Goldfinger
Goldfinger Tithonia is a sun-worshipping annual that produces some of the season's most striking blooms, with blood orange petals and brilliant yellow centers that seem to glow in bright light. This Mexican sunflower cultivar reaches 28-42 inches tall and flowers within 70-79 days, thriving in heat, drought, and poor soil where many other ornamentals struggle. Hardy across zones 3-11, it's a durable, easy-to-grow plant from seed that rewards gardeners with 3-4 inch flowers perfect for cutting and decorative arrangements.
Full Sun
Moderate
3-11
42in H x ?in W
Annual
High
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Those blood orange petals with golden yellow pistils are genuinely radiant, the kind of blooms that stop people mid-step. Goldfinger thrives on neglect, handling scorching heat and drought with ease while producing continuous flowers throughout the season. Its compact height of 28-42 inches makes it manageable for borders, containers, and hedges, yet it still commands attention with flowers that stay fresh in the vase for days.
Goldfinger Tithonia is grown primarily as a cut flower and ornamental accent in gardens and containers. The 3-4 inch blooms are prized for fresh arrangements and dried flower work, bringing sustained color from mid-summer through frost. Gardeners use it in hedges and decorative planters where its radiant orange-yellow flowers create visual impact without demanding constant care.
Start seeds indoors 6-8 weeks before your last spring frost. Sow on the soil surface or barely press seeds into moist seed-starting mix, as they need light to germinate. Keep soil temperature between 65-80°F and maintain consistent moisture. Seedlings will emerge in 7-10 days under these conditions.
Harden off seedlings over 7-10 days by gradually exposing them to outdoor conditions, then transplant outdoors after all frost danger has passed and soil has warmed. Plant at the same depth they were growing in their containers, spacing them 18 inches apart with 30 inches between rows.
Direct sow seeds after the last frost date when soil has warmed to at least 65-80°F. Sow seeds on or just below the soil surface in prepared beds.
Cut flowers when the blooms are fully open, preferably in early morning. Flowers typically reach peak color and size around day 70-79 from sowing, and individual blooms last 3-5 days in a vase with fresh water changed every other day.
Pinch back seedlings when they reach 6 inches tall to encourage bushier growth and more flowering stems. Deadhead spent blooms regularly throughout the season to promote continuous flowering and extend bloom time through frost.
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