Plant Type

Annual

Looking for a flower that doesn’t mind the heat? Tithonia (also known as Mexican sunflower) is a drought-tolerant and heat-loving annual plant native to Mexico and Central America. Bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds love the bright blooms. Tall branching plants bloom for several months (right up until frost), and make an excellent cut flower. Learn how to grow Mexican sunflowers and add them to your garden. Mexican sunflower plants grow large, often ranging from 4 to 6 feet in height and up to 4 feet wide. Growing tithonia plants in the back of a border provides a colorful backdrop for smaller plants. Plants spaced about 2 feet apart will provide support for each other. Grow staked plants 3 to 4 feet apart. Leaving enough space between plants helps provide adequate airflow and makes plants healthier Tithonia does not require additional fertilization. Plants are drought-tolerant, but need regular water in hot summer areas with little rainfall. Provide support by staking for tithonia as it grows; this is especially important in windy areas. Keeping spent blooms deadheaded will encourage more blooms. At the end of the season, allow several blooms to remain on the plant and collect the seeds inside to plant the following year.