Sunflowers are one of the most iconic and beloved flowers. With their big, cheerful faces and height, they bring joy and make beautiful cuts. When choosing sunflowers for cutting gardens, look for varieties that have strong, straight stems and good vase life. Both branching and single stem types can make excellent cut flowers. Here are some of the best sunflowers to grow for vibrant summertime bouquets.
Overview of Sunflowers for Cutting
Sunflowers come in a wide range of sizes, colors, and forms. For cutting gardens, focus on types with long, sturdy stems that can support the weight of the flower head without drooping. Look for pollen-free varieties if selling cuts, as the pollen can stain fabrics and be messy.
Branching sunflowers produce multiple smaller heads on side shoots, allowing for continuous harvesting. Single stem sunflowers yield one large bloom per stem. Succession planting every 7-10 days extends the harvest. Sunflowers make great cuts when the petals first begin unfurling.
Give sunflowers plenty of space in full sun for best results. Keep soil moist but not soaked. Staking taller varieties provides support. Deadhead to encourage more blooms.
Top Sunflowers for Cutting
Branching Types
-
‘Ruby Eclipse’ – Gorgeous bicolor shades of ruby, pink, and peach Early flowering with lots of blooms
-
‘Strawberry Blonde’ – Warm mix of pink, orange, yellow, and mahogany blooms.
-
‘Joker’ – Vibrant bicolors in shades of golden yellow and maroon-red
-
‘Greenburst’ – Bright yellow petals with fuzzy green center, Highly productive
-
‘Starburst Panache’ – Unique shaggy yellow petals with dark centers. Stunning en masse.
Single Stem Varieties
-
‘ProCut Gold’ – Classic bright yellow with strong stems. Reliable performer.
-
‘ProCut Red’ – Beautiful deep red petals and dark centers. Long vase life.
-
‘ProCut White Lite’ – Creamy white petals with yellow centers. Gorgeous in arrangements.
-
‘Sunzilla’ – Giant 20+ inch yellow blooms on tall 8 ft. plants. Makes a statement!
-
‘Vincent’s Choice’ – Stunning 7-10″ bi-color blooms in shades of rust, gold, and mahogany.
Growing and Harvesting Sunflowers for Cutting
-
Start seeds indoors 4-6 weeks before last frost or sow directly in prepared soil after danger of frost.
-
Space plants appropriately for variety – closer for smaller blooms, wider for giants.
-
Stake tall plants and tie loosely to allow for thickening stems.
-
Deadhead routinely to encourage more flower production.
-
Harvest when petals start to open by cutting stems at an angle.
-
Immediately place in water and remove foliage that will be underwater.
-
Use floral preservative and change water every 2-3 days for longest vase life.
-
Cut blooms early morning or late evening when stems are most hydrated.
Arranging Sunflowers for Bouquets
The bold forms and yellow hues of sunflowers allow them to shine as focal points in arrangements. Here are some tips:
-
Anchor large heads in sturdy vases able to support the weight.
-
Surround with easy-to-find garden fillers like buds, grasses, herbs.
-
Mix colors and textures for contrast – try grey/green foliage and dark blooms.
-
Display in transparent vases to showcase the stems and shapes.
-
Use florist foam or straws to hold multiple smaller stems in place.
-
Weave thin flexible stems through other materials for a natural look.
Why Grow Sunflowers for Cutting?
What makes sunflowers so perfect for cutting gardens and arrangements?
-
Iconic, recognizable flower that brings instant joy.
-
Available in wide range of colors, forms, sizes.
-
Branching types yield continuous harvest for weeks.
-
Towering height provides drama and presence in bouquets.
-
Both single and double blooms have great vase life.
-
Easy to grow in full sun with minimal care needed.
-
Pollen-free options for tidy arrangements.
-
Can be dried for long-lasting fall and winter décor.
For breathtaking cuts all season long, be sure to reserve ample garden space for sunflowers. These classic blooms promise to brighten up your garden and vases with their iconic cheer.
Advantages & Disadvantages of Various Types of Sunflowers
Sunflowers are a well-known crop that allow vegetable farmers to try out different flower combinations. With more than 50 cultivars to choose from, getting started with sunflowers can be a bit daunting. This article talks about the pros and cons of the different types of sunflowers and gives you some tips on how to pick the ones that are best for your needs and tastes.
The 2 Primary Types of Sunflowers
There are two basic types of cut-flower sunflowers:
These two types are so different from one another that I almost think of them as different crops. I grow single-stem types because that’s what my market wants, but I can see how branching types might work better for some folk. Here are some pros and cons of each type.
Lynn Byczynski was growing organic vegetables and cut flowers for market when she decided to create a magazine that would help market gardeners nationwide share experiences and information. Her first issue of Growing for Market appeared in January 1992; GFM has been published continuously ever since and is renowned in the market-gardening world for realistic articles that provide practical, how-to information about growing and selling produce and flowers.
Since 1988, Byczynski and her family have grown vegetables and cut flowers to sell to chefs, grocery stores, florists, and through CSAs and farmers markets. On their 20-acre farm near Lawrence, Kansas, they grow cut flowers and tomatoes in hoophouses on about 2 acres right now.
One of our favorite books about market farming is The Hoophouse Handbook, and another is The Flower Farmer.
I would choose the Sunrich or Pro Cut series, both of which are single-stem varieties, as the easiest and most reliable sunflowers for a beginner grower or someone who just wants to plant and harvest sunflowers over and over again.
When non-hybrid sunflowers drop pollen on furniture, tablecloths, and clothes, single-stem hybrid sunflowers pick it up and spread it around. Pollenless sunflowers possess only female characteristics. They do not shed pollen, are less apt to be allergenic, and last longer in a vase. Sunflowers that don’t have pollen have lots of nectar, which makes them appealing to bees and butterflies. If there are other sunflowers nearby that do have pollen, these sunflowers will also produce seeds.
One more good thing about single-stem sunflowers is that many of them bloom very quickly, only 60 days from when they were planted until they are ready to be picked. In addition, there are many day-neutral single-stem types that can be grown in a hoophouse in the early spring or late fall. (See our article on how day length affects flowering for more detail. ).
When it comes to the size of the flower they can make, single-stemmed plants are more flexible than branching types. It’s possible to space the plants 6″ x 6″ apart to get smaller flowers that are good for bouquets or 12″ apart to get flowers that are good for dinner plates. Watch our video on how to plan, space, and order sunflowers to learn more about how spacing affects the size of the bloom. ).
Single-stem varieties also have strong, thick stems and flowers that are full of substance that make a statement and fill out a bouquet, which is why florists like them. And their vase life is amazing—up to 2 weeks in plain water.
On the other hand, single-stem sunflowers produce just one single flower from one single seed. (Although a few cultivars may send up small secondary flowers in mid-summer, this is not the norm. So, to make sure you always have sunflowers, you need to plant new single-stem plants every 10–14 days during the season. When you sell your flowers, you should charge more for single-stemmed cuts so that you get a good return on your money. You can treat this as an opportunity, nonetheless—see our 3 Sunflower Succession-Planting Programs to learn how.
Branching types of sunflowers bloom a lot over a long period of time, so they don’t need to be planted after each other as often. There are numerous unusual colors among the branching varieties, including burgundy, chocolate, bronze, and bicolors. Most of the doubles (with blooms that have more than one layer of petals) are branching types. In other words, this category has a lot of pizzazz.
But most branching sunflowers don’t have stems that are as long or strong as single-stem varieties. For most, it takes at least 65 days for them to bloom, and they need a lot more room. The branching types should be planted 18″ apart. And their lengthier production cycle lends insects and disease more opportunity to attack the plants. However, when you grow branching types, you also help the good bugs that depend on them. There is a lot of pollen produced by many branching cultivars. If you think this will be an issue for your customers, look for cultivars that are labeled as pollenless. Also, the branching types don’t last very long in the vase; some only last 5 days.
Using Sunflowers as Cut Flowers – Cut Flower Gardening for Beginners
FAQ
Do sunflowers last as cut flowers?
How do you pick sunflowers for a vase?
What sunflowers bloom the longest?
Are ProCut sunflowers a good choice?
The ProCut sunflower series is a good choice for cut flowers as they are non-branching and produce a single bloom. Specifically developed for cut flower production, do not pinch these sunflowers.
Which sunflowers are best for cutting?
Single stem sunflowers such as ProCut Series (Orange, Peach, White Lite, and more) and the Sunrich Series (Gold, Lemon, and more) are perfect for cutting. Branching sunflower varieties Autumn Beauty, Buttercream, and Strawberry lemonade are also classic choices for the cutting garden.
Which sunflowers are best for flowers?
This summer, take some pointers from flower farmers and grow the most productive and long-lasting sunflower varieties for your bouquets. Single stem sunflowers such as ProCut Series (Orange, Peach, White Lite, and more) and the Sunrich Series (Gold, Lemon, and more) are perfect for cutting.
Can sunflowers be grown as cut flowers?
Sunflowers that can be used as cut flowers are referred to as single stem sunflowers. They produce one large and perfect flower on a single stem instead of branching.