If you’re on the hunt for the tallest, sturdiest sunflower around—one that will make your garden the talk of the neighborhood—look no further than the American Giant Hybrid Sunflower. With soaring stalks and classic sunflower heads, this variety is a standout in more ways than one!
Read on to learn all about this beautiful, giant sunflower variety and why it just might be the perfect addition to your garden this growing season.
Characteristics of the American Giant Hybrid Sunflower
As its name suggests, the most defining quality of the American Giant Hybrid Sunflower is its height! Truly a giant among its kind, this sunflower variety can grow to be as much as 14 feet tall, with flowerheads that can grow a foot or more in diameter, depending on how much space they are given to grow!
In addition to the defining characteristics of the flowerhead and its overall height, the American Giant Hybrid is also noteworthy for its strong stems; where other giant sunflower varieties tend to be susceptible to high winds, the American Giant Hybrid is bred specifically to withstand the elements.
These strong stalks also make it ideal for cut flowers and bouquets.
Can You Grow These Sunflowers at Home?
The American Giant Hybrid Sunflower makes an ideal sunflower for home growing. As is the case with most sunflower varieties, caring for it will require some work, but the reward is certainly magnificent!
Like all sunflowers, the this giant breed is a heavy feeder and will require regular watering and moist soil to thrive; laying down a layer of mulch will help maintain the ideal soil dampness without oversaturating the roots.
In addition, the American Giant Hybrid Sunflower will thrive best on a fertilizer blend that is low in nitrogen and high in both phosphorus and potassium…this particular ratio will help ensure that you have more flowering than leaf growth, which can be caused by an overabundance of nitrogen.
You can also pick up an organic sunflower feed to help keep your American Giant Hybrids in their best shape. Make sure to follow the feeding schedule specific to whatever feed blend you choose!
What Is Significant About This Flower?
The American Giant Hybrid Sunflower has a few noteworthy characteristics, particularly its height! It also remains a standout among giant sunflowers for its resilience to wind and other elements. These defining traits also make it a great competition sunflower, where sunflowers are frequently ranked by their height as well as the diameter of their flowerheads.
Benefits of Growing Them at Home
There’s more to the American Giant Hybrid Sunflower than just the easy planting and steady care it requires, which makes it the ideal for gardeners who are either established or actively learning to be diligent in their craft. This sunflower variety also offers a fantastic help for the health of your home garden!
The American Giant Hybrid is an ideal attractor of pollinators. Planting this sunflower variety in your garden, especially along the edges, will help ensure that all of the plants inside the border are fully pollinated, and these sunflowers will also attract beneficial insects and birds, which can have a tremendous effect on your whole growing season!
Where Should You Plant Them?
When planning where to plant your American Giant Hybrid Sunflower plants, you will want to bear in mind that these flowers need to be in full sunlight where they will receive a minimum of 6 hours of sun per day. They will also need some space in order to thrive and grow to their maximum potential and achieve the desired size of the flowerheads.
The American Giant Hybrid can be started indoors from seed, or seeded directly in the soil. The key here is to get your American Giant Hybrid Sunflower outside after the final threat of frost has passed in your area. Bear in mind this is a late maturing sunflower, so it will take some time to see those large and tall blooms!
American Giant Hybrid Sunflower seeds should be planted to a depth of a half inch, with six to twelve inches between seeds and 4 to 6 feet between sunflower rows.
They should also be planted with a good span of space between them and any other plants in the garden, as the American Giant Hybrid Sunflower likes its room to grow! It should be noted that this need for space means that the American Giant Hybrid Sunflower is not ideal for gardens on the smaller side, but in larger ones, they will truly thrive.
Making a Bouquet With it/Using it for Décor
The size and vivid color of this sunflower variety makes it a great addition, particularly to various types of fall décor. You can weave it into autumn wreaths, add it into bouquets with flowers of similar shades, or cut the stems and nest the flowerheads in a mason jar tied off with burlap and lace for a particularly homey pop of décor!
This flower also makes for an ideal farmhouse decoration display. Combine it with lots of burlap, twine, naked wood, and other similar elements to tie together that cozy, rustic feeling.
In terms of combining it with other flowers, The American Giant Hybrid Sunflower can do wonderfully in many different bouquets, especially summertime wedding bouquets, as its size will fill in any gaps with other greenery. It can do well paired with both small and large flowers but often looks best with those of a single, solid shade.
Where to Buy the American Giant Hybrid Sunflower
The American Giant Hybrid Sunflower can sometimes be found at local florists and occasionally at supermarkets, grocery stores, and even some lawn and garden centers. However, the best way to acquire some healthy and vigorous American Giant Hybrids for all your flowering needs is to grow them yourself at home!
In addition to its occasional appearance at local distributors such as nurseries, lawn and garden centers, and the like, the American Giant Hybrid Sunflower may be sourced in seed online. We recommend the American Giant Hybrid Sunflower seeds available through Hoss Tools.
Wrapping up the American Giant Hybrid Sunflower
Excited to grow your own American Giant Hybrid Sunflower right at home? Before you get started, be sure to read up more on sunflowers! Minneopa Orchards has great resources to learn about lots of different kinds of sunflowers, how they grow together, how to care for them, address issues, and so much more.
- About the Author
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Renee Dugan is a lifelong writer, professional editor, and lover of all things nature, gardening and the big outdoors.
A Midwest girl who’s been in the garden since she could first hold a hand trowel, Renee’s love of growing things has bloomed into a passion for healthy living, holistic lifestyle, and knowing where our food comes from.
Now a mother and maturing gardener herself, Renee is passionate about channeling everything she knows and continues to learn about gardening into lessons for her son and others. Her excitement for sharing this knowledge is only superseded by her excitement about being able to finally grow her own citrus plants in pots.
Renee can be reached at renee.s.dugan@gmail.com