What does a sunflower look like
Let me introduce to everyone the appearance of sunflowers and the characteristics of sunflower cultivation. Next, let's get to know more about them together.
Sunflowers are loved by flower enthusiasts for their small and delicate flower shapes, bright and colorful hues, long blooming periods, high yield of flowers, high survival rate after propagation, and easy maintenance, making them a widely cultivated popular flower. In the past two years, double-layer sunflowers have become particularly popular, with more and more people growing them. However, many people are not very familiar with the types and characteristics of sunflowers, and are often blind when purchasing seeds or seedlings. They often end up buying fake seedlings or seeds. Today, let's talk about this issue!
Overall, sunflowers can be divided into broad-leafed and needle-leafed types.
Broad-leafed sunflowers have single and double-petaled varieties. Single-petaled broad-leafed sunflowers resemble wild purslane, with thin and flat leaves and larger spacing; double-petaled broad-leafed sunflowers are less common but also popular in recent years, with a fluffy center resembling pom-poms.
Single-petaled broad-leafed ↓
Double-petaled broad-leafed ↓
Broad-leafed sunflowers are less cold-resistant than needle-leafed sunflowers, so their blooming period is relatively short. However, they grow very fast, especially the single-petaled varieties, which germinate as soon as the seeds touch the soil, almost suspicion of biological invasion. They grow wildly and are almost impossible to kill!
What does a sunflower look like
Needle-leafed sunflowers, as the name implies, have narrow leaves similar to pine needles. These sunflowers are divided into annual seed-sown types and perennial rhizome types.
Annual seed-sown sunflowers are mainly propagated by seeds. They have a more upright growth habit, with thick and short leaves, and the flowers are mainly single-petaled, although double-petaled ones are also common. After flowering, they produce seeds. Annual sunflowers wither and die after the weather cools down in autumn, and seeds can be collected for sowing in the spring of the following year.
Annual seed-sown ↓
Perennial rhizome sunflowers do not produce seeds and are propagated by cutting branches. They have elliptical and slender leaves, with creeping branches and mostly double-petaled flowers. They have a long blooming period, lasting until winter. After flowering, the withered flowers are cut off, and as long as the temperature does not drop below 5 degrees Celsius in winter to protect the rhizomes from frost, they will regrow and bloom again in the spring.
Perennial rhizome ↓
Recently, the last type of perennial rhizome sunflower has become quite popular. This variety is also called "pine leaf peony," with flowers resembling a mini version of peonies, very beautiful and colorful. Its main method of propagation is cutting, as it rarely produces seeds. So if you want to grow this type of sunflower, buy cuttings, not seeds. Anyone selling seeds for perennial double-petaled sunflowers is likely selling fake ones!