I suppose they call them sunflowers because some of them think they should grow as high as the sun. At least that’s what the sunflower that sprouted and grew next to my garden must think.
I thought it was an accidental squirrel planting, but Nancy thinks it may have been included in an assorted packet of wildflower seeds that she sewed along the edge if our garden. They say if you have bright flowers near your garden, it will attract pollinators and help with garden production.
But as you can see by the picture, this is a helluva sunflower. I think it’s ten feet tall and still growing. I think what we have is called a Giant Sunflower, that can grow from 9 to as tall as 16 feet. Most need stakes to prevent from toppling over. The bloom sizes, by the way, range from about 10- to 14-inches
The head is just starting to form and I’d love to know how large it will get – if we can keep the squirrels away. I don’t mind that the squirrels or birds ultimately eat the sunflower seeds , but I’d sure like to see how big it gets before they do.