‘Italian White’ Sunflower Offers a Twist on the Summer Classic
‘Italian White’ sunflower is a wonderful variety to grow for cut flowers or to support pollinators. Its light color and smaller blooms make it a delight in the garden or bouquets.
With its branched stems bursting with pale and relatively small blooms, the heirloom variety 'Italian White' sunflower is a distinctive flower for the garden and the vase. Its multitude of light yellow, four-inch-round flowers attract pollinators in summer, and come fall the birds can enjoy its seeds. Easy to grow, this sunflower is perfect for gardeners wanting something a little different than the typical deep golden type.
Common name: 'Italian White'
Botanical name: Helianthus annuus 'Italian White'
Flowers: 'Italian White' sunflowers measure about 4 inches in diameter, making them a smaller-flowered variety. The rays are a very light yellow, while the central disc is brown to black in color. Blooms typically start in midsummer and continue into autumn, from seed planted in late spring.
Foliage: Medium green and roughly heart-shaped.
Size and habit: This is an upright annual sunflower that produces many stems. It reaches 4 to 6 feet tall and 3 to 4 feet wide. The stems produce multiple branches, on the end of which the flowers occur.
Growing 'Italian White' sunflower
Exposure: Full sun
How to grow it: Sow seeds of 'Italian White' sunflower in full sun and average, well-drained soil after any chance of frost has passed in spring to early summer. Space the seeds 18 to 24 inches apart, sowing several seeds per planting hole. After two sets of true leaves have developed, thin to one plant per hole.
Provide moderate water, keeping the soil moist especially in the early stages of germination and seedling growth. As sunflowers mature, they develop a deep root system that allows them to source water, so they can tolerate short stints of drought. However, for the best flower production and plant health you'll want to provide water during longer dry spells. For bouquets, harvest the flower as it starts to open. Remove any leaves that will be underwater in the vase.
Image credit: by Krzysztof Ziarnek, Kenraiz - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0
