The Arikara Sunflower is a towering Native American heirloom that reaches 8 to 12 feet tall, crowned with abundant large blooms featuring bright yellow petals and brown-shaded centers. Originally cultivated by the Arikara tribe in North Dakota, this variety produces edible seeds over an impressively long flowering season spanning from early summer through fall. At 85 days from seed to bloom, it delivers dramatic garden presence and a genuine harvest of nutritious seeds, all while thriving on moderate water and full sun.
12
Full Sun
Moderate
2-11
144in H x 36in W
—
High
Hover over chart points for details
These giants produce shaggy golden flowers reminiscent of Van Gogh's famous paintings, with brown-centered blooms that appear continuously from June through November. The long flowering window is remarkable; you'll have blooms for months rather than weeks. Edible seeds made this variety culturally significant to the Arikara people centuries ago, and they remain a satisfying harvest today. The tall, single to multi-headed growth habit makes these sunflowers naturally suited to providing afternoon shade for heat-sensitive crops or creating a stunning backdrop in any garden border.
The primary use is harvesting and eating the edible seeds, which can be roasted and enjoyed as a snack or used in cooking. The tall plants create living shade structures in the garden, making them valuable for protecting cooler-season crops from intense summer heat. The dramatic flowers also serve as striking ornamental elements, particularly suited to the back of borders where their 8 to 12 foot height can be fully appreciated without shading other plantings.
No timeline data available yet for this variety.
Direct sow outdoors after the last frost date. Seeds can be scattered or sown in rows. For continuous fall blooms, you can sow until mid-June. Seeds sprout in 5 to 14 days.
Harvest seeds when the flower head has dried and turned brown, typically at the end of the 85-day growing period. The back of the seed head will become yellowish-brown and the petals will have dropped. Cut the entire flower head from the plant using a sharp knife or pruning shears, then hang it in a dry location to complete drying. Once fully dry, rub your hand over the seed head to release the seeds, which can then be cleaned and stored for eating or replanting.
Enter your ZIP code to see a personalized growing calendar for this plant.
“This heirloom carries the story of the Arikara tribe of North Dakota, who grew and valued these sunflowers for their abundant edible seeds long before European contact. The variety represents a direct lineage from Native American agriculture to modern gardening; seed savers and heirloom companies have preserved this genetic heritage specifically because of its cultural and practical importance. By growing Arikara Sunflowers today, gardeners participate in the continuation of Indigenous agricultural knowledge and plant stewardship that spans centuries.”