Mexican Sunflower (Tithonia diversifolia): Towering Yellow Blooms for Pollinators

Tithonia diversifolia, known as Mexican Sunflower, Bolivian Sunflower, or Marigold Tree, is a fast-growing, tall perennial (often grown as an annual) with large, bright yellow, daisy-like flowers on coarse, branching stems. It's a pollinator powerhouse.

Botanical Profile

Culture & Uses

Native to Mexico and Central America, this vigorous plant reaches 6–15 feet tall in a season. The leaves are large, lobed, and rough. The 3–4 inch flowers have yellow rays and a darker yellow center, blooming from summer to frost. It thrives in full sun, heat, poor soil, and drought. Extremely easy from seed.

Hardy in zones 9–11; elsewhere, a superb annual for back of borders, screens, and pollinator gardens. Attracts bees, butterflies, and beneficial insects. Can be cut for biomass/mulch (high nitrogen). In some tropical areas, it's invasive—manage reseeding. A bold, beneficial giant for sunny, spacious sites.