Sunflower Autumn Beauty Seeds - Helianthus annuus

Helianthus annuus 'Autumn Beauty' is a remarkable sunflower, particularly ornamental and decorative, of tall stature, with an upright and well-branched habit, offering astonishing autumnal colours in its flowering. Each plant can have up to 20 open flowers at once and it blooms from summer to autumn. The palette of warm, solid or bicoloured colours includes golden yellow, bronze, brown, and deep purple-red. This vigorous annual plant, with fast growth, is easy to grow. Sow the seeds between April and May and it will thrive preferably in rich and well-drained soils, in sunny locations and sheltered from strong winds. To maximize its decorative appeal, it is recommended to grow it in groups.

Helianthus annuus is the famous sunflower cultivated on a large scale for the oil extracted from its seeds. This large annual plant of the Asteraceae family, domesticated for a long time by humans, has a controversial origin, but it is native to the American continent.

The 'Autumn Beauty' sunflower forms a plant with an upright and branched habit, reaching between 1.60 and 2 m in height and 0.40 to 0.60 m in width. Flowering usually starts around mid-July and can last until October. It is an inflorescence in a flower head measuring between 12 and 16 cm in diameter, composed of a corolla of petals or ligules in shades ranging from red to gold, through brown and bronze, surrounding an almost black central disc. Under the best conditions, it takes 12 to 14 weeks between sowing and the start of flowering. The flower stems are rigid and strong, with numerous branches. The foliage consists of fairly dark green, simple, cordate (heart-shaped), toothed leaves, alternately arranged, sometimes opposite at the base. They are attached to the stem by a petiole and are rough to the touch.

Its ease of cultivation, large seeds, and suitable size are appreciated by beginner gardeners. The 'Autumn Beauty' sunflower is particularly suitable for large flower beds and flower borders. It is also ideal for enhancing the vegetable garden and very useful for the garden's ecological balance, by attracting beneficial fauna. In the chicken coop, it becomes a valuable plant for chickens, offering an interesting supplement to their diet and diversifying their environment. In cultivation, it only requires sun and a not too dry soil to flourish. It has a rustic appearance and integrates well into slightly wild areas of the garden, with cosmos, sainfoin, perennial sweet peas, scabious, gaillardias, lupins, etc.

Before flowering, the plant optimises its growth by following the course of the sun. This phenomenon called heliotropism has given rise to some of its common names: Heliotrope, Sunflower...

To enjoy your cut Sunflowers for longer, follow these tips:

• Cut the flowers in the morning just after they have opened. Use a clean knife.
• Remove the leaves starting from the bottom, leaving only 2 or 3 leaves below the flower.
• Change the water in the vase for fresh water every day.

Sunflower in the kitchen: The buds, petals, and seeds are edible. Add a few petals to a green salad for colour contrast and nutty flavour. The green buds can be blanched, then sautéed in garlic butter. Their flavour is similar to that of Jerusalem artichoke. The flesh of the seed can be eaten raw or roasted.

An ecological asset: Throughout the summer, the nectar-rich flowers of Sunflowers attract pollinating insects and butterflies to your garden. A good way to improve the ecosystem and promote fruit and vegetable production. The oil-rich seeds are loved by birds (parrots, tits, doves, goldfinches, siskins, nuthatches, finches, etc.). At the end of flowering, harvest them to make some happy during the winter scarcity.

Organic or "AB" seeds are derived from plants grown in organic farming (without the use of phytosanitary products). They undergo no treatment after harvest. These seeds are suitable for organic market gardening.