Multi-colored Sunflower
Autumn Beauty Sunflower is a showstopping annual that brings the warmth of fall directly into your garden and vase. Each plant produces multiple blooms in a stunning palette of red, orange, yellow, rust, and burgundy, colors that seem to capture sunset itself. Growing 5 to 8 feet tall (sometimes reaching 7 feet), these flowers open prolifically over a long season, making them exceptional for cutting and dried arrangements. Reaching maturity in 75 to 85 days (though some sources report 70 to 100 days), they're reliable performers in full sun and thrive in the warm-season growing window when temperatures hover between 65 and 75°F.
Full Sun
Moderate
2-11
96in H x ?in W
Perennial
Moderate
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What sets Autumn Beauty apart is its prolific branching habit, many six-inch flowers bloom on each plant rather than a single dominant head, and nearly all face toward the sun with vibrant autumn tones. The flowers have remarkable longevity, blooming steadily over weeks rather than all at once, which makes them invaluable for continuous cutting or dried-flower harvesting. Pollinators respond enthusiastically to the abundance of blooms, turning your garden into a living magnet for bees and butterflies. This variety adapts beautifully to containers as well as garden beds, offering flexibility for smaller spaces.
Autumn Beauty Sunflowers excel as cut flowers for fresh arrangements and centerpieces, where their multi-colored blooms and long stems create dramatic displays. They're equally prized for drying, harvest fully open flowers and hang them or preserve them with silica gel for long-lasting dried arrangements that hold their rich autumn hues.
Sow seeds into 72 or 50-cell flats 2 to 3 weeks before your intended transplant date. Though Autumn Beauty dislikes root disturbance, starting indoors can be a successful way to get first-early blooms, especially if you plan multiple succession sowings. Keep soil warm and moist until seedlings emerge in 7 to 14 days.
Transplant seedlings outdoors after your last frost date when soil has warmed and daytime temperatures are reliably in the 65 to 75°F range. Handle seedlings carefully to minimize root disturbance, as sunflowers prefer not to be disturbed.
Direct seed is the recommended method: after your last frost date has passed, sow seeds ½ inch deep directly into warm soil. For continuous blooms, succession-sow every 2 to 3 weeks throughout the growing season.
Cut flowers for fresh arrangements when color first shows and buds are tight, or wait until blooms are almost completely open, depending on your intended use. For dried flowers, harvest when blooms are fully open, then hang them upside down or preserve them using silica gel. The long blooming period means you can harvest continuously over weeks rather than all at once.
Pinching the main growing tip early in the season is recommended to encourage branching and the development of multiple flower stems, rather than a single central head. This technique is particularly effective for Autumn Beauty since the variety is naturally inclined to produce many flowers per plant.
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