Maximilian sunflower

Questions about maximilian sunflower

Does maximilian sunflower need sun or shade?

Maximilian sunflower grows in full sun (6 or more hours of direct sun a day).

It wants dry, sharply drained soil, on the lean side, with no feeding, and little watering once settled. Once settled in, it stands drought.

What zones does maximilian sunflower grow in?

USDA zones 4 to 9. It is hardy to zone 4, which means it survives winter nights down to about −20 °F (−29 °C).

Gardening in Canada? Use the USDA zone for your town: Canada's own zone map uses different numbers.

When does maximilian sunflower flower in my zone?

In zone 5 it flowers early September to mid October. As an autumn flower it keeps much the same dates in every zone: it answers to shortening days and cool nights more than to the warmth of spring.

Worked out from Hopkins' bioclimatic law: spring arrives about four days later for each degree of latitude north, and one zone is roughly two degrees. A warm spring or a cold one moves any garden two weeks either way.

How far apart should maximilian sunflower be planted?

2½ ft (75 cm) apart, from the middle of one plant to the middle of the next. That is a little closer than its full width of 3 ft (90 cm), so a group knits into one patch.

It grows 8 ft (240 cm) tall. Give it the full distance from anything taller, or it will lean out towards the light.

How many maximilian sunflower plants do I need?

At 2½ ft apart, set out in staggered rows:

• 2 to fill 10 square feet (about 1 m²)
• 5 for a single row 10 ft (3 m) long
• 6 to fill a 4 × 8 ft bed on its own

In a mixed border, plant it as a group of three or five, with a second group further along in the other number.

In the bed above, the planner used one in one group.

Is maximilian sunflower poisonous to dogs and cats?

No toxicity is recorded for dogs, cats, horses or people, according to NC State Extension.

"Not toxic" is not "edible": a pet that eats a lot of any plant can be sick.

Do deer eat maximilian sunflower?

Mostly not. NC State lists it as resistant to deer. No plant is proof against a hungry deer in a hard winter, but this one is low on the menu.

Will maximilian sunflower spread?

It spreads sideways, by runners or roots; the risk of it taking over is moderate. Spreads by underground stems and by seed into wide clumps. Divide it every few years.

What flowers after maximilian sunflower?

Maximilian sunflower is over by mid October. These start as it finishes and carry the same spot on, so it never goes flat:

• Bodnant viburnum 'Dawn': from early November to late December, 10 ft tall.
• Common witch hazel: from mid October to late November, 15 ft tall.

What does maximilian sunflower look like in winter?

Maximilian sunflower dies down, but leave the stems standing: the seed heads stand through the winter, and songbirds eat the seed. Cut them down in early spring, before the new shoots come.

Is maximilian sunflower good for bees and butterflies?

Maximilian sunflower is visited by pollinators, butterflies and songbirds.

It is a host plant: the caterpillars of silvery checkerspot feed on its leaves. A butterfly can only lay its eggs on its host plants, so these do more for it than any nectar flower.

It is native to the United States and Canada.