Torch Tithonia earns its name with blazing red-orange flowers held high above velvety, branching stems. The 3–4-inch blooms turn a 4–6-foot planting into a midsummer beacon for monarchs, swallowtails, hummingbirds, and every gardener who loves fearless color.
Also called Mexican sunflower, this vigorous Central American annual makes a quick seasonal screen or a brilliant back-of-border companion for zinnias. Once established, it meets heat and dry weather with cheerful resilience.
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Botanical name: Tithonia rotundifolia
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Cultivar: Torch
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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 4–5 weeks early
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Planting depth: 1/2 in.
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Germination: 7–10 days
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Mature height: 4–6 ft.
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Final spacing: 10–12 in.
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Approximate seed count: 55–60
Give the branching plants room and harvest flowers regularly for a long procession of fiery stems. Find more bold pollinator favorites in our flower seed packets.
