Not the plant you're looking for? Search over 300,000 plants

Annual BiennialBedding

Helianthus annuus 'Claret'

sunflower 'Claret'

A robust annual to around 1.5m in height, with green foliage. Single, black-centred, dark reddish-brown flowers to 15cm across, develop shades of orange as they mature, appearing on dark stems from July to September. An ideal variety for children to grow in borders or containers, and tolerant of partial shade

Save to My plants

Buy this plant

Plant nurseries
2 suppliers

Ultimate height

1–1.5 metres

Time to ultimate height

1 year

Ultimate spread

0.1–0.5 metres

Chalk

Clay

Loam

Sand

Moisture

Moist but well–drained

pH

Acid, Alkaline, Neutral

	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Full sun

Aspect

South–facing or West–facing

Exposure

Exposed or Sheltered

Hardiness
Hardiness ratings
All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets
H1a: under glass all year (>15C)
H1b: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
H1c: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20)

Botanical details

Family: Asteraceae
Native to GB / Ireland: No
Foliage: Deciduous
Habit: Columnar upright
Genus: Helianthus can be tall, erect annuals, tuberous or rhizomatous perennials, with coarse simple leaves and large daisy-like flower-heads
Name status: Accepted

How to grow

Cultivation

Grow in moderately fertile, neutral to alkaline, humus-rich, moist but well-drained soil in full sun. Will tolerate partial shade

Propagation

Propagate by seed or cuttings. See sowing seeds indoors for further advice

Suggested planting locations and garden types

Cottage and informal garden
Wildlife gardens
Cut flowers
Flower borders and beds

Pruning

Cut back after flowering

Pests

May be susceptible to slugs and snails

Diseases

May be susceptible to powdery mildews and sclerotinia diseases

Get involved

The Royal Horticultural Society is the UK’s leading gardening charity. We aim to enrich everyone’s life through plants, and make the UK a greener and more beautiful place.