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Midnight Rouge Sunflower is a stunning multi-branched annual that produces some of the most deeply colored blooms available, with flowers that command attention in any garden setting. Growing 4 to 6 feet tall and reaching maturity in just 60 to 69 days, this vigorous open-pollinated heirloom thrives in full sun across hardiness zones 2 through 11. Whether you're designing a dramatic back border, cutting armfuls of flowers for the house, or creating a living focal point, Midnight Rouge delivers the kind of visual impact that makes gardeners keep coming back to this variety year after year.
Full Sun
Moderate
2-11
72in H x ?in W
—
Low
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The deep, rich coloring of Midnight Rouge sets it apart from typical sunflowers, and the multi-branched growth habit means you're not limited to a single flower per plant. This is a vigorous grower that rewards you with numerous blooms perfect for cutting, and its upright habit keeps it tidy and architectural in the garden. The combination of ease of care, rapid maturity, and exceptional color makes this heirloom a serious contender for anyone wanting ornamental sunflowers that actually perform.
Midnight Rouge is grown primarily as an ornamental flower for garden display and cut flower arrangements. The multi-branched form means a single plant produces numerous blooms suitable for bouquets and floral design, making it equally at home in a cottage garden border or in vases throughout the home.
No timeline data available yet for this variety.
Direct sow seeds into the garden after the last frost date when soil has warmed to at least 50°F. Plant seeds in full sun locations where they will receive consistent light.
Cut Midnight Rouge flowers in the early morning once the petals have fully unfurled and the bloom has opened completely. Use sharp pruners or a sharp knife to cut stems just above a leaf node, which encourages additional branching and more flowers from the plant. For cut arrangements, harvest when petals have good color depth and are firm to the touch.
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“Midnight Rouge carries the hallmark of a true heirloom: it's an open-pollinated, non-GMO variety that has been preserved and passed along by seed savers and gardeners. As an heirloom cultivar within the Helianthus annuus species, it represents the kind of genetic diversity that commercial breeding often overlooks, maintaining its distinctive deep coloring and multi-branching character through generations of careful seed selection.”