The Hopi Branched Sunflower is a striking tall cultivar that grows 6 to 7 feet high on sturdy stalks, crowned with numerous branches bearing small flower heads and a dominant bloom at the top. Originally collected in 1978 from Lower Moenkopi in Hopi territory, this variety produces seeds in a beautiful range of patterns: white and black striped, solid black, and gray and black striped. Unlike standard sunflowers that pour their energy into a single large head, this branching type distributes flowers across the plant, creating a more dramatic and generous display in the garden.
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Moderate
2-11
84in H x ?in W
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High
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Tall, vigorous plants create a strong architectural presence with their branching habit and multi-headed flower display. The seed diversity alone makes this variety fascinating to grow: you'll harvest multiple color patterns from a single plant, from striking striped seeds to deep black ones. This is a sunflower that rewards you with abundance, producing numerous smaller heads rather than betting everything on one massive bloom.
The Hopi Branched Sunflower is primarily grown for seed production. The numerous small heads on each plant yield substantial harvests of seeds that can be eaten fresh, dried for storage, pressed for oil, or saved for replanting. Gardeners also grow this variety for its ornamental impact, as the tall branching plants create dramatic garden structure and attract pollinators across multiple blooms.
No timeline data available yet for this variety.
Direct sow seeds after the last frost date when soil has warmed and frost danger has passed. Plant seeds 1 inch deep in prepared soil, spacing them 12 to 18 inches apart.
Harvest seeds when the flower heads dry on the plant and the back of the head turns brown or yellowish. Seeds are ready when they come free easily from the flower head with light rubbing. Cut the mature heads and allow them to dry further indoors in a warm, ventilated space before removing seeds completely.
No pruning is needed; the branching habit is natural to the variety. Allow the plant to develop its multiple branches and flower heads without removing shoots.
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“This variety carries the direct fingerprint of Hopi agricultural knowledge and seed stewardship. Seeds/SEARCH collectors discovered and acquired the Hopi Branched Sunflower in 1978 from Lower Moenkopi, an area rich in Hopi farming tradition. The variety's branching structure and multi-headed growth habit likely developed through generations of Hopi farmers selecting plants that produced abundant seeds efficiently across many heads rather than concentrating resources into a single flower. By preserving and sharing this seed, Native Seeds/SEARCH helped ensure that this cultivar, shaped by decades of Hopi selection, remains available to gardeners today.”