds, please buy them through the Late Bloomer store. You will be helping to produce more Late Bloomer episodes. Thanks! @2015
Rob Prince If you are interested in buying Mexican sunflower seeds, please buy them through the Late Bloomer store. You will be helping to produce more Late Bloomer episodes. Thanks! @2015
***** thank you for introducing me to the store, I did purchase some of the mexican sunflower seeds, but I didn't stop there, I added several items to the cart. I hope to continue to add many colors and flavors to my gardening experiences, thank you !
I hope you like it! Please report back with a recommendation. I planted seeds back then and didn't know there was a dwarf variety. I will say the foliage is GREAT biomass for compost or mulch.
Kaye, do you always direct seed? I have tried to transplant tithonia with very limited success. Have you ever transplanted them, and do you have any tips?
I have a Salvia clevlandii starting to bloom which sits next to a Salvia gregii, the two colors clash so well. My tithonia's are just now germinating so maybe by early July I will have blooms?
As much as I enjoy growing this Mexican Sunflower, I have encountered a lot of problems like various leaf spot diseases, rust, verticillium wilt, powdery mildew, and worst of all, stem rot, also known as white mold. Do you have any suggestions on how to treat the problems? Thank you.
Ordered seeds , getting ready to plant in N.E. Florida Zone 9a. I have a question, please.. Are tithonia speciosa goldfinger and tithonia speciosa yellow torch different plants from the tithonia rotundifolia? Thank you.
Hi Kay, this is wonderfully produced. I grew Mexican Sunflowers here in Ontario Canada from recycled seeds last year and they were so-so because the rabbits ate most of them . This year I am using pots in an area the rabbits keep away from because if my little dog. They are about 2ft tall and I am desperate for flowers soon! I usually just grow veggies and regular sunflowers but I love this tithonia sunflower so I figured I would give it another go. After watching your video I am glad I did. Keep up the inspiring work. Love your self humour out takes at the end. You are quite a gal and that is a big complement coming from a Scotsman living in a cold climate. Enjoy your summer.
Oh, thank you! I missed this comment till now. I really appreciate that. I was just wishing today that some volunteers had come up as I didn't plant any seeds. A little too late now, I think. I added 2-4" of wood chips to my parkway and that I'm sure suppressed any little sprouts that might have reseeded from last year. I hope yours do well. Thanks for the encouragement. It is needed tonight. :) I'm part Scottish you know..
+Kaye Kittrell | Late Bloomer Urban Organic Garden Show Hi Kate thanks for the reply. Clearly your on-screen charm comes from your Scottish genes! I am pleased to say that despite being in relatively small pots my Mexican Sunflowers have done well. They were slow to develop even though we have had a very hot summer here in Ontario Canada. The good news I have had about 6 of the potted plants develop weand I have a nice collection 2.5-3ft plants with lots of blooms. They are beautiful and much appreciated, especially since some naughty critter has climbed my 5-6ft Sunflowers, chewed their heads off and carried them away. In three days I have lost about 6 sunflowers. I know many birds and rodents like the mature seeds but the sunflower heads had not quite reached the bloom stage. Whoever it was is a wee rascal. That is life in the garden, you have to expect things to go wrong and occasionally you get lucky the other way when you get a nice volunteer plant to enjoy.
Well, if you saw some earlier episodes you know that we have a wild parrot flock that lives in the canyon nearby. Legend has it a pet store In Santa Monica near here burned decades ago and some Nanday Conure parrots escaped. Their flock of 80 or so do a flyover every morning and night and when I was growing Lemon Queen, the tall ones with many blooms, they would stop here and feast. The blooms never got open fully before they were ravaged. You can see them here: ruclips.net/video/Pt4KVGdHiNU/видео.html So I didn't grow them for two summers as I focused on the Mexican Sunflower, but this year I was sent some free seeds so planted a few. Same thing. I put netting over them, but the blooms didn't respond well and unfortunately sunflower also is susceptible to powdery mildew, my slave master. So, much to my sadness, I cannot grow them. As for MS I should have tried seeding some in pots. I've got one tiny spot on the corner of the parkway that would have been perfect. The three inches of wood chips suppressed the dropped seeds from reseeding this year. I miss them! Thank you, I hope so...about the Scottish genes.... So, what's going to happen over there, after Brexit. Is the new PM making nice with the Scottish PM? Trying to fixit ? haha
+Kaye Kittrell | Late Bloomer Urban Organic Garden Show Hi Kay, when I lived in London, England, there was a flock of lime green Parakeets that souls screech around the area I lived which had grown to quite a flock from some escapees that had bred and survived locally. Seeing exotic birds flying around was nice and very unexpected in the British climate. Nature is full of surprises. Regards Desmond
Very useful,...I'm a Monarch fan, but I live in SW France & they are much rarer in Europe than in North America..I am thinking of trying to create a corridor of Milkweed & similar butterfly attractants, to see of we can;t get to establish a colony here.
if grow sun flower indoors how close to your last frost should you start growing them example a month early before last frost? whens ideal time to grow indoors thanks good video. like to see more Butterfly around here!!!
Hi Kaye! Love love your Mexican sunflower, makes me run to the store to look for seeds, but unfortunately did not find any yet. Probably order it online. I'm longing to see butterflies around but its mid July and still haven't seen any here in Valencia, CA. I love to see Monach my 4.5yr old is waiting for them to come hope we can see them soon. I just started planting a Milkweed hope to see thier bloom next year. Love watching is video over and over again. Lol.
Jocelyn R You can order the seeds here and it will help Late Bloomer. If you cannot afford to buy seeds, I will be happy to send you some. www.latebloomershow.com/2015/04/20/order-mexican-sunflower-seeds/ Monarchs were dancing all around me yesterday, it was heaven! Thanks for getting in touch!
I have that and it's really Mexican Marigold, I THINK. Not sure, have been confused about it. Actually I got some seeds from Horizon Herbs for that, but never planted them. Let me know if you learn anything! Hope you enjoy some of my newer content as well!
They are a great plant choice for SE Georgia as well. My first flowers opened on around June 8th. In our humid climate, mildew is the biggest problem. It helps to spray them down with some fungicide or baking soda water every once and a while. They rarely need watering much in our wet climate. If you keep dead heading them, they usually bloom until frost, mid to late November. God bless.
Thank you, Marcus!! Yes, PM is my biggest ordeal here. I haven't sprayed MS, but I sprayed my sunflowers this year with baking soda (1 tbl./gallon ?) I hope they come up this year. I did not plant any seed this year and have added a few inches of wood chips so they may not reseed. Thanks so much for watching and commenting! God bless you.
All things fungal and bacterial are just especially bad in the deep south. That's the reason California is much better known for growing fruit even though most fruit trees can be grown here without much irrigation at all. Alabama, Georgia and South Carolina would dominate pear, peach and grape production were it not for our extreme disease pressure. I grow a lot of fruit trees as a home gardener, and plant diseases are a constant battle, much worse than bugs or dry weather. I don't believe I have ever seen a regular sunflower here that did not look raggedy on account of mildew. I don't bother with them on account of it. I do grow zinnias and chrysanthemums and mildew is a constant battle with both of them.
UGH, what a pain are plant diseases. I wonder what my grandmother did? She had an amazing 1/2 acre planted just for her personal garden. She grew everything, in N. Alabama. As for fruit here, yes citrus does well for some, if you have the sun. I think I've gotten a half dozen oranges off my Valencia tree in 4 years. My Meyer lemon tree though is loaded. They get a lot of insect damage. Takes a lot of TLC to keep a garden going. As you will see in my next episode, I had to get rid of all my California poppies!! Thanks for contributing!!
In all, I have lost over 15 plum trees to bacterial stem canker before they reached full maturity. Four hardy souls have made it to full maturity but I hold my breath every late summer when the every day summer showers hit. One day the tree will be beautiful and well watered, and the next day the trunk will be split open with amber colored jello coming out. When that happens there is nothing to be done but dig it out root and all, and another stone fruit can't be planted in that spot for six years. That's how long the ground remains contaminated. You just have to be selective about the varieties you plant and as much as possible plant natives or fruit trees that have been hybridized with Natives. The single best fruit to grow in South Georgia is muscadine. It's a grape native to the Southeast. If you have never had one, you are missing out on one of the most delicious fruits there is. People from outside the South kind of have to put "grape" out of their minds because Muscadines are so different in so many ways.
Sounds gross and heartbreaking! As for muscadine, read this: www.latebloomershow.com/2015/09/16/files-from-road-muscadine-harvest/ a blog I filed on my Sept. trip home to TN last fall. An old friend changed careers late in life and became a wine grower and maker.
+Dylan Cole www.flightofthebutterflies.com/epic-migrations/ www.monarch-butterfly.com/monarch-migration.html Since I don't know the answer, I am giving you some links to try. I hope so!! www.monarchwatch.org/tagmig/
i germinated tithonia "red torch" and tithonia "goldfinger yellows" from seeds very easily indoors in May and transferred the seedlings outside in June, into 3inch pots. After a few weeks I put them into the ground . No problems at all and I didnt lose a single seed BUT They are all orange, neither are red or yellow. Is this normal? Is there such thing a bright red or bright yellow tithonia?
This was my first year growing this Sunflower. I have a Butterfly garden and all the BF loved it exp Monarchs. I just wish I had more land. I would like to grow the yellow, and more if I knew where to get the seeds...
@Peggy Ballenger I have some planted and they're probably 5 months old in the ground now... my leaves get droopy when it's really hot out and too much sun. They also will feel soft and limp... but once I water, soon after they perk up. Mine are basically planted in very sandy soil, I didn't really ammend the soil when I planted either. I kind of afterward topped it with some store bought potting soil.... Once established they should probably do better with less watering. I remember when I had them growing as seedlings, I'd have to water every day, but now, not so much. Also, make sure the soil drains well. Hope that helps. And try to water at the base of the plants and not on the leaves.... I think some of mine have some sort of blight happening on the leaves, those are full sun (yet mega-flowering) possibly stressed out ones that mainly have that issue right now. Have a good day!
Thanks for the info....I have just started to plant this plant here in Hawaii to show the state park leaders of how this plant in particular can make our parks pretty. Wish me well ..Ken
Oh, I do wish you luck! I wonder how it will do year-round there. It doesn't quite make it through the winter here, and is quite difficult to start from seed. It does better with that, dropping its own seeds, than trying to seed it. Please keep me posted, and hope you find many other videos of interest here. Might I also suggest Mexican Marigold? It flowers nearly all year here, in L.A. And smells fabulous. The leaves actually have the scent, so you get the scent even when it's not in bloom. You will see the big bush (must smaller leaves and flowers than Mex. Sunflower) in a few of my recent videos. All the best!! - Kaye
I grew thousands of marigolds while in India 77'-85 as I was the gardener in charge there, but I had red spider mites problems and did not know what to do about it ..Also marigolds are annuals and here in Hawaii I am only really interested in perennials...I will soon plant as many Bougainvilleas as I am getting help from the park workers in getting unused waste land that borders our local 250 state park of which is mostly all lawn..Sooner or later some one will take a nice you tube video about our park because there are not much flowers planted any more by the local population..Even the once very popular Hibiscus flowers are a rare sight ...What I really love is the Pua keni keni tree as the flowers are extremely fragrant like the common yellow very fragrant plumeria s now also a rare sight ...both can be pruned at a low height in order to enjoy the sweetness ...At Honolulu airport they plant the dwarf plumeria and when you get off the plane Wow you are in Hawaii. But actually these plants as well as others should be planted every where and now that I am getting healthy and active at age 69 I plan to help out in this way..Have a nice day .. Ken PS when I was in India I never knew that Neem oil or other insecticidal oils as Ag knowledge was not available to me where i lived .
Thanks, Kenneth! I'm not talking about marigolds, but this is a perennial BUSH, like mine is 5' tall, and loaded with mall yellow blooms most of the year.The leaves are so fragrant. Of course you can cut it back down low and let it grow up again, but mine is between 4-5' tall. If you check out my spring and summer episodes you will see it. Just a suggestion. Not sure it's right for Hawaii, seems more like orchids are the thing. You might enjoy my U.S. Botanic Garden video. There's a short section in the Hawaii exhibit. Are you growing capers? Well, sounds like you are quite the expert. Thanks for writing! Best of luck. Kaye
Dear Kaye..I think that there are several kinds of perennial mexican marigolds but I found the same one you grow at outsidepride com of whom I buy most all of my seeds from because they only sell in bulk at very good prices.. So today I saw some of your great videos here on you tube and they are very very good..I really appreciated your knowledge about using wood chips and I also saw some other videos that back up using them as I always thought that they tie up N in the soil but that experts say is only the very top of the soil not down deep in the plants root zone..So I will use them now without any fear..Thanks again for the info and I will for sure recommend your video site to my friends ..Aloha from Hawaii Ken
I planted some in zone 6 with hot conditions and well drained soil. But if I dont water every other day the leaves become wilted and yellow. They are about 3ft and no Blooms. What did I do wrong??
You are so right! I planted the first time and it took some time to take off, but when it did it was so happy with the result. The flower is so perfect that it doesn't even look real. Do you stake it? It fell off and broke :( But you do need to water often and I am looking for flowers to put by the mailbox area where will not see water often. What do you suggest besides daisies?
I'm so sorry, I remember this comment and thought I replied. Yes, they grow fast and staking is helpful for the taller bushes. I hardly water them at all once established, so that's interesting. What state are you in? Pitcher sage is terrific. Flowers are small so not showy. It's a CA native and doesn't require fertilizer or much water. The smell of the leaves is amazing. Please let me hear form you, it's been a year since this. Thanks!!
grat video i was surprised to see you collect flowers before they dry is there an issue with immature seeds that way? I am totally new to harvesting these plants so forgive me if i ask stupid questions lol
Agreed! I put down 3" of wood chips this summer so mine didn't manage to reseed through that. Next year I will purposely plant again. Thanks for watching!!
oh the never-ending struggle with parrots! It's tough to pick just one flower as my favorite to grow, but so far I'd say the Hollyhock. They go from seed to a towering giant in a few short months :)
Samina Irfan They are not easy to germinate they like to be some close to the surface and almost just scattered and I hope for the best kind of thing you know the more I planned it and the more I tried to see them in all that delicious success I had and once I move the pineapple guava is into the parkway and I had no more space and I haven’t been able to grow them for three years unfortunately
Hello kaye Greetings from India I was indeed encouraged to get the same for my garden and my search lead me to an online seller who had Tubers/bulbs for Mexican sunflower. In all of your comments you talk of seeds- is then some other flower? The seller has listed it as tithonia-Mexican sunflower mix pack of 10 bulbs... I am indeed confused? Can you please help me?
Gud morning mam I'm living in new Delhi ( India ) . and want to plant these flowers in summer months can this plant survive hot and dry summer of Delhi where temperature for several days stays beyond 40 degrees Celsius in may and June with few days of dust storms and light rains
You know, they are not that easy to germinate. They like to be planted just under the surface, but then birds like to eat them. I've tried seeding them without success. Now that I have 6" of wood chips out there it's even harder. Please search online and find the right directions for your planting area. Thank you for watching!
Oohh, Thankyou Ms. Kaye, I planted lots of mexican sunflowers seeds but only 7 of them germinated yesterday. and Are they going to be fine with afternoon sun?
Well, of course morning or both would be better, but if you have lots of afternoon sun, should be okay. I'm just glad they germinated! Keep me posted. It's been a long time since I had any. Would love to plant those again this year. Thanks for putting me in mind to do it. I'll make a note.
Hi Kaye - First time commenting but I've been watching (and loving) your videos! Thanks for sharing. :) I've been growing zinnias, calendula and marigolds from seed. I'm really intrigued with your mexican sunflower. You say the deer don't like it ... I wonder if I could make a border of it around my small veggie garden? Beautiful and useful! Thanks again for all your great videos!
***** The garden is in the middle of my backyard, so I'm hoping to avoid the fence! ;) But, I went out and got some Mexican Sunflower seed today (along with a few others.)!! Can't wait to get started and see if it works here. Unfortunately, still a couple more weeks before starting seeds.
***** The package says 4-6' tall. The variety is called Tithonia rotundifolia. Is that the same as yours? I will definitely share a photo when they are blooming in the summer. :) Wish me luck!
I live in Michigan and I grew a couple of these from seed last year. It was absolutely stunning. However, this year nothing is growing in that area after I planted the seeds in May. Any idea why? Something germinated (only one little plant), but I'm not sure if it's a weed because I can't remember what it's supposed to look like. I know what a regular sunflower looks like once it sprouts, but I don't think the Mexican is the same. Will be disappointed if nothing grows because they were gorgeous until our first frost.
mikeyt62 It actually looks very much like a sunflower when small. I know exactly your frustration. I planted this May and nothing came up. Germination is finicky, I've read since last year. Don't give up. I gave away quite a few seeds thinking the few I had left would serve me and I planted them in the same spot, and only one one teeny, spindly, sickly plant came up in the middle of my bean patch there. (I'd forgotten about them and planted beans there.) I harvested and clipped the bean plants a week ago and now the plant is getting much more sun, so we shall see. Meanwhile another healthy plant is coming up right against the sidewalk, not a terrible convenient spot if it gets big. Anyway, keep trying! Something about the depth, I think you barely need to cover them. I think the seeds actually have to get some sun exposure.
+Ataka Jay Thanks so much! I have about three plants this year not as big as this one. This plant is as big as any ever get, I think. Thanks again for your support!!
Depends where you live. If you are in a warm sunny place that stays warm into October, you've got time, but get seeds quickly. And seed a lot, they are finicky to get started. Follow instructions on the seed packet. Good luck!
I have some of these growing out by the road. They just appeared. I didn't plant them and they were not here before. Now I know what they are. I guess the wind may of blown some my way. I will get some milkweed to grow beside them. Monarchs are actually dying out thanks to Monsanto and their product called Roundup. You can learn about it here www.inquisitr.com/1503145/why-are-monarch-butterflies-dying-in-record-numbers/
Florida PieLady Thanks so much! Yes, I've deeply aware and concerned of the plight of the Monarch. Since learning about Monarchs the first year of Late Bloomer (see ruclips.net/video/0fVwRZGCxAk/видео.html) I've grown milkweed. I reduced the number of Tropical Milkweed plants as I want Monarchs to visit the native milkweed (but the flowers are white and less attracting and I've hardly seen Monarchs this year). Yes, it's funny where the Mexican Sunflower will wind up. I have one growing literally against the edge of the sidewalk, which will be a problem if it gets big. Germination is tricky, but so rewarding to grow. BE SURE to collect seeds!! And give to all your friends, along with milkweed seed. Not sure what are the native milkweeds in Florida, but I'm sure you can find a resource for seeds. Good luck and thanks for watching!
Shilpanwita Ghosh That's great Shilpanwita Ghosh . You shouldn't ever need fertilizer to sprout a seed, only after it has green leaves. But, I'm so happy you are on your way. It's so much fun watching things grow! My experience is that citrus grows very slowly. Watch out for aphids outside and knats inside. Good luck!
The finches just trashed my beautiful rattlesnake pole bean leaves. I had to put bird netting over it. Hope the bees can still get in. Thanks for watching!
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I grew these along with giant sunflowers in my small 4x6 garden, it was competing with the giant sunflowers and one stalk grew just as tall and thick, then one small flower bloomed. A few week later it exploded with blooms, 50 plus on one stalk, amazing!
Those Mexican Sunflowers have got to be THE MOST brightest orange flowers out there! Thanks Kaye for sharing your experiences, knowledge, success & failures... but especially YOUR GARDEN with the You Tube world.
I like how you show us the ecology of your garden and all the upclose shots of insects--gorgeous flowers
My sister has this in her garden and sent me your video so now I will plant them too with my milkweed plants. Thank you for the wonderful videos to help us in the garden!
+Laurie Nykaza Thank you so much for commenting Laurie, and please thank your sister for sharing! I hope you have subscribed and if you are a relatively new gardener, please subscribe at latebloomershow.com and download my FREE ebook, "10 Steps to a Great First Garden"! Thanks! Please share.
Hello Kaye and garden lovers, enjoyed your presentation, and your beautiful garden.
The pics are really nice seeing the birds, bees butterflies and ladybugs haveing a good time eating and helping out the process😊
I've planted Mexican sunflower seeds last yr for the 1st time I didn't expect anything especially because they took long time to germinate.
But when they bloomed, I was amazed at the beautiful color, they were out of this world gorgeous. Bright and beautiful.
Will try again in couple weeks.
My first time watching your video. My planting zone is
13 in the Bahamas, hot and humid😊
I'll watch another of your video's. Happy planting and keep sharing your garden knowledge with us thanks!
Excellent presentation and I agree those numerous blooms appear way better then individual traditional sunflowers. Here in South Texas I expect they will do very well.
It's like an explosion of color! I like your seed saving envelope. :) Calendula is a nice flower to grow, though it like the cooler temps.
I'm a late bloomer too, lol. I'm going to give this flower a try for the first time this year. Just found some seeds and was wondering about this plant. Very nice video, thank you.
Tithonia is on that I'm happy I planted. The Monarchs were here in Pittsburgh, PA in late September, perhaps early October. I felt proud to have a flower to offer them beyond Swamp Milkweed. A caller on Mike McGraph's "You Bet Your Garden" podcast mentioned it being a late forage plant for the Monarchs. I was so proud to offer it and it is still growing in early November, but of course the Monarchs have gone.
Oh that's wonderful! I tried seeding it early and got nowhere this year. Still hope to get a few plants.
I was too early with Chard twice. A (17) degree night wiped it out. My daughter & I planted Gladioli bulbs yesterday. I used my Sneeboer bulb planter. It's so convenient to use. I have been growing Swamp Milkweed from seeds I harvested. What temp have you found to be too cold for Tithonus?
Amazing video! Thank you for this information. A friend of mine just told me yesterday she has some baby Mexican Sunflower plants to share with me. After watching your video, I am even more excited!
I had no idea there were wild parrots in the United States! That’s so awesome! If we had them in Texas, I’d plant my entire yard with sunflowers for them! I love birds!
Yup we have 2 types of parrots here in St Petersburg and wild Macaws in South Florida
Its a beautiful dark orange flower i planted a seed a few days ago and now its sprouting 4 weeks maybe from now it may blooms.. 🌻🦋🐦🍃-love from Philippines. 😎
Kaye, thank you so much for this wonderful video. I have a certified Monarch butterfly waystation in my backyard and planted Mexican sunflowers this past summer. They were the show stopper of the garden and attracted many types of pollinators each day. I wanted to save seeds but didn't know how until I found this video. I enjoy all of your gardening videos!
+Susan Fluharty If you didn't save seeds, let me know. I have some. Also, you can expect some volunteer plants next summer popping up, not necessarily where you might plant them either. I'm so proud you are doing that. The seed pods, when dry are almost like thorns, so you don't want to use your fingers to try and pull them out. Thank you so much for watching and I'm thrilled you are enjoying them. Please share with a friend.
Thanks so much, Kaye, but I bought some Mexican sunflowers seeds at the Mother Earth News Fair recently because I didn't know how to save the seeds and wanted to make sure I had some for next summer. But thanks to your video, I'll save seeds from next summer's flowers! Keep those wonderful gardening videos coming!
+Susan Fluharty Thank you, Susan! I am committed to 100 episodes on my own money. After that, must raise money to keep going. If the fundraising efforts I implemented last year don't raise required funds I will have to do something. Thanks for your support!!
You can also dry the mexican sunflower and shake them in a paper bag and separate the seed heads and the seeds and repeat.
Love my Mexican Sunflowers! It's interesting that growers say they attract bees... I for sure get different butterflies daily, which is lovely! But the bees don't bother with them AT ALL. They are way too in love with the Spanish Needles growing along side them. They are obsessed! It's so fun to watch. Would be nice to see them enjoying the sunflowers as well, but I guess they're just too satisfied with what they've got.
🍃🌼🐝
Love these orange beauties. Saw some purple ones at the plant nursery last year. Would mix nicely with the orange
I never see these and have failed to grow them as beautifully as this first time. Since deer don't like them, I wish I had 20 big bushes.
I grow scented flowers and herbs along the path to my house. I also grow giant Zinnias, sunflowers, cosmos and marigolds. They are great because they can handle our hot weather here in Australia. I am going to find some Mexican sunflowers and give that a go.
Awesome! Missed this till now. Did you find any seeds?
Kaye Kittrell - I grew these after seeing your video on them. Not sure if you remember me but I was going to grow them in pots, which I did. I don't think my pot (4 gallon) was big enough ... it's still growing a producing a flower here and there, but the ones I put in the ground exploded! They are so beautiful! From now on they get a place in my garden. (Bees and butterflies do love them too!)
Lori Daup Yeah, don't think they will be happy in a pot, just because they don't like too much water or fertilizer and it's hard to get that right in a pot. And yes, they can get huge! Yes, bees and butterflies love them! I've got a few growing, but nothing like the monster plant in the video last year. Thanks for letting me know!
I grew these years ago, and forgot about them till this spring and found a pack of seeds at Lowe's. They are one of the most rewarding and enjoyable flowers you can grow. I plant quite a few seeds in one hole, so they are really bushy. My one cluster was 8 ft tall. I have videos of humming bird s and monarchs. I have about 30 friends that I have gathered seed for. Sadly next week I will be pulling them as we will be getting frost.
Great recommendations. I just started Mexican sunflowers and milkweed. I'm super excited to see all of the butterflies these flowers will attract! Thanks for all of the great tips.
Binky's Garden Thank you for watching! I hope you get a lot of Monarchs! And other butterflies. Please let me know how they do!
Yes, Mexican sunflowers or tithonia certainly🌻 attract all kinds of pollinators. 🦋🐝 Even hummingbirds.They’re an ideal plant for full sun here in the Carolinas. I’ve just started some seeds. ☀️
Wonderful! I no longer have parkway space to grow it. I hope you enjoy your plants this year. I miss it!
Thanks! Yes, I’m adopting neglected spots around our neighborhood. Wishing you a lovely spring! 🌼🌱
Those Mexican Sunflowers look gorgeous and butterflies love them.. You are correctly creating a place for benefical insects. The clip of the hummingbirds at the end was fantastic- like 3D. The wild Parrots are a nuisance and can wake you up in the early morning. Over here they can devour or distroy the leaves from a big tree in an hour and they have eaten phone wirers. They are beautiful to watch. I hope the sunflower keeps looking east towards London as much as possible. Best wishes
Just purchased a Mexican Sunflower plant at our local farmers market. It is only about 6" tall, but I was told I could expect blooms in the fall. Hope mine will eventually be as lovely as yours!
Beautiful Mexican sunflowers Kaye! It's great that you are creating a nice place for beneficial birds and insects. Those parrots are pesky, but they sure are pretty. Are you going to grow sunchokes this year?
Are the Mexican Sunflowers native to southern California? I know there are many types of Milkweed, native to many parts of the US. Way to go supporting Monarchs. I'll be planting Milkweed this year to hopefully attract some Monarchs, although I have only seen one in our area over the course of many years. My wife and I have a wide variety of native perennials that attract lots of diverse insect species, which really helps in the vegetable garden.
+John hope
I have many milk weed plants and many seeds from them...the orange flowering kind that are in SoCal...they do attract Monarchs....have photos of the butterflies...and the caterpillars eat like crazy....however one problem is they can get aphids which can really be devastating to both caterpillar and plants. Ants overwinter aphids and reintroduce them to plants...so it can be a war with aphids...the flowers look nice....you should have numerous plants because a healthy caterpillar can chomp through a small plant pretty fast...fun to see the butterflies though and the flowers in full bloom make quite a display.
Thanks Tom Jones
very good
***** Unfortunately, I don't have any extra. They're actually a perennial. So, when you harvest tubers, you keep enough of them in the ground for the next crop. They're also invasive, so you'd probably want to grow them in a container in your garden. I don't think parrots would bother them. They don't have big seeds like sunflowers.
Hi from Auckland, New Zealand, Kaye. It’s mid spring here and I have just bought some Tithonia seeds to sow. Looking forward to more Monarch butterflies arriving in the garden! Thanks for your lovely video, most informative.
I absolutely love them
My first year growing them, there matienice free
I have lot more butterflies and hummingbirds and the monarch butterflies too ✌️ these are now 1 of my favorite to grow
Wonderful! I didn't manage to get seeds this year, but hope to next year. I have seen three Monarchs here on my Tennessee homestead (moved in 2020 back to my home state and have a large yard and gardens, check out newer videos!). What did really well for me were zinnias, sunflowers, African marigold (4' tall!), Ammi Dara, Garden Balsam, and Sulphur Cosmos. Hope to hear from you again!
Wow i have one of these! I had no idea it was a Mexican sunflower! I just thought it was a red sunflower! I planted about 100 seeds of these but only 2 plant popped up its huge and each plant has about 20 flowers so im guessing next year ill have dozens of these due to reseeding from the blooms dropping.
ApocalypticStorms It's interesting, it will reseed if the conditions are right. Obviously there were 1000 seeds that fell in the parkway underneath that huge bush and I have about a half dozen plants total and only about four over there and none near the size of the one in the video. The thing is if you deadhead it will keep blooming till the weather gets cool. You will be able to tell when all the leaves are brown and no new buds come out, or they come out small. Keep me posted on it's progress!
I made a rain garden last fall and now I'm going to try to grow swamp milkweed in it. I have mexican milkweed but, I'm hearing that can give the monarchs some kind of fungus or something that kills them.
Grand Prairie, Texas. Our monarchs severely decreased in numbers as well. Here is an article about the dangers of tropical milkweed.
monarchjointventure.org/images/uploads/documents/Oe_fact_sheet.pdf
Joan Smith Just seeing this, thank you SO much, Joan. I'd heard you shouldn't grow it, but when they showed up in November and my native had died back, the reseeded Tropical (from a nursery plant the year before) gave them food. I have pulled out all the big ones, and think I will cut all Tropical that reseeds back in fall when the native dies off. That way they won't stop and breed here. It's true, the first winter I provided food and the ones born in Jan., all had OE. Devastating to see that. Thanks! Sharing! If you want to order Mexican Sunflower seeds, please order through my website. Thanks! www.latebloomershow.com/2015/04/20/order-mexican-sunflower-seeds/
I had never heard of Mexican Sunflowers! Thank you so much for this video. I noticed that they are perennials in zones 10-11.. I wonder how they would do in hot and humid North Carolina...
Claudette Faglie I would say they would do fine, but they will not be a perennial there. Just don't need to overwater. Or maybe it rains enough where you are that you don't have to water. Here, it doesn't rain all summer.
Claudette Faglie If you are interested in buying seeds, please buy them through the Late Bloomer store. You will be helping to produce more Late Bloomer episodes. Thanks! www.latebloomershow.com/2015/04/20/order-mexican-sunflower-seeds/
Hey Kaye - I love your Mexican sunflowers. I grow them too, they do well in Tx. The butterflies are just so attracted to that deep orange. They are in my clay soil and doing just fine. We just had quite a few days of rain, so a few plants got so heavy, they bent right to the ground. I tied them up to my garden fence and they are still blooming. I grew borage last year but it dropped seeds everywhere. They are beautiful and really attract the bees, I just need to find a different place to grow them. You have made me want to get some milkweed seeds.
Oh, yes, you MUST!! We have to do all we can for Monarchs and you especially as you are in the corridor for the Mexican migration which may or may not survive another year. Along the corridor all the wild milkweed has been killed with Roundup. So yes, find some milkweed native to your area, and I would try to find some plants because they self seed really well, but sowing the seeds is more tricky. Nature works best for milkweed, not that it can't be done.
Hi. I have quite a few plants in my back yard this year not knowing the name of it. By watching your channel, I learned that it is Mexican sunflower. Thanks.
Oh wow! 😊beautiful
Thank you! Cheers!
These are easy to grow! Even when the high winds knocked them down to the ground they just kept on blooming their hearts out. While most of our Tithonias were red there were some that were more orange.
Thank you for watching!! I absolutely loved growing these and they attracted so many beneficial insects and were stunning to see. But, when I planted the parkway in pineapple guavas, there was no space. Can't wait for a huge yard! Stay with me during this transition! Check out what's growing now in my front yard with my two recent videos! xxx
Really nice lil video. I might have to try some of Mexican sunflower. Thanks for the inspiration.
Great video, Kaye! Thank you! How many individuals plants would you say were planted in that bed?
I need to add this one to my list of garden flowers. Great video Kaye!
suburban homestead Siloe if you are thinking or ordering seeds, please buy them through the Late Bloomer store. You will be helping to produce more Late Bloomer episodes. Thanks! @2015
***** That's great to know!
I know what I'm going to be planting this spring. They look they could take over a garden if not watched.
Rob Prince If you are interested in buying Mexican sunflower seeds, please buy them through the Late Bloomer store. You will be helping to produce more Late Bloomer episodes. Thanks! @2015
***** thank you for introducing me to the store, I did purchase some of the mexican sunflower seeds, but I didn't stop there, I added several items to the cart. I hope to continue to add many colors and flavors to my gardening experiences, thank you !
Rob Prince You are a Prince, thanks, Rob!!
The flowers are pretty but the foliage looks messy. I will try the dwarf variety.
I hope you like it! Please report back with a recommendation. I planted seeds back then and didn't know there was a dwarf variety. I will say the foliage is GREAT biomass for compost or mulch.
Kaye, do you always direct seed? I have tried to transplant tithonia with very limited success. Have you ever transplanted them, and do you have any tips?
I have a Salvia clevlandii starting to bloom which sits next to a Salvia gregii, the two colors clash so well. My tithonia's are just now germinating so maybe by early July I will have blooms?
G'day Kaye, two that I like to grow are cosmos and marigolds they are just so easy.
so many gardening videos are annoying but yours are very nice, I quite enjoy them.
Thank you! I really appreciate that. I hope you will stop by often. Happy gardening!
As much as I enjoy growing this Mexican Sunflower, I have encountered a lot of problems like various leaf spot diseases, rust, verticillium wilt, powdery mildew, and worst of all, stem rot, also known as white mold. Do you have any suggestions on how to treat the problems? Thank you.
Ordered seeds , getting ready to plant in N.E. Florida Zone 9a. I have a question, please.. Are tithonia speciosa goldfinger and tithonia speciosa yellow torch different plants from the tithonia rotundifolia? Thank you.
My Mexican sunflowers had first bloom on June 21. I planted seeds toward the end of April.
Very informational! Thanks Kaye. How do you do the neat little "pop ins" with the sound? Very cool.
Thanks, Randall, not sure what you mean by "pop in" but I have a sound editor who comes up with SFX and a composer. Randall's Rest & Relaxation
Is it the same procedure for sunflowers in the helianthus group for getting the seeds?
Hi Kay, this is wonderfully produced. I grew Mexican Sunflowers here in Ontario Canada from recycled seeds last year and they were so-so because the rabbits ate most of them . This year I am using pots in an area the rabbits keep away from because if my little dog. They are about 2ft tall and I am desperate for flowers soon! I usually just grow veggies and regular sunflowers but I love this tithonia sunflower so I figured I would give it another go. After watching your video I am glad I did. Keep up the inspiring work. Love your self humour out takes at the end. You are quite a gal and that is a big complement coming from a Scotsman living in a cold climate. Enjoy your summer.
Oh, thank you! I missed this comment till now. I really appreciate that. I was just wishing today that some volunteers had come up as I didn't plant any seeds. A little too late now, I think. I added 2-4" of wood chips to my parkway and that I'm sure suppressed any little sprouts that might have reseeded from last year. I hope yours do well. Thanks for the encouragement. It is needed tonight. :) I'm part Scottish you know..
+Kaye Kittrell | Late Bloomer Urban Organic Garden Show Hi Kate thanks for the reply. Clearly your on-screen charm comes from your Scottish genes! I am pleased to say that despite being in relatively small pots my Mexican Sunflowers have done well. They were slow to develop even though we have had a very hot summer here in Ontario Canada. The good news I have had about 6 of the potted plants develop weand I have a nice collection 2.5-3ft plants with lots of blooms. They are beautiful and much appreciated, especially since some naughty critter has climbed my 5-6ft Sunflowers, chewed their heads off and carried them away. In three days I have lost about 6 sunflowers. I know many birds and rodents like the mature seeds but the sunflower heads had not quite reached the bloom stage. Whoever it was is a wee rascal. That is life in the garden, you have to expect things to go wrong and occasionally you get lucky the other way when you get a nice volunteer plant to enjoy.
Well, if you saw some earlier episodes you know that we have a wild parrot flock that lives in the canyon nearby. Legend has it a pet store In Santa Monica near here burned decades ago and some Nanday Conure parrots escaped. Their flock of 80 or so do a flyover every morning and night and when I was growing Lemon Queen, the tall ones with many blooms, they would stop here and feast. The blooms never got open fully before they were ravaged. You can see them here: ruclips.net/video/Pt4KVGdHiNU/видео.html So I didn't grow them for two summers as I focused on the Mexican Sunflower, but this year I was sent some free seeds so planted a few. Same thing. I put netting over them, but the blooms didn't respond well and unfortunately sunflower also is susceptible to powdery mildew, my slave master. So, much to my sadness, I cannot grow them. As for MS I should have tried seeding some in pots. I've got one tiny spot on the corner of the parkway that would have been perfect. The three inches of wood chips suppressed the dropped seeds from reseeding this year. I miss them! Thank you, I hope so...about the Scottish genes.... So, what's going to happen over there, after Brexit. Is the new PM making nice with the Scottish PM? Trying to fixit ? haha
+Kaye Kittrell | Late Bloomer Urban Organic Garden Show Hi Kay, when I lived in London, England, there was a flock of lime green Parakeets that souls screech around the area I lived which had grown to quite a flock from some escapees that had bred and survived locally. Seeing exotic birds flying around was nice and very unexpected in the British climate. Nature is full of surprises.
Regards
Desmond
They sound the same. And I agree, you would not see them here at all if not for this flock. Thanks!
Very useful,...I'm a Monarch fan, but I live in SW France & they are much rarer in Europe than in North America..I am thinking of trying to create a corridor of Milkweed & similar butterfly attractants, to see of we can;t get to establish a colony here.
if grow sun flower indoors how close to your last frost should you start growing them example a month early before last frost? whens ideal time to grow indoors thanks good video. like to see more Butterfly around here!!!
That's Perfect Kaye !! Just Perfect !!
great , thank you, first experience at growing Tithonia
Such a beautiful flower
Thank you Kaye!! Amazing and very informative!
Hi Kaye! Love love your Mexican sunflower, makes me run to the store to look for seeds, but unfortunately did not find any yet. Probably order it online. I'm longing to see butterflies around but its mid July and still haven't seen any here in Valencia, CA. I love to see Monach my 4.5yr old is waiting for them to come hope we can see them soon. I just started planting a Milkweed hope to see thier bloom next year. Love watching is video over and over again. Lol.
Jocelyn R You can order the seeds here and it will help Late Bloomer. If you cannot afford to buy seeds, I will be happy to send you some. www.latebloomershow.com/2015/04/20/order-mexican-sunflower-seeds/ Monarchs were dancing all around me yesterday, it was heaven! Thanks for getting in touch!
I suspect when she's plucking seeds she's imagining plucking the beaks off of Conurs!
Haha. No I never even imagined that.
Does anybody know why they call Tithonia Diversifolia Mexican Sunflowers as well? (The 20ft plants with small yellow flowers)
I have that and it's really Mexican Marigold, I THINK. Not sure, have been confused about it. Actually I got some seeds from Horizon Herbs for that, but never planted them. Let me know if you learn anything! Hope you enjoy some of my newer content as well!
They are a great plant choice for SE Georgia as well. My first flowers opened on around June 8th. In our humid climate, mildew is the biggest problem. It helps to spray them down with some fungicide or baking soda water every once and a while. They rarely need watering much in our wet climate. If you keep dead heading them, they usually bloom until frost, mid to late November. God bless.
Thank you, Marcus!! Yes, PM is my biggest ordeal here. I haven't sprayed MS, but I sprayed my sunflowers this year with baking soda (1 tbl./gallon ?) I hope they come up this year. I did not plant any seed this year and have added a few inches of wood chips so they may not reseed. Thanks so much for watching and commenting! God bless you.
All things fungal and bacterial are just especially bad in the deep south. That's the reason California is much better known for growing fruit even though most fruit trees can be grown here without much irrigation at all. Alabama, Georgia and South Carolina would dominate pear, peach and grape production were it not for our extreme disease pressure. I grow a lot of fruit trees as a home gardener, and plant diseases are a constant battle, much worse than bugs or dry weather. I don't believe I have ever seen a regular sunflower here that did not look raggedy on account of mildew. I don't bother with them on account of it. I do grow zinnias and chrysanthemums and mildew is a constant battle with both of them.
UGH, what a pain are plant diseases. I wonder what my grandmother did? She had an amazing 1/2 acre planted just for her personal garden. She grew everything, in N. Alabama. As for fruit here, yes citrus does well for some, if you have the sun. I think I've gotten a half dozen oranges off my Valencia tree in 4 years. My Meyer lemon tree though is loaded. They get a lot of insect damage. Takes a lot of TLC to keep a garden going. As you will see in my next episode, I had to get rid of all my California poppies!! Thanks for contributing!!
In all, I have lost over 15 plum trees to bacterial stem canker before they reached full maturity. Four hardy souls have made it to full maturity but I hold my breath every late summer when the every day summer showers hit. One day the tree will be beautiful and well watered, and the next day the trunk will be split open with amber colored jello coming out. When that happens there is nothing to be done but dig it out root and all, and another stone fruit can't be planted in that spot for six years. That's how long the ground remains contaminated. You just have to be selective about the varieties you plant and as much as possible plant natives or fruit trees that have been hybridized with Natives. The single best fruit to grow in South Georgia is muscadine. It's a grape native to the Southeast. If you have never had one, you are missing out on one of the most delicious fruits there is. People from outside the South kind of have to put "grape" out of their minds because Muscadines are so different in so many ways.
Sounds gross and heartbreaking! As for muscadine, read this: www.latebloomershow.com/2015/09/16/files-from-road-muscadine-harvest/ a blog I filed on my Sept. trip home to TN last fall. An old friend changed careers late in life and became a wine grower and maker.
Will Monarchs overwinter in Texas? More specifically the Coastal Plains of Texas, near San Antonio.
+Dylan Cole www.flightofthebutterflies.com/epic-migrations/ www.monarch-butterfly.com/monarch-migration.html Since I don't know the answer, I am giving you some links to try. I hope so!! www.monarchwatch.org/tagmig/
love it! Someone actually want me to do some plants for them, but maybe when i am on vacation from work,
***** i think my aunty have this plant, i'll take a picture when i go by here next door.
i germinated tithonia "red torch" and tithonia "goldfinger yellows" from seeds very easily indoors in May and transferred the seedlings outside in June, into 3inch pots. After a few weeks I put them into the ground . No problems at all and I didnt lose a single seed BUT They are all orange, neither are red or yellow. Is this normal? Is there such thing a bright red or bright yellow tithonia?
This was my first year growing this Sunflower. I have a Butterfly garden and all the BF loved it exp Monarchs. I just wish I had more land. I would like to grow the yellow, and more if I knew where to get the seeds...
Just wondering if the Mexican sunflower is evasive if it is how to manage the plant.
I’m having trouble figuring out how much water. My leaves get all droopy. Elaine Ballenger
@Peggy Ballenger I have some planted and they're probably 5 months old in the ground now... my leaves get droopy when it's really hot out and too much sun. They also will feel soft and limp... but once I water, soon after they perk up.
Mine are basically planted in very sandy soil, I didn't really ammend the soil when I planted either. I kind of afterward topped it with some store bought potting soil....
Once established they should probably do better with less watering. I remember when I had them growing as seedlings, I'd have to water every day, but now, not so much. Also, make sure the soil drains well.
Hope that helps. And try to water at the base of the plants and not on the leaves.... I think some of mine have some sort of blight happening on the leaves, those are full sun (yet mega-flowering) possibly stressed out ones that mainly have that issue right now.
Have a good day!
Great video! I have thought of planting mexican sunflowers here, but I need to find some space to put them!
Thanks for the info....I have just started to plant this plant here in Hawaii to show the state park leaders of how this plant in particular can make our parks pretty. Wish me well ..Ken
Oh, I do wish you luck! I wonder how it will do year-round there. It doesn't quite make it through the winter here, and is quite difficult to start from seed. It does better with that, dropping its own seeds, than trying to seed it. Please keep me posted, and hope you find many other videos of interest here. Might I also suggest Mexican Marigold? It flowers nearly all year here, in L.A. And smells fabulous. The leaves actually have the scent, so you get the scent even when it's not in bloom. You will see the big bush (must smaller leaves and flowers than Mex. Sunflower) in a few of my recent videos. All the best!! - Kaye
I grew thousands of marigolds while in India 77'-85 as I was the gardener in charge there, but I had red spider mites problems and did not know what to do about it ..Also marigolds are annuals and here in Hawaii I am only really interested in perennials...I will soon plant as many Bougainvilleas as I am getting help from the park workers in getting unused waste land that borders our local 250 state park of which is mostly all lawn..Sooner or later some one will take a nice you tube video about our park because there are not much flowers planted any more by the local population..Even the once very popular Hibiscus flowers are a rare sight ...What I really love is the Pua keni keni tree as the flowers are extremely fragrant like the common yellow very fragrant plumeria s now also a rare sight ...both can be pruned at a low height in order to enjoy the sweetness ...At Honolulu airport they plant the dwarf plumeria and when you get off the plane Wow you are in Hawaii. But actually these plants as well as others should be planted every where and now that I am getting healthy and active at age 69 I plan to help out in this way..Have a nice day .. Ken PS when I was in India I never knew that Neem oil or other insecticidal oils as Ag knowledge was not available to me where i lived .
Thanks, Kenneth! I'm not talking about marigolds, but this is a perennial BUSH, like mine is 5' tall, and loaded with mall yellow blooms most of the year.The leaves are so fragrant. Of course you can cut it back down low and let it grow up again, but mine is between 4-5' tall. If you check out my spring and summer episodes you will see it. Just a suggestion. Not sure it's right for Hawaii, seems more like orchids are the thing. You might enjoy my U.S. Botanic Garden video. There's a short section in the Hawaii exhibit. Are you growing capers? Well, sounds like you are quite the expert. Thanks for writing! Best of luck. Kaye
Dear Kaye..I think that there are several kinds of perennial mexican marigolds but I found the same one you grow at outsidepride com of whom I buy most all of my seeds from because they only sell in bulk at very good prices.. So today I saw some of your great videos here on you tube and they are very very good..I really appreciated your knowledge about using wood chips and I also saw some other videos that back up using them as I always thought that they tie up N in the soil but that experts say is only the very top of the soil not down deep in the plants root zone..So I will use them now without any fear..Thanks again for the info and I will for sure recommend your video site to my friends ..Aloha from Hawaii Ken
I planted some in zone 6 with hot conditions and well drained soil. But if I dont water every other day the leaves become wilted and yellow. They are about 3ft and no Blooms. What did I do wrong??
You are so right! I planted the first time and it took some time to take off, but when it did it was so happy with the result. The flower is so perfect that it doesn't even look real. Do you stake it? It fell off and broke :( But you do need to water often and I am looking for flowers to put by the mailbox area where will not see water often. What do you suggest besides daisies?
I'm so sorry, I remember this comment and thought I replied. Yes, they grow fast and staking is helpful for the taller bushes. I hardly water them at all once established, so that's interesting. What state are you in? Pitcher sage is terrific. Flowers are small so not showy. It's a CA native and doesn't require fertilizer or much water. The smell of the leaves is amazing. Please let me hear form you, it's been a year since this. Thanks!!
grat video i was surprised to see you collect flowers before they dry is there an issue with immature seeds that way? I am totally new to harvesting these plants so forgive me if i ask stupid questions lol
Mine grow fast but also die off quickly. I live in the Keys, the heat down here is not very conducive to life.
Thank you very much
Mine in SC grew 10 feet tall! Definitely best pollinator attractor in the garden!
Agreed! I put down 3" of wood chips this summer so mine didn't manage to reseed through that. Next year I will purposely plant again. Thanks for watching!!
I like yours Mexican sunflower
oh the never-ending struggle with parrots!
It's tough to pick just one flower as my favorite to grow, but so far I'd say the Hollyhock. They go from seed to a towering giant in a few short months :)
Do you still save seeds from these? I planted some but they never germinated😏. If you have any tips pls share
Samina Irfan They are not easy to germinate they like to be some close to the surface and almost just scattered and I hope for the best kind of thing you know the more I planned it and the more I tried to see them in all that delicious success I had and once I move the pineapple guava is into the parkway and I had no more space and I haven’t been able to grow them for three years unfortunately
Sown
Samina Irfan * sown Sorry I dictated that in there so many typos
Hello kaye
Greetings from India
I was indeed encouraged to get the same for my garden and my search lead me to an online seller who had Tubers/bulbs for Mexican sunflower.
In all of your comments you talk of seeds- is then some other flower?
The seller has listed it as tithonia-Mexican sunflower mix pack of 10 bulbs...
I am indeed confused?
Can you please help me?
I have orange Mexican sunflowers can they be propagated
Yes, I believe so. I would need to look that up. I have not had luck growing them in TN yet. Please check out my large property here. Blessings.
Beautiful video and info. I'll try to sneak in a plant or 2 next season. Currently I have borage and Zinnia and have sowed 2 types of coneflower.
***** I just checked my flower seed packet and I have tithonia rotundifolia sitting with me since 2 months. Just sowed a few seeds!
Gud morning mam I'm living in new Delhi ( India ) . and want to plant these flowers in summer months can this plant survive hot and dry summer of Delhi where temperature for several days stays beyond 40 degrees Celsius in may and June with few days of dust storms and light rains
Off to buy some Mexican Sunflower seeds. ..Thanks Kaye
Did you find some?
@@Latebloomershow yes I did...thanks
Just perfect. Thank you!
Hello ms kaye, I just wanted to know how to plant the mexican sunflower seeds.
You know, they are not that easy to germinate. They like to be planted just under the surface, but then birds like to eat them. I've tried seeding them without success. Now that I have 6" of wood chips out there it's even harder. Please search online and find the right directions for your planting area. Thank you for watching!
Oohh, Thankyou Ms. Kaye, I planted lots of mexican sunflowers seeds but only 7 of them germinated yesterday. and Are they going to be fine with afternoon sun?
Well, of course morning or both would be better, but if you have lots of afternoon sun, should be okay. I'm just glad they germinated! Keep me posted. It's been a long time since I had any. Would love to plant those again this year. Thanks for putting me in mind to do it. I'll make a note.
@@Latebloomershow Thankyou and you're welcome Ms. Kaye. :)
Thanks so much for the great video and info. You have a great speaking voice. Now time to buy Mexican sunflower seeds. :)
Hi Kaye -
First time commenting but I've been watching (and loving) your videos! Thanks for sharing. :) I've been growing zinnias, calendula and marigolds from seed. I'm really intrigued with your mexican sunflower. You say the deer don't like it ... I wonder if I could make a border of it around my small veggie garden? Beautiful and useful! Thanks again for all your great videos!
***** The garden is in the middle of my backyard, so I'm hoping to avoid the fence! ;) But, I went out and got some Mexican Sunflower seed today (along with a few others.)!! Can't wait to get started and see if it works here. Unfortunately, still a couple more weeks before starting seeds.
***** The package says 4-6' tall. The variety is called Tithonia rotundifolia. Is that the same as yours? I will definitely share a photo when they are blooming in the summer. :) Wish me luck!
Beautiful!!
Very nice
Very good, thank you I did enjoy this video and the sunflower ...
I love Rudbeckia.
I live in Michigan and I grew a couple of these from seed last year. It was absolutely stunning. However, this year nothing is growing in that area after I planted the seeds in May. Any idea why? Something germinated (only one little plant), but I'm not sure if it's a weed because I can't remember what it's supposed to look like. I know what a regular sunflower looks like once it sprouts, but I don't think the Mexican is the same. Will be disappointed if nothing grows because they were gorgeous until our first frost.
mikeyt62 It actually looks very much like a sunflower when small. I know exactly your frustration. I planted this May and nothing came up. Germination is finicky, I've read since last year. Don't give up. I gave away quite a few seeds thinking the few I had left would serve me and I planted them in the same spot, and only one one teeny, spindly, sickly plant came up in the middle of my bean patch there. (I'd forgotten about them and planted beans there.) I harvested and clipped the bean plants a week ago and now the plant is getting much more sun, so we shall see. Meanwhile another healthy plant is coming up right against the sidewalk, not a terrible convenient spot if it gets big. Anyway, keep trying! Something about the depth, I think you barely need to cover them. I think the seeds actually have to get some sun exposure.
looking good nice job
+Ataka Jay Thanks so much! I have about three plants this year not as big as this one. This plant is as big as any ever get, I think. Thanks again for your support!!
Hi Kaye, am I too late to sow Mexican Sunflower?
Depends where you live. If you are in a warm sunny place that stays warm into October, you've got time, but get seeds quickly. And seed a lot, they are finicky to get started. Follow instructions on the seed packet. Good luck!
@@Latebloomershow Thank you. I'm in London. It stays warm until October if we're lucky lol.
Great video
That "moth" looks identical to a Red Admiral butterfly... who knew.
I have some of these growing out by the road. They just appeared. I didn't plant them and they were not here before. Now I know what they are. I guess the wind may of blown some my way. I will get some milkweed to grow beside them. Monarchs are actually dying out thanks to Monsanto and their product called Roundup. You can learn about it here www.inquisitr.com/1503145/why-are-monarch-butterflies-dying-in-record-numbers/
Florida PieLady Thanks so much! Yes, I've deeply aware and concerned of the plight of the Monarch. Since learning about Monarchs the first year of Late Bloomer (see ruclips.net/video/0fVwRZGCxAk/видео.html) I've grown milkweed. I reduced the number of Tropical Milkweed plants as I want Monarchs to visit the native milkweed (but the flowers are white and less attracting and I've hardly seen Monarchs this year). Yes, it's funny where the Mexican Sunflower will wind up. I have one growing literally against the edge of the sidewalk, which will be a problem if it gets big. Germination is tricky, but so rewarding to grow. BE SURE to collect seeds!! And give to all your friends, along with milkweed seed. Not sure what are the native milkweeds in Florida, but I'm sure you can find a resource for seeds. Good luck and thanks for watching!
Wow you look like one of the 50's , 60's movie stars. Very classy looking
Thanks so much! That was almost 10 years ago and I was an actress in Hollywood when I started my channel.
@@Latebloomershow I knew it!!
Hi Ms. Kaye, I just love to watch ur videos. Can u plz help me with tips for sprouting an orange seed which i saved from fruit? Plzz :)
Hi, my orange sees sprouted :) it took around a week's time. I used coco pit and lil fertiliser to sprout the seed.
Shilpanwita Ghosh That's great Shilpanwita Ghosh . You shouldn't ever need fertilizer to sprout a seed, only after it has green leaves. But, I'm so happy you are on your way. It's so much fun watching things grow! My experience is that citrus grows very slowly. Watch out for aphids outside and knats inside. Good luck!
:) :) Ok... another learning.... thank u :) here goes a hug for u :) :)
I have finches stripping leaves from my sunflowers. Fortunately they leave the flowers alone.
The finches just trashed my beautiful rattlesnake pole bean leaves. I had to put bird netting over it. Hope the bees can still get in. Thanks for watching!
I love Mexican petunias
you are so beautiful like those flowers !!!
Thank you very much! Thanks for watching! I hope you subscribed. :)
i love growing milkweed