Multi-Headed Branching Sunflowers: Varieties and Growing Tips

Single-stemmed giant sunflowers produce one dramatic flower and then they are done. Multi-headed branching varieties work on a different principle — one plant produces dozens of flowers in succession from midsummer right through to the first frosts. This makes branching sunflowers far superior for cut flower production, for pollinator support and for anyone who wants a long-running garden display rather than a single spectacular moment.

Velvet Queen

Velvet Queen is one of the most beautiful branching sunflowers available. It produces rich mahogany-red to burnt-orange flowers with a dark central disc, on a branching plant reaching 1.5 to 1.8 metres. The warm autumn colours make it outstanding in mixed border plantings and it combines magnificently with other late-summer flowers. Plants produce flowers continuously from midsummer until the first frost if you keep cutting. A reliable, vigorous performer and extremely popular with pollinators.

Claret

Claret produces deep burgundy-red flowers with a slightly smaller head than Velvet Queen, on a branching plant of around 1.2 metres. It is pollen-free, making it excellent for cut flowers — no pollen drop on surfaces. The dark, moody colour is striking in arrangements and looks sophisticated in planting schemes where standard yellow would be too dominant. Like all branching types, it rewards regular cutting — the more you harvest, the more it produces.

Procut Series

The Procut series was developed specifically for cut flower production and includes varieties in orange, white, red and bicolour forms. Plants produce a single primary flower on a long, straight stem followed by multiple lateral branches, each carrying one flower. The stems are long, straight and strong — exactly what you want for vases and arrangements. Procut Orange is widely regarded as the best all-round cut flower sunflower for home growers.

Lemon Queen

Lemon Queen produces a mass of small, pale lemon-yellow flowers with a dark centre on a tall branching plant reaching 1.8 to 2.1 metres. It is one of the best sunflowers for pollinators — research has consistently found it to be one of the most attractive sunflower varieties to bees. Planted in a block, a group of Lemon Queen plants in full flower creates a remarkable buzzing cloud of pollinator activity from midsummer onward. An excellent wildlife garden plant.

Growing Branching Varieties Well

Branching varieties can be spaced more closely than giants — 30 to 45 centimetres in rows is workable. Regular deadheading (or regular cutting for the vase) prevents the plant setting seed prematurely, which would signal it to stop producing new flowers. Pinching out the growing tip once the plant reaches 45 to 60 centimetres tall encourages additional branching and more flowers overall — single-stemmed varieties should never be pinched, but branching types respond very well to it.