Attract More Backyard Birds by Growing Sunflowers

Easy to grow and useful all year-round, sunflowers are crowd-pleasers. Summer’s bright blooms bring joy to gardeners and pollinators, and naturally dried seeds provide local wildlife with a food source in winter. They thrive in most soil types and climates, as long as they’re in a sunny spot. Follow these proven tips for growing sunflowers.

Enjoy 30 stunning sunflower pictures that radiate beauty.

Sunflower Care and Growing Tips

Courtesy Danna Cable

Sunflowers are truly one of the easiest plants to grow, but they do have a few requirements. They need at least six hours of sunlight per day and well-drained soil. They benefit from organic matter. Keep the area under sunflowers mulched for better results.

• Common name: sunflower
• Scientific name: Helianthus annuus
• Zones: Annual
• Attracts: Birds, bees, butterflies
• Light needs: Full sun
• Size: Standard varieties grow up to 10 feet tall
• Grown for: Sunflower heads contain 1,000 to 2,000 seeds and feed birds all year
• Foliage: Stalks fade to brown in the winter

Grow Mexican sunflower in pollinator gardens.

Pick the Right Sunflower Varieties to Grow

Courtesy Kimberly Coffey

You can find many sunflower options on the market today, but not all of them are suitable food sources for birds. If you’re planning on growing sunflowers, make sure they produce a good supply of seeds. Super Snack Mix, Royal Hybrid, and Mammoth Russian all produce seeds in abundance.

Check out the top 10 sunny sunflower varieties to grow.

When to Plant Sunflower Seeds

Fernando Trabanco Fotografía/Getty Images

Sunflowers have the best seed buffet in late summer to early fall. For longer harvest time, stagger your planting time from spring to midsummer. This way, you can attract birds and enjoy the blooms for months.

Did you know—tomatoes make great sunflower companion plants.

Sunflower Bird Benefits 

Courtesy Steven Biomendaal

In late summer, gather your sunflower heads and put them in a dry place to dehydrate (or simply stop pruning). You can then hang them out by your feeders. This will create a supply of high-fat seeds for birds that last well into winter.

Do hummingbirds like sunflowers?

Birds that Eat Sunflower Seeds

Courtesy Julia James

• Northern cardinal
• Chickadees
• Finches
• Tufted titmouse
• Grosbeaks
• Nuthatches
• Woodpeckers
• Pine siskin
• Jays
• Sparrows

Next, learn how to choose sunflower seeds for birds.

Sources

• Burpee
• Jung Seed
• Park Seed
• Johnny’s Selected Seeds