Pale Sunflower
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Lemon Queen is a stunning heirloom sunflower celebrated for its bright, lemony-yellow petals and chocolate-brown center that commands attention both in the garden and as a cut flower. These tall annual plants, reaching 5 to 7 feet, produce abundant blooms across a long season from summer through fall, typically maturing in 90 to 100 days from seed. Thriving in zones 1 through 10 and attracting pollinators with irresistible vigor, this multi-branching variety serves double duty as an ornamental showstopper and a pollinator magnet that transforms any sunny space.
Full Sun
High
1-10
84in H x 7in W
Perennial
High
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Picture a tall, single-stem sunflower with clusters of brilliant lemony blooms and light brown centers that bees cannot resist. Lemon Queen distinguishes itself as a prolific multi-branching variety, producing 3 to 5 inch flowers that far exceed what you'd expect from a single plant. The combination of its heirloom status, ease of growth in nearly every American hardiness zone, and proven appeal to pollinators makes it a go-to choice for gardeners seeking reliable, showstopping color without fuss.
Lemon Queen sunflowers excel as ornamental cut flowers, bringing luminous color to summer bouquets and arrangements. Their abundant blooms and extended flowering season from June through November make them a reliable choice for gardeners seeking continuous garden color, while their strong appeal to bees and other pollinators positions them as an essential plant for supporting local pollinator populations.
Start seeds indoors 2 to 4 weeks before your average last frost date in biodegradable pots, as sunflowers are sensitive to root disturbance; sowing in pots that can be planted directly eliminates transplant shock.
Transplant seedlings outdoors 2 to 4 weeks before your average last frost date, planting the entire biodegradable pot directly into the ground to minimize root disruption.
Direct sow seeds outdoors after your average last frost date. Sow at a depth of 1/4 to 1/2 inch and expect sprouts in 5 to 14 days. Soil temperature should be between 50 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit for reliable germination.
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“Lemon Queen has a fascinating origin story rooted in North American wildflowers. The variety was cultivated from wild sunflower species native to North America, then commercialized in Russia, where it developed into the refined heirloom we grow today. This transatlantic journey transformed a wild plant into a garden staple, preserving the vigor and pollinator appeal of its ancestors while developing the consistent, brilliant lemon-yellow color that makes it unmistakable in bloom.”