# sunflower types



## enjambres (Jun 30, 2013)

Some of the hybrid sunflowers have been bred to be pollen-less because pollen on plants grown for cut flowers is considered a defect. That's something to check out when choosing a sunflower variety for bees.

I would keep my meadow in local goldenrod and aster species, they are more likely to yield reliable bee-pasture at the least work for you, unless you are also planning to harvest the sunflowers for seed. My bees are still working a neighbor's corn field that is in a white clover rotation this year. 

I have a plant here that I inadvertently brought up from my Mother's farm in northern VA that produces unusually late-blooming and bee-attractive flowers:_ Helianthemum autumnale_ aka sneezeweed. It is perennial and spreads easily by seed and grows seven or eight feet tall here in Z4b. I read that some people consider that it gives a slightly bitter-tasting honey, but since it blooms so late, who would know except the bees and they do just fine on it. And it is loaded with bees, perhaps because when it's in bloom the forage possibilities are winding down.

Enj.


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## minz (Jan 15, 2011)

I like Autumn Beauty, it gets to about 6’ but it puts on a bunch of heads per plant. This gives a long bloom range. The flowers are not massive but the bees really love it (activity is similar to the borage). I cut some for the misses and they leave pollen all over the table. I have also put in American Giant and Mammoth Russian within the sweet corn rows. The American fell over with the wind. The Russian had very little bee interest (compared to the others).
Stick to a single type and one small sampler of seeds could be made into enough to do a field the next year if you can beat the birds to them.


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## hilljack (Jul 21, 2016)

well seems I might disc up some more plots and try some aster,few types of sunflower and maybe throw in sneeze weed,,thanks guys :thumbsup:


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