PlantFiles: Mexican Sunflower, Bolivian Sunflower, Marigold Tree
Tithonia diversifolia

Ive had mine planted for about 4-5 years now and its about 25-30 feet tall. it seems to grow about 3-5 feet every year. I dont think there is any limit to its growth. when the stalks dry they make very strong poles, my kids used to make a tee pee. I have been propagating from seed with the intent to plant this plant along my 200 feet of fence line to afford privacy. problem is nor that they are so tall, i cant manage to get cuttings anymore. too tall for a ladder, so I just sit outside and paint them ;)

I love these plants. I grew them in SE FL & brought cuttings when we moved to central FL. I now have 5 large stands & 4 newly started ones. The only things that seems to bother them are very dry conditions, frost & standing water from too much rain. But they've always come back after "dying off". The cut flowers make a great centerpiece & last about a week inside.

I got several cuttings from a friend in the neighborhood. She told me to just put the cuttings in the ground and watch them grow. Indeed, they did grow very fast. My plant has grown to about 15 feet in two years. It went into shock when we got a frost in early 2009, and I had to remove the top section of the plant, but it recovered nicely. It does spread quickly, but you can keep it contained, by removing the side stalks. It grows very well in Titusville, Florida.

I have four "stands" of this plant. All started from two purchased cuttings in 2007. Then I did my own cuttings in the spring of 2008 to get more plants. Roots easily from the cuttings. Leaves droop in the heat if not given enough water, then they bounce back. The original patch is about twenty feet high Oct 2009.

I have had this plant growing in my central north Florida yard for 2 years now. They are very nice plants, as some others have noted here, choosing your planting location is important. This plant prefers full sun and with adequate water will easily reach 12-15 feet in height in one season. Each year it gets slightly bigger around and can easily become a substantial clump. In my yard it blooms from October until first frost which knocks it back, this year we had 2 nights with back to back lows of 21oF and it has bounced right back. Butterflies love the flowers, also so do squirrels, they also like to eat the stalks, maybe best to plant this in the open, not close to a fence or wall. Also the flowers are produced at the tops of the stalks. I cut some last year they smell like honey, unfortunately they are more than 10 feet up so, you don't get to smell them. Maybe pruning earlier may force branching and keep the plant shorter and the flowers at head height? Well to other zone 8 gardeners I would highly recommend this plant, it roots easily from stem cuttings. Unlike other sunflowers, the seeds do not have time to ripen before frost, so volunteers are not really an issue, at least not this far north.

In my neighborhood I admired this giant daisy bush for several years. I finally stopped by one day and the homeowner was home. I asked what the name of the daisy bush was. She said she was told it was a Mexican sunflower. I had never seen it at a nursery but before I could say another word she said she would give me something. I thought it would be literature but she promptly cut off two long stalks and said to just cut them up and stick them in the ground and they would grow. So, I removed the leaves cut them up into 12 inch lengths (be sure to keep track of the top by cutting at an angle or straight and then cut the bottom differently) I dipped them in water and then into Rootone and buried 6 inches in potting soil in pot. I put them where they got afternoon sun to warm the potting soil for root formation. I am not kidding, within three days I thought I saw little leaves beginning to poke their way out of the nodes! Maybe I just didn't notice them, I thought. But, they were leaves!!! It has now been a week, yes just ONE WEEK and two have 1/2 in leaves and the other four are following close behind. Amazing! I live in San Diego County, California

This plant grows well and returns dependably at the Jacksonville (Florida) Zoo & Gardens, which is situated just about on the borderline of Zone 8b/9a, so it may grow in slightly colder zones than reported above. It can be seen at the zoo as backdrop for the flamingo exhibit behind the "Range of the Jaguar" and in other locations around the zoo.

Before planting T. diversifolia, be sure you consider its annual growth spread and height. Look at the photos in the Plant Files -- if it seems taller and wider than many houses, it is! Even one plant needs a lot of room.

The only problem I've seen with this plant is that the very tall, nearly hollow, individual stems can break at the root crown without much wind or external pressure. Fortunately, even though they are huge compared to most other sunflower-type plants, the limbs don't carry much weight.

The top portion of the plant freezes back here in winter, but it can be pruned back severely (to within about 2 - 3 feet of the ground) and will regrow from the previous years stalks.

Jeremy

I just got this plant for my mother for her birthday. Even though it's our first growing experience with this plant our neighbors is a stunning beauty. He grows it as a dividing "wall" between his property and a local golf course. The flowers are beautiful, and they smell like chocolate to me! My mom has often threatened to go cut a piece for her garden, but I decided to get a whole plant for her. Though, our neighbor wouldn't have minded!

Super easy to grow and stunning when in bloom, this Mexican Sunflower has many names, including:
Bolivian Sunflower, Tree Marigold, Honduras Sunflower, and Japanese Sunflower.

My plants are well over 15' high this year (their second year) and although not all of them survived the winter here, most did. In my zone, these bloom mainly in the fall and early winter to first frost.

To grow in colder regions, I would suggest taking cuttings before first frost, rooting them in containers and overwintering indoors. Then set the plants out in the spring for a head start. They root easily but don't like to be too wet, better on the dry side or they will rot before taking root.

This is a great plant for screening undesirable views and they really put on a show when in bloom!

This plant roots easily from soft and hardwood cuttings. In our zone, it blooms in late October at a height of about 12 ft. It also overwintered in our zone last year.

Has anyone tried growing this plant like an annual in cooler regions? Send me a D-mail if you have, with details on sowing dates and bloom times, etc. Thanks :~)

This plant has a beautiful bloom and is attractive to butterflies and bees. It requires no care except removing the dead leaves from the lower part of the stalk. As the plant increases in height, the bottom leaves wither and die as with any sunflower. It blooms during November here when there aren't many other plants blooming. BUT it grows to heights of 12 or 15 feet and new stalks branch out from old stalks to make what appears to be a colony. It takes a lot of room for a small garden. So it has good qualities and bad qualities.

This is a perennial sunflower plant in zone 10. It is easily grown from cuttings. They are very common in S. Florida Zone 10. My plant shown is about 8-9 feet tall. It has been in the ground since October. Before going into the ground I had it around for at least two years in containers. It is multi branched and has been trimmed several times since October. There are many in my neighborhood are growing better than 15 ft tall. It is attractive but does take up lots of space. It does require trimming to keep it relatively normal sized, otherwize it will grow out of control. It's dark green leaves and bright yellow flowers grow all year long. It is attractive to butterflies birds and bees.