Everybody enjoys the experience of growing a sunflower. If full-sized sunflowers are nice, you will love Dwarf Sunflowers.
In this grower’s guide for Dwarf Sunflowers, we will share all the ins and outs about these wonderful plants that are enjoyed by children and gardeners of all ages.
To be honest, they are one of my favorite flowers to grow.
Read on for more information to see if you want to grow them.
What are dwarf sunflowers?
Dwarf sunflowers can be thought of as the mini-me’s of regular tall sunflowers, Helianthus annuus.
Traditional sunflowers exceed more than 8 feet (2.5 meters) tall, while dwarf sunflowers rarely grow beyond the knee height and the vast majority of varieties grow to no more than 3 feet (90 centimeters).
A giant daisy
Helianthus annuus is a member of the daisy family of flowers, and its Latin name is derived from the Greek words “helios” and “anthos”, for “sun” and “flower” respectively.
People cultivate sunflowers – despite being as native to the southeastern US – across the world due to their beautiful appeal.
Even better – not only do they look good, their prolific capacity to produce seeds has made it a valuable oilseed crop in many countries of the world.
Pick and mix dwarf varieties
The dwarf types of sunflower have come into being with lots of breeding of many hybrids to enjoy.
Dwarf sunflowers are often smaller versions of newer and popular standard varieties, but many colors and combinations are available.
Dwarf sunflowers only turn up once per year
Dwarf sunflowers are mostly annuals, with only a few varieties returning a second year.
The implication is that, once the show’s over, these beauties are not returning.
Hopefully, you will be sowing again next year, or will allow seeds from your mature sunflowers that you’ve grown to dry. And, then, allow them to drop into the soil.
Why grow dwarf sunflowers?
Dwarf sunflowers are gorgeous and a cinch to grow in your garden!
If gorgeous and easy to grow aren’t enough for you to plant dwarf sunflowers in your garden, here’s some other great reasons.
Dwarf sunflowers are great for kids
The oversized, cheerful flower heads of sunflowers seize the imagination of small children, who jubilantly watch them grow to a height that can be admired.
Dwarf sunflowers a perfect for containers and borders
An eight-foot tall border of sunflowers looks foolish.
The shorter stature, branching, and double heads of dwarf sunflower types provide borders with visual interest and the shorter stature can look bushy and shrub-like in the appropriate container.
Great for cutting
Many dwarf sunflower cultivars have been developed by horticulturists for cutting. These dwarf sunflower varieties have beautiful stems and less leaf matter.
The benefit of being shorter is that cutting them is easier.
10 great dwarf sunflower varieties to enjoy in your home or garden
These petite sunflowers are extremely addictive to grow.
If you are in the hunt for dwarf sunflower seed you will find yourself having hundreds of cute varieties to choose from.
Following are some of the most popular dwarf sunflower varieties.
1. Little Becka sunflowers
This delightful sunflower, styled Little Becka, is incredibly prolific with beautiful copper-red blooms with a double halo and a dark center.
This beautiful and dwarf sunflower is so elegant in the garden and would make a stunning cut flower either at home or in a mass display outdoors. Little Becka will only reach three feet tall.
2. Florenza sunflowers
This unique variety features a combination of red-orange and yellow as well as a wonderful chocolate scent.
Note – They are also great for cutting, because they have sturdy, stiff stems and a sparse amount of leaves. Florenza flowers reach a height of two to three feet.
3. Elf sunflowers
The world’s tiniest sunflower is just a bit over a foot tall.
This charming species grows in attractive clusters that will enchant any little gardeners you may have at home.
Elf is great at attracting pollinators and many of the traditional yellow flowers last a long time.
4. Double Dandy sunflowers
If you suffer from hay fever, this is a great hybrid variety of dwarf sunflower to grow as the flowers produced by this sunflower do not produce pollen.
Rather than a traditional sunflower, this one produces double blooms that are deep red with large bursts. Double Dandies grow to 2-feet tall at their highest.
5. Sunbright (F1) sunflowers
Designed to be pollen-free, Sunbright is a hybrid variety.
This delightful dwarf sunflower boasts cheerful golden yellow sunflowers that measure 6 inches in diameter. They are beautiful to grow and arrange in a bouquet.
Sunbright sunflower performs best when grown in cooler temperatures. It can grow up to a height of 3 feet.
6. Teddy Bear (HA) sunflowers
These fluffy double blooms are more reminiscent of a dahlia than a standard sunflower!
You’ll love the adorably fluffy blooms, which make a statement in a border or in a large pot on the patio.
The perfect size for children to pick is just 18 inches (45cm) tall and the bloom can spread up to 1 foot (30cm) wide.
7. Pacino Gold (A)
This resilient annual dwarf sunflower is simple to grow and maintain.
It loves to be placed in a sunny position on your patio, or you can plant sparingly in mixed borders.
It will typically reach a height of two feet, but it is very productive with many bright yellow heads for each plant.
8. Topolino sunflowers
Sunflower Topolino is a fun, branching dwarf sunflower type with bright yellow flowers with dark centers, from little plants with a branching habit.
It is an excellent choice for growing with young children as they will have good visibility of the flower heads as it only grows about a foot tall (30-40 cm).
9. Gaillardia sunflowers
This charming perennial yields lovely flowers that almost resembles a daisy.
The bright two-toned flowers are abundant, and thus the name the blanket flower, or Indian blanket.
A carefree pick that can give you flowers all summer long and potentially a second season. A great one for borders!
10. Mezzulah sunflowers
This Hybrid Dwarf pollen-free variety will have the classic golden-yellow petals with a dark center.
They will reach a height of 2-3′ with strong stems to hold up the flowers when cut.
How to grow dwarf sunflowers
Growing dwarf sunflowers is a fun family gardening project because it’s so easy!
After sown, dwarf sunflowers will flower in over three months (95 days).
Once you pick a variety of dwarf sunflower seeds, it’s a matter of sowing and growing.
Sowing dwarf sunflower seeds
Resist the urge to munch on your dwarf sunflower seeds (they’re edible) and plant them directly in your garden soil after the last frost.
Make a half inch deep hole with a dibber and place 3 – 4 seeds, cover the soil and water them in lightly.
Alternatively, you can place them in a pot of all-purpose compost so you don’t risk the birds nibbling them.
If you are going to grow in a pot, plant one seed per 6 inch (15 cm) diameter pot or up to 4 seeds in a gallon-volume pot.
If you plan to transplant the seedlings, you’ll want to sow them a month before transplanting.
Remember: Dwarf sunflower seeds germinate within 7 to 14 days if you keep them in a warm place between 70 – 75°F (21-24°C).
Transplanting dwarf sunflower seeds
Dwarf sunflowers do not tolerate root disturbance well, so make sure to allow them to grow before thinning them and transplanting them to your yard.
Again, wait for preferably three to four true leaves to develop before moving them to your yard.
Container growing dwarf sunflowers
Dwarf sunflowers would be the perfect fit in a lovely location on your patio.
The growing process is easy: simply sow directly into the compost, provide good drainage, and place your growing sunflowers in the sun.
Dwarf sunflowers grown in containers grow smaller than sunflowers grown in open-ground situations.
Growing conditions for dwarf sunflower
The name of these flowers gives you a major clue they like a lot of sun, at least six hours of it in a sunny spot.
Heads Up! Soil should be well drained. If you’re hoping to grow a mass of sunny dwarf sunflowers, be sure to space them about a foot apart so they do not become stunted.
Growing on dwarf sunflowers
When temperature is considered, your growing plants need a daytime temperature of 70 to 80°F (21 to 27°C), and no less than 50 to 60°F (10 to 16°C) at night.
The main stem of these sunflowers will stretch in warmer weather and will remain dwarf and compact in colder weather.
Dwarf sunflower pests and diseases
Keep an eye on your dwarf sunflowers during their growing. This will help you stay aware of common pests and diseases that will target sunflowers!
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Dwarf sunflower pests
Here are the common dwarf sunflower pests to look out for in your yard.
- Borers: These pests, along with their larvae, attack the stem of sunflowers and eat the sap. Damage can rapidly become overwhelming, especially if there are many borers.
- Beetles: Sunflower beetles attack leaves of the sunflower. If you have mature plants, your plants will look ugly but overall damage is negligible. Damage from too many beetles can stunt younger plants’ growth as too much foliage is removed.
- Cutworms: Cutworms also damage sunflower foliage eating holes, notching, and wilting.
- Moths: Sunflower moth is an obviously damaging sunflower pest. Each stage of the life cycle will destroy sunflowers. Moths lay eggs in the sunflower creating larvae that eat the developing flower head, resulting in devastation.
- Grasshoppers: Grasshoppers also like your dwarf sunflower foliage as well. If you get enough grasshoppers invading your sunflowers, they could defoliate everything!
Certain pests that affect sunflowers can be avoided by avoiding early planting, as well as potentially having a summer planting which may help you miss the worst of certain pestactivity.
If you plan to harvest sunflower seeds for consumption, do not use conventional pesticides.
You can also spray your growing sunflowers with various mixtures including:
- Ammonia
- Baking soda
- Dish soap
- Vegetable oil
Dwarf sunflower diseases
Most diseases affecting sunflowers affect other plants and arise from a surplus of moisture or environmental humidity.
Here is a list of key diseases of sunflowers:
- Leaf spot: This is a prevalent plant disease caused by fungus present in a moist environment that gets onto the underside bottom leaves of the sunflower. Treatments for spotted leaves are fungicide sprays or sulfur, or copper octanoate sprays.
- Powdery mildew: A group of fungi that create a white powdery coating on the leaf is responsible for this disease. Remove the affected leaves or spray with any of the sprays mentioned previously.
- Sclerotinia stem rot: This is another fungal disease that kills the stem of the sunflower. The fungus rots the sunflower stem from the inside out, with wilting and progressively decaying, which also weakens the root and then the head.
- Verticillium wilt: These soil-borne fungi enter the plant through its roots, causing the leaves to wilt and turning yellow nearly overnight.
Cutting sunflowers
Dwarf sunflowers are fantastic for cutting as well as making a striking and stunning flower arrangement.
As your sunflowers begin to form flower heads, cut the stem to a convenient length cut at a 45° angle.
This will help prevent the stem from being flat on the bottom of your vase, which causes it to rot. While harvesting your sunflowers place them in a bucket of clean water.
You will prep your stems by stripping foliage off the stems except for the leaves closest to the flower head.
Here are some helpful tips for cutting sunflowers for your vase.
Saving sunflower seeds
Sunflower seeds are a savory snack for both yourself and for a nearby critter.
The “dwarf” sunflower produces edible seeds just like the larger, tall variety.
Once the sunflower blossom fades, cut the seeds from the flower head.
You can eat the seeds raw, or oven roast them. Make sure to save a few in a clean dry airtight container for next year!
Rounding up
Dwarf sunflowers are a joy to grow, with something for everyone, and they are an edible reward at the end of your labor.
Given the many varieties it’s difficult to have a favorite! They are a great reason to get the family growing!