Tithonia rotundifolia Torch Seeds - Mexican Sunflower

Tithonia rotundifolia 'Torch', also known as Mexican Sunflower or 'Torch' Mexican Sunflower, is an annual plant, similar to sunflowers, cultivated for its gorgeous, intense orange flower heads, as well as its ability to enrich the soil with nitrogen and phosphorus. It forms a beautiful bushy and upright clump in one season, producing an abundance of flowers that attract a large number of pollinators for over 3 months. These flowers are long-lasting in a vase.

Tithonia rotundifolia (synonym Thitonia speciosa) belongs to the asteraceae family. It is a species native to Mexico and Central America, theoretically perennial, but it cannot withstand frost. In nature, this Mexican Sunflower is found in copses and sunny meadows, on humus-rich and well-drained soils. This 'Torch' variety forms a bushy, upright clump in a few months, composed of leafy, highly branched stems, about 90 cm tall and 35-40 cm wide. Its large leaves are triangular, cordate or ovate, entire or sometimes trilobed, velvety, with toothed edges, and hairy on the underside. They measure between 15 and 30 cm long and are bright green. The plant blooms from June to October. Its flowers are 6-7 cm in diameter. Each one has reddish-orange "petals" or ligules arranged around a centre composed of nectar-rich yellow-orange fertile florets. This flowering attracts many useful pollinating insects to the garden: bees, butterflies, bumblebees, etc. After pollination, elongated seeds are formed, ending with a tuft of bristles. You can collect them to sow the following year.

Mexican Sunflower is known for its ability to enrich the soil with nitrogen and phosphorus, as well as its repellent properties against certain pests in the vegetable garden. In the garden, it should be planted in full sun and protected from the wind, as its stems are brittle. It will look stunning in the back of a flower bed, with medium-height ornamental grasses, hollyhocks, and autumn asters, for example. Its intensely coloured flowers blend perfectly with the silvery foliage of 'Powis Castle' artemisia.