If you’re in need of a versatile, pollenless sunflower to decorate your garden and fill up your décor, look no further than the Zohar Sunflower! This beloved variety brings so much value to the table. Read on to learn all the facts that make the Zohar a standout breed among sunflowers.
Characteristics of The Zohar Sunflower
The Zohar Sunflower has some of the most characteristic sunflower image appeal you will ever find, sporting a classic dark center and radiant golden-yellow petals. This sunflower is defined by the splendor of its flowerheads and stems; the heads are roughly 4 to 6 inches in diameter, and the stems are tall and sturdy, perfect to support their weight!
Other defining traits that add to the appeal of growing Zohar Sunflowers is their quick bloom period and long vase life. These sunflowers usually bloom as quickly as two months after being sown, and they will last up to 2 weeks once cut and placed in a vase.
In addition, the Zohar Sunflower is edible and can be enjoyed as a garnish on many dishes. It’s also pollenless, which makes it a great planting option for folks with pollen allergies who still want the beauty of a sunflower in their garden or home. But the flowerhead does still produce nectar, which makes it a great attractor for pollinators to help the rest of your garden flourish and thrive!
Can You Grow the Zohar Sunflower at Home?
The Zohar Sunflower can easily be grown at home! This sunflower grows to be between 4 and 6 feet tall and is drought-resistant, increasing its appeal for growers looking to plant it in the hotter, drier parts of the world.
Because sunflowers tend to be sensitive to having their roots disturbed—even more so than other flowers—it is important to prepare when planning how to grow your sunflowers. Your best bet is to begin them indoors two to four weeks before the average final frost date in your area and sow them into biodegradable pots that you can then transplant directly into the soil once the weather warms up.
You should see your seedlings begin to emerge within 1 to 2 weeks. When the soil is consistently warm, usually another 1 to 2 weeks after the typical final threat of frost, you can then sow your seedlings in their biodegradable pots directly into the soil.
Like most sunflower types, these will do best with regular watering but not oversaturation. A good, phosphorus-rich fertilizer or composting every four to six weeks can help maintain soil health and encourage larger blooms, whereas a nitrous fertilizer blend will tend to coax out more greenery but smaller flowerheads.
Why Would You Want to Grow the Zohar Sunflower at Home?
The Zohar Sunflower stands out among its contemporaries and makes for a great home-grown sunflower in large part due to how quickly it blooms and how long it lasts once cut. This raises its appeal significantly among those who are growing sunflowers specifically for décor or bouquets. With the Zohar, you will have a longer harvest with sturdier blooms than some other sunflower types.
The pollenless nature of the Zohar also makes this an ideal sunflower variety for folks sensitive to pollen to enjoy without sacrificing the usefulness it brings to the garden. The colorful beauty and sweet nectar of the Zohar will continue to attract pollinators, making this sunflower truly the best of both worlds!
Additionally, for those who like edible flowers, the Zohar delivers in that regard, too! The bright, beautiful, but slightly bitter petals make a fantastic flavor addition to salads or sprinkled on various appetizers, and the pop of color they provide is an appeal of its own. There is really just so much you can use Zohar Sunflowers for, making them the perfect sunflower for growing at home!
Where Should You Plant This Flower?
Like many sunflower varieties, the Zohar Sunflower does best in loamy, sandy, well-draining soil, and in direct sunlight. Seeds should be sown to a depth of a quarter to a half-inch in groups of 3 seeds placed every 12 inches. Once the sunflowers sprout up to a height of about 3 inches, you can thin the clusters to just a single sunflower every 12 inches.
Because the Zohar is such an early bloomer and vigorous growing flower, and one that only produces a single flowerhead, you will find yourself harvesting them quite early in the growing season! Bearing this in mind, you have the option to sow more seeds every 2 to 4 weeks throughout summer to maintain your bloom ratio and continue filling up your bouquets!
Making a Bouquet With This Flower and Using It for Décor
Once again, the pollenless factor comes into play as it pertains to making bouquets and décor using Zohar Sunflowers! Not only do the large flowerheads fit perfectly in floral arrangements for summer or autumn weddings, but in terms of indoor décor, these sunflowers can be used even by folks with pollen allergies to brighten up a room with some natural, floral decoration!
Broad and brightly colored, Zohar Sunflowers make the perfect addition of sunshine to rustic décor. Wrap the long, sturdy stems in burlap and lace or place them in a jar wrapped with the same to give off cozy farmhouse vibes at a rural wedding or in any corner of your home.
Or, if you want to go really simple and just cut the flowers with a bit of stem and place them in a vase, remember that they will last longer than many of their contemporaries—up to 2 weeks in just a jar of water!
If you continue to plant new Zohar Sunflowers every 2 to 4 weeks, you’re almost guaranteed not to run out of flowers for bouquet arrangements or your household décor throughout the whole growing season!
Where to Buy Zohar Sunflower Seeds
While Zohar Sunflowers and their seeds can often be found at florists or even for sale in bouquets at certain grocery stores and supermarkets, as we have covered already, there is a distinct appeal to buying these sunflowers as seedlings or in seed packets and growing them from home!
When sourcing Zohar Sunflower seeds online, we recommend True Leaf Market seeds for a reliable, organic option.
Wrapping up the Zohar Sunflower
Before you embark on growing the fast-blooming, eye-catching Zohar Sunflower in your garden, be sure to check out our Sunflower page! This is a great resource for tips on sunflower growing, care, pest and disease control, 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