Perry's Perennial Pages

sunflower Vermont Sunflower Trials

Dr. Leonard Perry, University of Vermont; Milton, VT USDA zone 4a
Cultivar year
Height, in.
 flower color
flower width, in. 
bloom time 1
foliage rating 2
foliage width, in.
branched
 notes

Amit

 2005 60

gold

 5.5 VL 3 -- no

very double

Apricot Twist

 2005 39 apricot/gold 3 E 2 -- no

Baby Bear

 2006 30 yellow 5 E 2 6 yes very branched, long bloom, double

Bashful

 2005 24 lt yellow/pink 3.5 E 1 -- yes

no reblooms

Big Smile

 2000 24

yellow

 5.5 E 1 5 yes  
Cappucino 2002
54
 dark red
6
L
3
4.5
no
  
Chianti 2000
48
 dark red
4
M-L
2
3
yes
 high branching, good color
Chianti 2002
42
 dark red
4.5
M-L
3
4
yes
  
Claret 2002
54
 red-orange
5.5
M
3
5
yes
  
Claret 2006

66

dark red

 6 M 3 4 no
Color Fashion 2006

48

orange 6 E-M 2 5 no
Crimson Thriller 2002
48
 org-yellow
5.5
M
3
5.5
yes
 variable
Cutting Gold 2005

54

gold 6.5 L 3 -- no
Dark Red Beauty 2006

60

red/yellow 7 E-M 2 6 yes short branches
Del Sol 2002
24
 yellow
4
E
3
2.5
no
 small plants
Dorado 2000
36
 gold
6.5
E
1
6
no
 flowers face down
Double Dandy 2002
20
 red/yellow
5
E
3
4
yes
 buds in axils, double
Double Quick Orange 2005

48

orange-yellow 7 M 2 -- no double
Dwarf Yellow Spray 2002
20
 yellow
3
E
3
4
yes
 very branched
Earthwalker 2006

48

red/yellow 5 E-M 2 5 no
Ebony and Gold 2006

78

yellow 8 M-L 3 6 yes
Elf 2002
18
 yellow
4.5
M
3
3.5
yes
  
Elite Sun 2002
40
 yellow
6
E
3
4.5
yes
 buds in axils
Evening Sun 2006

72

red 5 M 3 4 no light petal tips
Eversun 2006

56

gold 9 M 3 6 no large centers
Firecracker 2005

36

yellow/red 4 E 2 -- yes highly branched
Floristan 2002
36
 red/yellow
3
M
2
3
no
  
Full Sun 2006

66

gold 7 M 3 5 no
Giant Sungold 2002
54
 gold
6
L
2
6
no
 very double
Golden Hedge 2005

42

gold 5 E 1 -- yes sparse foliage
Happy Face 2002
40
 gold
6.5
M
3
5
no
 big yellow center
Holiday 2002
36
 gold
4
M
3
4
yes
  
Ikarus 2000
48
 yellow
4
L
3
2.5
yes
  
Incredible Superior 2006

24

yellow 4 E 1 4 no
Indian Blanket 2000
36
 rose pink
4
E
2
4
yes
 little branched, poor vigor
Italian White 2000

60

 white-yellow
4.5
M
3
5
yes
 very open branching habit
Jade 2002
30
 yel-white
4
E
3
4
yes
  
Jerusalem Sunrise Lemon 2006

40

lt yellow 4 E-M 3 3 no yellow petal bases
Junior 2006

24

yellow 5 E 2 5 yes large centers
Lemon Aura 2006

42

lt yellow 4 E 2 4 no double
Lemon Eclair 2002
27
 lt yellow
5
E
2
2.5
no
 dk centers, dbl petals
Lemon Eclair 2006

36

lt yellow 5 VE 2 3 no pale leaves
Lemon Queen 2000

72

 light yellow
8
E
2
8
yes
  
Lemonade 2002
40
 lt/dk yellow
4
M
3
3
yes
 unique dk yel center
Little Dorrit 2002
24
 yellow
4
M
3
4
yes
  
Moonbright 2005

60

yellow 4.5 L 3 --

no

Moonshadow 2000
36
 white-pink
3.5
E
2
5
yes
  
Moonshadow 2005

39

white-pink 3 E 2 -- yes thin stems
Moonwalker 2002
60
 lt yellow
5
M
3
7
yes
  
Moulin Rouge 2002
60
 dk red
6.5
M-L
3
6
yes
 dk stems, very branched
Moulin Rouge 2005

72

dk red 6 M-L 3 -- yes highly branched
Moulin Rouge 2006

78

dk red 6 M 3 4 yes darker than Claret
Munchkin 2006

20

yellow 4 E 3 4 yes short branches
Pacino 2000
24
 yellow
4
E
2
5
yes
 many flowers above foliage
Pacino 2002
18
 yellow
4
M
3
3.5
yes
  
Pacino Cola 2006 28 gold 5 VE 2 5 yes dark centers and leaves, first to bloom
Pacino Gold 2006 24 gold 5 E 2 3 no
Pacino Lemon 2006

24

lt yellow 5 E 2 3 no
Panache Starburst 2006

45

gold 6 VE 2 5 no
Patio 2006

12

gold 3 E 3 4 yes double
Peach Passion 2005

36

yellow 3 E 2 -- yes peach center
Prado Red 2002
36
 dk red
5
E
3
4
yes
 yellow petal undersides
Prado Yellow 2002
36
 yellow
5
E
3
4
yes
  
Premier Light Yellow 2006

30

light yellow 5 VE 2 4 no pale leaves
Procut Bicolor 2005

48

gold/red 7.5 E 2 -- no
Procut Lemon 2006

45

light yellow 6 E 2 4 no
Procut Orange 2006

45

orange/yellow 6 VE 2 4 no heads droop
Procut Peach 2006

45

light orange/yellow 6 VE 2 4 no heads droop
Razzmatazz mix 2006

60

mix 5 E 2 4 no bicolors
Ring of Fire 2000
48
 gold-red
5
M-L
3
5
yes
 AAS 2001, bicolor
Ring of Fire 2002
48
 red/yellow
4
M-L
3
4
yes
 long bloom
Ring of Fire 2005

42

red/yellow 4.5 M 3 -- yes highly branched
Ring of Fire 2006

36

red/yellow 5 E 2 3 yes
Rostov Russian 2006

54

yellow 6 VE 3 5 no
Solar Babies 2000

30

 yellow-red
3
M
2
5
yes
 red streaked petals
Solar Eclipse 2002
54
 dk red
6
L
3
5
no
 unique when backlit
Sonja 2000

42

 gold
3
M
2
3
yes
 not vigorous
Soraya 2000

60

 orange-yellow
5
L
2
6
yes
 AAS 2000
Soraya 2002
48
 gold
5
L
3
5
yes
 long bloom
Soraya 2005

54

gold 5 M-L 2 -- yes highly branched
Soraya 2006

48

gold-orange 6 M 3 5 yes
Stella Gold 2002
36
 yellow
5
M
1
4
no
 short bloom
Strawberry Blonde 2000

60

 rose pink
5
M
3
5
yes
 better than Indian Blanket
Strawberry Blonde 2002
54
 red-yellow
5
M
3
4.5
yes
 reddish stems
Strawberry Blonde 2006

48

red-white 5 E 2 4 no
Sunbeam 2002
34
 gold
7
M
3
7
no
 very big center
Sunbright 2002
48
 gold
6
M-L
3
4.5
no
 big centers
Sunbright Supreme 2005

66

yellow 7.5 M 3 -- no
Sundance Kid 2000

30

 yellow-red
4
E
1
4
yes
 bicolor
Sundown 2006

54

red-yellow 6 E 3 6 yes yellow petal tips
Sundrops 2002
42
 dk yellow
3
M
3
3
yes
 shiny leaves, leafy effect
Sun Goddess 2000
48
 yellow
6
L
1
3
no
 not vigorous
Sunny 2002
54
 gold
6
M
3
5.5
no
 big center
Sunrich Gold 2005

48

gold 7.5 E-M 2 --
no
Sunrich Lemon 2005

48

yellow 6.5 M 2 --
no
Sunrich Orange 2005

54

orange-yellow 7.5 M 2 --
no
Sunseed 2006

48

gold 6 E 2 5
no
Sunset 2002
36
 red/yellow
3.5
M
3
3.5
no
  
Sunspot 2000

18

 yellow
8
E
2
8
no
 poorly branched
Taiyo 2002
42
 gold
6
M-L
3
6.5
no
 big center
Tangina 2002
28
 gold
2.5
M
3
2
yes
 unique flower size
Tarahumara 2006

78

gold 9 L 2 7 no large centers, few ray flowers
Teddy Bear 2000

30

 gold
5
L
3
8
yes
 multipetaled, flowers in foliage
Teddy Bear 2002
24
 gold
4
M
3
5
yes
 double flowers
The Joker 2002
54
 yellow
5
M
3
4.5
no
 unique semi-dbl flowers
Tiffany 2005

60

yellow 7 M 3 -- no
Titanic 2002
48
 gold
6.5
L
3
6
no
 latest to bloom 9/14
Titanic 2006

48

gold 6 VL 3 5 no 2nd flowers in leaf axils
Tohoku Yae 2006

48

gold 6 L 2 4 yes branched near top
Valentine 2000

60

 light yellow
6
M-L
3
5
yes
 branched low, dense
Valentine 2002
48
 lt yellow
5
L
3
3
yes
 long bloom
Vanilla Ice 2002
54
 lt yellow
4
M
3
2.5
yes
 flowers turn white, long bloom
Velvet Queen 2002
60
 red-yellow
4.5
M
3
6
yes
  
Zebulon 2005

36

yellow 5 E 2 -- no green centers

1Bloom time: E=flowers 1st two weeks7/25-8/7, M=flowers 2nd two weeks 8/7-21, L=flowers after 8/21.
Flower width of most open primary flowers.
2Foliage rating: 1=many leaf spots, insect damage; 2=some leaf spots; 3=no leaf damage

Plants begun in 3601 cells at UVM greenhouses, planted outside into loam soil 6/1, Miracle Gro applied at planting and monthly. Data biweekly, minimum 3 plants each cultivar. 2002 and 2006 plants were generally shorter than other years, due perhaps to wet/cool June and dry/hot August.

2000 best:
Early: Pacino (yellow, dwarf)
Mid: Chianti (dark red), Ring of Fire (bicolor), Strawberry Blonde (bicolor), Valentine (light yellow)
Late: Chianti (dark red), Ring of Fire (bicolor), Soraya (gold), Teddy Bear (dwarf, gold multipetal), Valentine (light yellow)

2002 best:
Early: none particularly striking
Mid: Claret (red-orange), Moulin Rouge (dark red), Ring of Fire (red/yellow), Sunny (gold), Teddy Bear (gold dwarf), Lemonade (yellow lt/dk)
Late: Giant Sungold (gold dbl), Soraya (gold), Titanic (gold dbl), Valentine (lt yellow)

2005 best: Moulin Rouge, Sunbright Supreme, Tiffany (all mid)
2005 worst: Bashful, Golden Hedge, Moonshadow

95 cultivars grown over 4 years.

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