General Plant Information (Edit)
Plant Habit: Herb/Forb
Life cycle: Perennial
Sun Requirements: Full Sun
Water Preferences: Mesic
Dry Mesic
Dry
Minimum cold hardiness: Zone 10a -1.1 °C (30 °F) to +1.7 °C (35 °F)
Plant Height: 4 to 6 feet
Plant Spread: 2.5 to 3 feet
Flowers: Showy
Flower Color: Orange
Flower Time: Summer
Late summer or early fall
Uses: Suitable as Annual
Dynamic Accumulator: P (Phosphorus)
Wildlife Attractant: Bees
Butterflies
Hummingbirds
Propagation: Seeds: Needs specific temperature: 70F
Suitable for wintersowing
Sow in situ
Start indoors
Other info: Start 6 - 8 weeks if starting indoors.

Image
Common names
  • Mexican Sunflower
Botanical names
  • Accepted: Tithonia rotundifolia
  • Synonym: Helianthus speciosus
  • Synonym: Tagetes rotundifolia
  • Synonym: Tithonia speciosa

Photo Gallery
Location: My Cape Cod garden
Date: 2021-08-29
Bumblebee buffet on a fasciated tithonia bud
Location: Woodbridge , Va
Date: 2018-10-04
Location: my garden, Arvada, Colorado
Date: august
Location: My Cape Cod garden
Date: 2021-08-27
Fasciation -- a bundling of buds -- on a tithonia grown from seed
Location: Central Texas
Date: 2015-06-22
Location: My Cape Cod garden
Date: 2020-08-25
Location: Latvia University Botanical  gardens Riga
Location: Woodbridge , Va
Date: 2020-07-14
Location: IL
Date: 2015-09-04
#Pollination Golden Northern Bumble Bee (Bombus fervidus) on Mexi
Location: KatesFlowers Annual Garden
Date: 2017-09-26
Location: In my zone 8 garden
Date: 2017-06-14
Location: Enterprise, Al. 36330
Date: 2016-08-04
#Pollination   Mexican Sunflower with butterflies
Location: My Cape Cod garden
Date: September 2022
Location: My garden
Date: Jun 8 2021
My favorite summer plant
Location: Mysore, India
Date: 2013-11-01
When I sowed seeds from the packet, I expected the Red, but these
Location: In my zone 8 garden
Date: 2017-06-13
Location: Barsons Greenhouse, Westland, Michigan
Date: 2019-08-19
Location: Lily fence - full sun
Date: 2008-0819
Very attractive to bees.
Location: The Natural State (Arkansas)
Date: 2020-05-03
Photo by ajaburkhead
Location: Tampa Bay, Florida 
Date: 2020-11-17
Mexican Sunflower
Location: Missouri Botanical Garden, St Louis
Date: 2017-08-09
Location: Charleston, SC
Date: 2012-11-01

Courtesy Outsidepride
  • Uploaded by vic
Location: Maryland
Date: August 9, 2014
Location: Athol, MA
Date: 2017-09-20
This plant is now 7 feet tall! Will soon have blooms all over. Fo
Location: On a garden tour
Date: Jul 27, 2008 1:09 PM
Location: On a garden tour
Date: Jul 27, 2008 1:08 PM
Location: Athol, MA
Date: 2017-09-13
It's 6 feet tall, I'm only 5!
Location: Nationale Plantentuin Meise (Brussels)
Date: 2018-06-24
Location: Enterprise, Al. 36330
Date: 2015-05-21
Location: The Natural State (Arkansas)
Date: 2020-06-26
Photo by chelle
Location: Sanford, FL
Date: 2021-05-30
Location: Athol, MA
Date: 2017-06-24
Location: Latvia University Botanical  gardens Riga
Location: East Texas
Date: 2009-09-15
Endless butterflies for months!  I love these flowers.
Location: Helena, AL
Date: 2016-12-20
Orange on Orange
Location: Lily fence - full sun
Date: 2008-0819
Keeping the bees busy.
Location: Athol, MA
Date: 2017-08-09
Location: Botanical Gardens of the State of Georgia...Athens, Ga
Date: 2017-10-05
Mexican Sunflower 002
Location: Athol, MA
Date: 2017-09-20
Too tall for me to photograph from above!
Location: Sanford, FL
Date: 2021-05-30
Location: Botanical Gardens of the State of Georgia...Athens, Ga
Date: 2013-08-29
Yellow Mexican Sunflower 004
Location: Barsons Greenhouse, Westland, Michigan
Date: 2019-08-19
Location: Central Texas
Date: 2015-06-22
Location: Lily fence - full sun
Date: 2008-0518
Six seedlings emerged. I don't remember how many I planted.
Location: Lily fence - full sun
Date: 2008-0811
Here it's around 5' tall but grew to well over 6' tall.
Location: Helena, AL
Date: 2016-11-01
Location: Allentown, Pennsylvania
Date: 2015-07-18
Location: Athol, MA
Date: 2017-09-16
This is about 6 feet in the air!

Date: 2016-06-18
Brownstown Pennsylvania
Location: Roberta Georgia
Date: August
with butterflies and hyacinth vine
Location: Barsons Greenhouse, Westland, Michigan
Date: 2019-08-19
Location: Barsons Greenhouse, Westland, Michigan
Date: 2019-08-19
Photo by robertduval14
Location: Athol, MA
Date: 2017-09-07
Photo by jimard8
Location: Fountain, Florida
Date: 2011-10-12
Location: Athol, MA
Date: 2017-08-26
Location: central Illinois
Date: 2015-02-17
Location: Dearborn Heights, MI
Date: 2017-09-22
My yard
Location: Colima, Mexico (Zone 11)
Date: 2015-02-14
Tithonia rotundifolia seedling
Location: Helena, AL
Date: 2016-12-20
Location: Cheyenne, Wyoming
Date: 2020-04-23
Location: Charleston, SC
Date: 2019-06-11
Location: MY GARDEN
Date: 2001-11-04
ATTRACTS HUMMING BIRDS BUTTERFLYS AND BEES

 Photo Courtesy of Select Seeds. Used with permission.
  • Uploaded by Joy
Location: Lenore, ID
Date: 4-9-2015
Location: Botanical Gardens of the State of Georgia...Athens, Ga
Date: 2016-09-10
Yellow Mexican Sunflower 008
Location: Dearborn Heights, MI
Date: 2009-08-18
My yard
Location: Lily fence - full sun
Date: 2008-0723
Location: Dearborn Heights, MI
Date: 2009-07-26
My yard
Location: Lily fence - full sun
Date: 2008-0819
Just three months from when they emerged.
Location: Lily fence - full sun
Date: 2008-0723
Location: Brownstown Pennsylvania
Date: 2016-06-24

Photo courtesy of Annie's Annuals and Perennials
  • Uploaded by Joy
Location: Sanford, FL
Date: 2021-05-30
Location: IL
Date: 2011-11-04
Location: Dearborn Heights, MI
Date: 2009-08-18
My yard
Location: Helena, AL
Date: 2016-11-17
Location: Botanical Gardens of the State of Georgia...Athens, Ga
Date: 2017-10-12
Mexican Sunflower 001
Location: Cheyenne, Wyoming
Date: 2020-04-26
Location: Dearborn Heights, MI
Date: 2016-09-19
My yard
Location: Dearborn Heights, MI
Date: 2017-09-22
My yard
Location: Friend's garden, MI
Date: 2012-08-06
Location: friend's garden, MI
Date: 2012-08-06
Location: Telly's Greenhouse, Troy, MI
Date: 2013-07-28
Location: Telly's Greenhouse, Troy, MI
Date: 2013-07-28
Location: Helena, AL
Date: 2016-11-01
This plant is tagged in:
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Comments:
  • Posted by vitrsna (Manzanillo, Colima, Mexico - Zone 11a) on Feb 14, 2015 1:27 PM concerning plant:
    Although Tithonia rotundifolia is referred to as "Mexican Sunflower" in the US, it is not a sunflower but an Asteraceae.

    The mature plants may need a good strong stake if exposed to high winds and/or heavy rains. I have had excellent results with 1/4" heavy duty PVC tubes for drinking water, found in the plumbing sections of stores that carry such things. The tubes are about 3.5 feet long and I pound them about 12 inches into the ground with a rubber hammer. I use marbles to plug each end. I add the top marble after I have pounded the stake into the ground for a bit of decor and whimsy. With these stakes, none of the Tithonia uprooted during the rainy (hurricane) season, but I did lose a few branches.
  • Posted by stone (near Macon Georgia (USA) - Zone 8a) on Aug 25, 2013 8:29 AM concerning plant:
    Tithonia is a drought lover.
    In my dry sand garden in the full sun, when it hasn't rained, the plants look great!
    When grown in clay soil with regular watering, the plants get huge, and flop. There's no way to stake them enough to force them to stand.
    Very attractive to butterflies.
    Tithonia has naturalized in my zone 8 garden. All I have to do is thin.
  • Posted by Newyorkrita (North Shore, Long Island, NY ) on Sep 29, 2011 6:55 PM concerning plant:
    Flowers are highly attractive to both butterflies and hummingbirds. On top of that Goldfinches like to eat the seeds if you leave the dried flower heads. A very useful and beautiful flower.
Plant Events from our members
lovesblooms On March 5, 2016 Seeds sown
indoors
lovesblooms On March 5, 2016 Seeds germinated
MrsBinWY On July 7, 2019 Transplanted
On 7-7-2019, planted 5 in the front where the new water line went through. Planting them so late, in such poor soil didn't work out very well for them. They'd just barely started blooming when the frost came.
MrsBinWY On April 20, 2019 Potted up
22
MrsBinWY On March 27, 2019 Seeds germinated
10 emerging
MrsBinWY On March 23, 2019 Seeds sown
Mystery seeds donated to Seed Library labeled "5' tall orange zinnia?" Could be echinacea seeds. 25 in milk jug, try room temp, move to cool if no germination.
piksihk On October 30, 2022 Bloomed
Seeds self sowed; many plants are still blooming
piksihk On June 30, 2020 Bloomed
piksihk On June 30, 2020 Bloomed
piksihk On April 3, 2020 Seeds sown
Round bed
MySecretIslandGarden On June 28, 2022 Bloomed
My first shot at Tithonias from seeds
» Post your own event for this plant

Discussion Threads about this plant
Thread Title Last Reply Replies
Blue arrow clarification by chelle Jul 1, 2013 4:19 PM 0

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