no i meant specifically... i dont think the light is a problem, i am also growing many other 'outdoor' plants, E.g. cayenne peppers, rosemary, basil(3 types), morning glory and oregano in the same place all are thriving but the sunflowers. currently i have then in 1 gallon pots with pro-mix @ approx 7 weeks of age, 18hrs of HID light/day,avg day temp is 19C, and i am keeping the substrate on the lean/moist side. any more suggestions?

I have 3 varieties of Tithonia planted. One is Torch, the tall one. The second is Goldfinger, which is a smaller plant but still red-orange. My yellow flowering one is called Yellow Torch ( I thought it was the Goldfinger). If you google Yellow Tithonia, you'll get a picture of it. I'll try to get some shots, also. Anyway, I will be saving seeds. Sandy

Yes . I have had it for four years . It can grow to be 15 feet or taller . You can trim it until the Fall to keep it shorter . Mine blooms in October for a whole month or more . The bees and butterflies go nuts for it . Marcia has one that blooms earlier . I took 18 inch stems and pounded them in the ground with a hammer . Every one took . I warn people - do not water these or fertilize them ! Just slam them in the ground and stand back ! It is a pain to clean up in Jan/Feb after freezes . Once a year is not too bad though for the reward of the gorgeous blooms . On a search you will see it called Mexican Sunflower , Mexican Daisy , Bolivian Sunflower , Tree Marigold or even Japanese Sunflower ! They are all the same plant . If you call it Tithonia diversifolia - you can't go wrong . Check google images for some excellent photos .

Jacob, how far north are you? I live in (central Arkansas) and do experience hot summers but for me, Tithonia (Mexican Sunflower) didn't begin to bloom until mid to late August. It's been some years since I grew it, can't remember the date I started the seed but do remember wondering if it was ever going to bloom. I didn't grow it again because it grew too large for my small garden. My guess is it was about 8 ft tall by the end of the season. It grew so large the stems would bend and break during heavy rainstorms and the plant required staking to stay upright. Those beautiful big, deep green leaves catch a lot of wind and water. Since it's common to Mexico, it may need a long season of warmth to mature. My plant did produce some lovely blooms, photos dated Aug 22, 2009: This second photo was taken from the ground and this bloom was up so high I could only photograph it from below, highlighted against the sky. There is a smaller version of this plant that reportedly also attracts butterflies: ... Tithonia 'Torch' - cultivar reaching 3-4 ft. height (90-120 cm) with single, orange-scarlet daisy flowers,3-4 in. across (7-9 cm). I see, when reading about the cultivation, that it is approx. 80 days to bloom and that is measured from the time the seed germinates. So, allow almost 3 months to bloom for this shorter variety. I have also read that they don't like damp, cool weather so if growing from seed, maybe keep them under lights or a greenhouse until days and evenings are warm. Has anyone grown Torch, and if so, how did it perform for you? Mary