High Noon holds the summer light for weeks. Dense branches line its central stalk with clusters of 4–5-inch flowers, their golden petals warming toward orange around chocolate-brown centers.
The tall 6–8-foot plants create an easy screen and provide a steady run of stems for cutting. Pollinators find the open centers readily, and later the seed heads offer another reason to leave a few blooms in the garden.
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Botanical name: Helianthus annuus
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Life cycle: Annual
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Exposure: Full sun
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Sowing: Direct sow after frost or start indoors several weeks early
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Planting depth: 1/2 in.
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Germination: 8–10 days
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Mature height: 6–8 ft.
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Final spacing: 12 in.
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Approximate seed count: 40
Make several sowings about three weeks apart to stretch the show, then cut from the branching stems for bright, durable bouquets. Browse more sunny favorites in our flower seed packets.
