Sunflower Mutants

ABOVE: This is my best mutant sunflower (Helianthus annus) currently blooming. Its an 'evening shade' variety that has grown to about 12-feet and has 30 heads. . . instead of one. The bees and stink bugs are enjoying it as much as me. Normally an 'evening shade' might grow to 5-feet and have one 6" head.



ABOVE and BELOW: This is a 'skyscraper' variety morning (above) and afternoon (below). She's about 12-feet tall. She is doing well despite the oppressive heat and dry because of my special soil additives.





ABOVE: I'm about 6' tall for scale. These are some of the tallest of the sunflowers blooming today.

BELOW: I'm holding one of the largest heads. It measures 1-foot across and weighs about 20 pounds. It broke off as the seeds became ripe. . . leaving behind about 50 very confused stink bugs who had colonized the head.



BELOW: A very large sunflower head. I'll dry these seeds and plant them in August for Halloween blooms.



To see images of the SANDHILL CRANES go to Phillip's Natural World. . .the other photos