The Species Of Sunflower That Smashed Records For Its Great Height

When you think about massive sunflowers, you probably think of them as tall plants that reach impressive heights of 6 or 8 feet tall. But according to AP News, a sunflower grown in Indiana just set a Guinness World Record and officially became the world's tallest sunflower after growing to 35 feet and 9 inches tall. Grown by Alex Babich in honor of his birth country of Ukraine, the remarkable sunflower — nicknamed "Clover" – is a member of the common sunflower or Helianthus annuus species.

Clover is a cross between a large single headed sunflower and wild multi-headed sunflowers and grew from seeds cultivated by gardener Brian Moore. Her height of over 35 feet is especially remarkable considering the life cycle of a sunflower plant. These common summer flowers are annuals, so all of Clover's growth was accomplished in just a few short months. If you want to grow your own massive sunflowers, you can start by picking a tall cultivar, like 'American Giant Hybrid,' 'Mammoth,' and 'Russian Giant.' giving it the best possible growing conditions, and providing it with plenty of support. While you may not exceed any world records, you'll still end up with an impressive plant.

Growing a giant sunflower starts with selecting the right seeds. Alex Babich got Clover's seeds through a trade with another sunflower enthusiast. While the seeds that Clover grew from aren't publicly available for sale at this time, there are widely available cultivars that can reach sizes of over 10 feet. These include varieties like 'American Giant' and 'Paul Bunyan'. You may also want to start your sunflower seeds indoors, as Babich did, so they can get an early start on the growing season.

Native to North America, sunflowers thrive in full sun locations with soil that is well draining and fertile. Sunflower soil preparation and high soil fertility from a balanced fertilizer are especially important when growing giant sunflowers. The massive flowers also require quite a bit more water than their smaller counterparts. While an average-sized sunflower may only need to be watered about once a week, giant sunflowers often require significantly more moisture. They'll also need support to prevent them from toppling over. Babich built a custom scaffold for Clover, though a smaller trellis or stake should suffice for most flowers.