Variety: Autumn Beauty
Helianthus annuus 'Autumn Beauty'
Autumn Beauty (Helianthus annuus) is a branching annual sunflower selection with flowers ranging from yellow and gold to bronze, red, and mahogany. Plants usually reach 150 to 300 cm and produce several side flower heads on firm stems.
It is grown for cut flowers, pollinator gardens, and late-summer colour. Despite its name, it can start flowering in late summer and continue through autumn in mild weather.
Common sunflower was domesticated in North America and later spread through Europe and other regions. The species is used for ornament, seed, oil, fodder, and wildlife. Autumn Beauty belongs to branching, multicoloured garden selections valued for several warm-coloured heads rather than one giant flower.
Sunflower seeds may provide unsaturated fat, protein, fibre, vitamin E, and minerals, but this is an ornamental selection and seed is not automatically food-grade. Do not eat seed from ornamentally treated plants.
For cut flowers, harvest when heads are open and the outer petals remain fresh. Remove lower leaves and place stems in clean water. For seed, let heads dry on the plant and protect them from birds. Store completely dry seed in a dark, airtight container.
Pay special attention to: Aphid, whitefly, caterpillar, beetle, downy mildew, powdery mildew, stem rot.
Flowers attract bees, hoverflies, butterflies, and other insects; mature heads feed birds. Sunflowers remove many nutrients, so add organic matter afterward and avoid repeating them in the same spot continuously. Autumn Beauty describes a colour range, not an exclusively autumn-flowering plant.