Cut Flower Variety
Procut White Lite is a professional-quality F1 hybrid sunflower that brings unexpected elegance to the garden with its pristine white blooms on sturdy, single stems. Bred for the cut flower market, this variety matures from seed to bloom in just 50-60 days, making it one of the faster routes to a vase-worthy sunflower. Growing 60-72 inches tall with a compact 18-24 inch width, it's a color innovation that transforms the traditional golden sunflower into something altogether more refined, while maintaining the drought tolerance and pollinator magnetism sunflowers are famous for.
6-12 inches apart
Full Sun
Low
2-11
72in H x 24in W
Annual
High
Hover over chart points for details
What sets Procut White Lite apart is its dual identity as both a market-grade cut flower and a garden performer. The single-stem architecture means you get one gloriously full bloom per plant rather than a tangle of side shoots, and the white coloring is a genuine departure from the yellow dominance in sunflower breeding. This variety demonstrates remarkable drought tolerance once established, thrives in full sun with minimal fussing, and produces flowers reliable enough for professional use yet approachable enough for home gardeners looking for something distinctive.
Procut White Lite excels as a cut flower, where its long, sturdy stems and pristine blooms command attention in arrangements and bouquets. The variety also performs beautifully in garden settings where you want height and visual impact without the typical golden palette. Its appeal to pollinators makes it valuable in gardens designed to support bees and other beneficial insects, while the mature seed heads can be dried for ornamental display or for seed harvest.
Starting indoors is not recommended for this variety, as sunflowers dislike root disturbance. If you choose to start indoors anyway, sow into 72 to 50-cell flats two to three weeks prior to planting out, using a quarter-inch sowing depth. Seeds sprout within five to fourteen days. Handle transplants gently to minimize root disruption when moving them to the garden.
Transplant seedlings outdoors after the last frost date into soil warmed to at least 55 degrees Fahrenheit. Space plants four inches apart with thirty inches between rows. Harden off indoor-started seedlings gradually before planting to acclimate them to outdoor conditions.
Direct sowing is the recommended method. After the last frost, sow seeds one-quarter inch deep directly into the garden. Water gently and keep soil consistently moist until seedlings emerge. Succession-sow every one to two weeks for continuous bloom throughout the season, or plant multiple varieties with varied maturity dates to extend the flowering window.
For cut flowers, harvest in the morning just after the blooms open, using a clean, sharp knife. Cut the mature central flower head when color first shows through the petals if you prefer tighter blooms, or wait until the flower is almost completely open, depending on your preference and intended use. The stage at which you cut affects both the appearance and vase life. For dried flowers, allow blooms to open completely, then hang upside down in a barn or shed to dry. If saving seeds, harvest the heads when the bracts begin to shrivel, then rub the seeds off and dry them completely before storage.
Do not pinch or prune Procut White Lite plants. Pinching single-stem sunflowers results in low-quality blooms or complete bloom failure. Let plants develop their characteristic single, robust flower head without intervention.
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