Mexican Sunflower
Red Torch Mexican Sunflower is a stunning heirloom annual that brings the wild spirit of central Mexican highlands straight into your garden. Known as the Golden Flower of the Aztecs, this variety produces masses of brilliant red-orange flowers reaching 3 inches across on robust 5-foot plants, blooming prolifically from midsummer through frost. Reaching maturity in 75-90 days, it thrives in full sun and rewards gardeners with an exceptional butterfly magnet that flowers continuously over an exceptionally long season.
18-24 inches apart
Full Sun
Moderate
10-11
?in H x ?in W
Annual
High
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This is a plant that truly earns its place in any garden through sheer generosity of bloom. The rich red-orange flowers are substantial and vivid, creating an almost tropical presence that seems to glow in late afternoon light. Butterflies find these blooms irresistible, turning your garden into a living sanctuary. The plants themselves grow substantial and architectural, reaching a full 5 feet tall, so they naturally anchor garden compositions. What makes Red Torch special is not just abundance but longevity, these flowers keep coming from mid-season right through until frost shuts everything down.
Red Torch Mexican Sunflower exists primarily as an ornamental, serving as a premier cut flower and a butterfly magnet for pollinator gardens. The abundant blooms make it an excellent choice for bringing sustained color to flower arrangements throughout the growing season. Its role in gardens is ecological as well as aesthetic, the flowers are a crucial nectar source for butterflies and other beneficial insects, making it invaluable for gardeners committed to supporting pollinator populations.
Start seeds indoors 6-8 weeks before your last spring frost. Seeds require light to germinate, so only lightly cover them with soil rather than burying them. Keep soil warm and consistently moist. Seedlings should sprout within 7-14 days under proper conditions.
Transplant seedlings outdoors only after all danger of frost has passed and soil temperatures have warmed to at least 65-75°F. Harden off seedlings by gradually exposing them to outdoor conditions over 7-10 days before final planting. Space plants 6 inches apart.
Direct sow seeds outdoors after the last frost date once soil has warmed. Lightly press seeds into soil surface, ensuring good seed-to-soil contact, as light is required for germination.
For cut flowers, harvest blooms in the early morning once they have fully opened, cutting stems at a 45-degree angle just above a leaf node. The 3-inch flowers are at peak vase life when fully colored in that brilliant red-orange. Recut stems every few days and change water frequently for longest vase life. Allow some flowers to remain on the plant to continue the display in the garden.
Pinching back the growing tips when plants are young (4-6 inches tall) encourages bushier growth and more prolific flowering. Remove spent flower heads regularly to promote continuous blooming throughout the season. No heavy pruning is required, though removing lower leaves as plants mature can improve air circulation and reduce disease pressure.
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“This variety carries a deeply rooted story in Mexican agricultural tradition. Jere Gettle, the founder of Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds, encountered these flowers while traveling the mountain roadsides of central Mexico's high country, where locals had grown them for generations. Named the Golden Flower of the Aztecs, this plant represents a continuous thread of cultivation stretching back centuries in its native region. The fact that Gettle specifically sought out and preserved this variety speaks to its significance, it's a plant deemed worthy of saving, of passing forward to contemporary gardeners interested in heirloom authenticity and regional heritage.”