Grow Tithonia for Brilliant Orange Cut Flowers
(Tithonia rotundifolia) Mexican Sunflower
Tithonia, also called Mexican sunflower is in the daisy family, or composite family, as are sunflowers. but it isn’t actually a sunflower, which is Helianthus anuus. Being in the daisy family, it has a center composed of many little florets—the pollen and nectar parts—surrounded by petals. The petals act like a beacon, drawing in pollinators to the florets. And Tithonia definitely attracts pollinators with its bright, clear, orange petals.
Tithonia comes from Mexico down to Central America.
It can handle dryish soils but the flowers need a gentle touch in harvesting and arranging, see below. But they’re so worthwhile because they add such an intense splash clear, strong orange color to summer bouquets. They usually last a week in the vase.
Tithonia produces flowers over a long time in summer. With it’s very branching habit this is an excellent cut-and-come again flower. See the Harvesting section for the best way to cut your flowers for good rebloom.
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Tithonia flowers and plants
The flowers are about 3-3½” wide. The stems are velvety like the foliage and need special care in handling. They’re hollow and are easily crushed, so beware. This quality makes it difficult for flower growers to work with them. But as a home gardener, treat them with care and you’ll be able to use Tithonia in your home bouquets. (Though I did make mixed bouquets with Tithonia and brought them to farmers markets and stores with only a few mishaps.)
The flowers last at least a week in the vase.
Tithonia forms a tall, robust, well-branched plant that can be used as an annual hedge. The species, Tithonia rotundiflora, gets up to 6-7 ft. tall. The variety, Tithonia rotundifolia ‘Torch,’ grows 5-6 ft. tall.
‘Torch’ has been selected for better cutting flowers. There are two others, a yellow and a red one. See Favorite Varieties below.
How to grow Tithonia
Annual plant; Full sun; Water: average water, tolerates dry soil
Tithonia is easy to grow and start from seed. It’s an annual, so you need to plant them each year. Direct sow when the soil is warmed or start in cells or pots. Plant out after all danger of frost is passed, unless you can use a lightweight frost cover.
It tolerates hot, dry sites. I plant the in average to good, amended garden soil and water deep and infrequently.
Once they start to bloom it’s important to keep them deadheaded so they keep blooming. Deadhead them the way you’d harvest them for best repeat bloom. At the end of the season let them go, the seeds will attract birds.
How to harvest Tithonia flowers
Cut the flowers when the petals are open and when or before the first ring of florets open for best vase life.
As mentioned, the stems are hollow. So handle gently when clipping them and arranging them. Some flowers have the next node too close behind them so you may want to clip the side shoots off. If so, cut the stem just further down the stem and remove the side shoots.
Remember that cutting to a lower node that has no flower buds yet will give you longer flower stems for the next bloom.
Favorite varieties
I like to grow either the species or ‘Torch’. It’s the orange I want.
There is a yellow called ‘Yellow Torch’ that looks just as strong, smooth, and clear.
There’s also a red, called ‘Red Torch’. It looks, as far as I can tell, like a rather scarlet color. I’d like to try it one day if I can find the space.
Sources for plants or seeds
Most seed companies carry Tithonia, including:
Johnny’s Seeds: They offer just the Tithonia species, a good one
Swallowtail Garden Seeds: They have ‘Torch’ and ‘Yellow Torch’
Select Seeds: They also have both
Some nursery growers are offering young plants these days, so you can look for them at your local nursery.
Flowers to go with Tithonia and more
Green Drops
This grass has drooping seed heads that add interesting texture to your summer bouquets,
Statice
Papery, colorful bracts of flowers, a great bouquet filler, on it’s own, and excellent for drying.
