Dwarf Sunflower Little Dorrit F1 Seeds - Helianthus annuus

Helianthus annuus 'Little Dorrit' F1 is a dwarf variety that features large, golden yellow blooms with dark chocolate brown centres over lush green foliage. The fast-growing, compact plants are ideal for sunny borders and pots! Sunflowers are popular annuals that are generally direct sown in spring in ordinary, well-drained garden soil.

Sunflower, or Helianthus annuus in latin, is a large annual plant belonging to the Asteraceae family, native to the Americas. It has long been domesticated for its edible seeds and is now cultivated on a large scale for its oil. 'Little Dorrit' F1 is a dwarf hybrid selection which rapidly grows to a height of 40-60cm. It produces single flowerheads (capitulum) that measure approximately 20cm across. The external petals (technically, ray flowers) are rich golden yellow, arranged around a very dark brown central disc. The flowering period lasts from July to September. In ideal growing conditions, flowers appear 12 weeks after sowing. The floral stems are strong, covered in simple, alternate to opposite heart-shaped green leaves. They are carried on a fairly long petiole and are rough to the touch.

This easy-to-grow plant, with its large seeds and compact habit, is perfect for introducing children to gardening. It is particularly suited to sunny borders, low summer bedding schemes, rock gardens or even large containers. All it requires is a healthy dose of sunshine and moist, well-drained soil. Its flowers make very cheery arrangements combined with fern leaves, goldenrod, statice and carnations for example.

Good to know: Before flowering, sunflowers famously optimize their growth by following the course of the sun in a phenomenon known as heliotropism. All summer long, sunflowers attract pollinating insects and butterflies into the garden, improving its ecosystem and encouraging fruit set in the orchard or vegetable patch. The oil-rich seeds are a favourite with garden birds (nuthatches, tits, finches, sparrows, blackbirds etc.). Harvest them after flowering to provide birds with a valuable food source during the cold winter months.

Cooking with sunflowers:

Sunflower buds, petals and seeds are all edible. Brighten up green salads with a few nutty-flavoured petals. The green buds have a Jerusalem artichoke taste when blanched and tossed in garlic butter. Unhulled seeds can be eaten both raw and grilled.