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  3. 11 Of Our Favorite Sunflower Varieties

11 Of Our Favorite Sunflower Varieties

Southern Living May 2021 Cover
By Southern Living Editors Updated April 22, 2021
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Sunflower
Credit: picture alliance / Contributor / Getty Images

Sunflowers are known as "happy flowers" for a good reason. Their bright blooms bring a smile to our faces and can brighten any day. We love walking through fields of blooms during the warmer months and receiving bouquets of these impressive flowers from people we love. While traditional sunflowers will always be a sight to see, there are many other varieties of blooms in the sunflower family that we love and we think you will, too. We love that sunflowers vary in height, color, and even petal shape, while all still fitting into this happy family of flowers. They're great additions to gardens and flower boxes, depending on the variety. If you're hoping to add a pop of sunshine into your garden, we're sure there is a fit for you. While there are many species of sunflowers, we've picked out our top favorites and highlighted some special characteristics that set them apart. Here are some you must try.

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Pro Cut Red/Lemon Bicolor

Sunflower Gardens: 'Pro Cut Red/Lemon Bicolor'
Credit: Van Chaplin, Ralph Anderson

This bloom has a burgundy center with light yellow petal tips. It is a single-stalked plant that grows 5 to 6 feet tall. It's pollenless and yields long-lasting cut flowers.

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Pro Cut Orange

Sunflower Gardens: 'Pro Cut Orange'
Credit: Photo: Van Chaplin, Ralph Anderson

This variety has a brown center and yellow-orange petals. Like the Pro Cut Red/Lemon Bicolor variety, it is a single-stalked plant that grows 5 to 6 feet tall and produces pollenless, long-lasting cut flowers.

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The Joker

Sunflower Gardens: ‘The Joker’
Credit: Photo: Van Chaplin, Ralph Anderson

We love the burgundy center and light yellow petal tips on this sunflower. It too is a single-stalked plant that grows  5 to 6 feet tall and produces pollenless, long-lasting cut flowers.

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Moulin Rouge

Sunflower Gardens: ‘Moulin Rouge’
Credit: Photo: Van Chaplin, Ralph Anderson

This variety is our editors' favorite pick. It has gorgeous, chocolate-colored flowers that form on a branching plant with multiple blooms. It grows 4 to 5 feet tall.

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Ring of Fire

Sunflower Gardens: ‘Ring of Fire’
Credit: Photo: Van Chaplin, Ralph Anderson

This medium sized variety has a brown center and bright red-and-golden yellow petals. It is a branching plant with multiple blooms that grows 4 to 5 feet tall.

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Maya

Sunflower Gardens: ‘Maya’
Credit: Photo: Van Chaplin, Ralph Anderson

This beautiful species has golden yellow flowers that vary slightly in shape from more common varieties. It is a branching plant with multiple blooms that grows 4 to 6 feet tall. Goldfinches love the seeds from this variety.

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Little Becka

Little Becka Sunflower
Credit: Courtesy of burpee.com

This dwarf variety produces fiery copper-red flowers. It grows 1 to 2 feet tall, clocking in at about knee-high height, which is how it earned the name "little becka." It is a branching plant where the central heads open first, then followed by the numerous branches.

Visit burpee.com for more information and seed options.

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Sundance Kid

Sundance Kid Sunflower
Credit: Courtesy of etsy.com

These flowers have yellow petals with slight orange and red color near the center. This is a dwarf variety that grows 1 to 2 feet tall and flowers quickly. This variety flowers longer than most species, making it great for bouquets.

Visit etsy.com for more information and seed options.

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Terracotta

Terracotta Sunflower
Credit: Courtesy of swallowtailgardenseeds.com

These blooms are not orange and they're not red. They're true to their name and have a clay coloring to them. This variety is a branching plant that grows 4 to 6 feet tall. The blooms are great for adding in fall color to bouquets and gardens.

Visit swallowtailgardenseeds.com for more information and seed options.

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Teddy Bear

Teddy Bear Sunflower
Credit: Courtesy of burpee.com

These fluffy flowers are unlike many sunflowers you're used to seeing. The plant produces fuzzy blooms with small centers and grows 2 to 3 feet tall. Birds love these flowers when they're in full bloom.

Visit burpee.com for more information and seed options.

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Italian White

Italian White Sunflower
Credit: Courtesy of burpee.com

This sunflower has a subdued, creamy yellow color with a dark center. It's a branching plant that grows 5 to 6 feet tall.

Visit burpee.com for more information and seed options.

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    1 of 11 Pro Cut Red/Lemon Bicolor
    2 of 11 Pro Cut Orange
    3 of 11 The Joker
    4 of 11 Moulin Rouge
    5 of 11 Ring of Fire
    6 of 11 Maya
    7 of 11 Little Becka
    8 of 11 Sundance Kid
    9 of 11 Terracotta
    10 of 11 Teddy Bear
    11 of 11 Italian White

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    11 Of Our Favorite Sunflower Varieties
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