Yellow Torch Tithonia

First yellow tithonia ever offered from seed and the ultimate delight for pollinators; draws in butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds. Torch tithonia is a fiery orange color and this one is more mellow, with golden yellow petals. Keeps growing tall as it branches out with new flowers, reaching 4-6’ or more, blooms from the middle of summer to frost. Grow in a veggie patch or in the flower garden and you will be delighted with this little-known and underutilized flower.  

15 seeds

PLANTING

Tithonia speciosa

Annual

Germination: 7-14 days

Germination Temperature: Optimum soil temperatures 70-80ºF

Seed Planting Depth: Sow on the surface, seeds need light to germinate

Starting Indoors: Start indoors 6-8 weeks before the last frost. Provide 70-80ºF soil temperatures until germination. Transplant 12-24” apart after the last frost.

Sowing Outdoors: Direct sow outdoors after the last frost, only in areas with long growing seasons

Growth Habit:  Upright, branching

Height and Width: 4-6’ x 2-3’

Spacing: 12-24” apart

Light Needs: Full sun

Soil Needs: Average to poor, dry, well-drained

Approximate days to flower from seed: Blooms in 85-90 days

Uses: Cut flowers, beds and back of borders, cottage gardens, containers and planters, attracts bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds, drought tolerant, deer resistant

Care:  Deadhead to encourage more flower production. Over-fertilizing will produce plants with more foliage than flowers. Tall plants can benefit from staking