LIcenter
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Posts: 269
Joined: Sun Dec 21, 2014 9:23 am
Location: Long Island, NY Zone 7a/6b-ish

First time planting Tithonia 'Mexican Sunflower'

I gotta say I am quite impressed with this plant. Total height is roughly 4 feet, and the stalks are thick, so no need to tie them off. I never thought it, but it is a absolute magnet for hummers, all types of bees, and butterfly's. I've given it water twice this year even though we have been in a pretty good drought. Will I plant it again? Absolutely!

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HoneyBerry
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Joined: Sat Jul 18, 2015 1:10 pm
Location: Zone 8A Western Washington State

Beautiful pictures! I'm going to have to plant some. It's on my project list. Thank you!

catgrass
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Joined: Thu Jun 19, 2014 2:56 pm
Location: Southwest Louisiana

I love this plant. I always forget how big it gets, though. I swear next year I'm going to plant it in a bed by itself. Yes, the bees and butterflies love it-hummers go to it, too, but I have other plants that the hummers prefer, but it is an outstanding specimen!

Susan W
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Joined: Mon Jul 06, 2009 2:46 pm
Location: Memphis, TN

This seems to be one of the 'hot' new pollinator magnet plants. I started some from seed, and got a couple starts in a large container late (recurring theme with me). Plants growing, robust, no blooms yet. I think they may need more sun, and perhaps I should work in a handful of osmacote for a boost.

If one is looking to try for the native plant theme, this doesn't fit. Zinnias and marigolds don't fit in either for native, but we use and enjoy them.

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ElizabethB
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Joined: Sat Nov 24, 2012 12:53 am
Location: Lafayette, LA

When I had my landscaping business Tithonia was a favorite landscaping plant for rustic landscapes. Beautiful flowers that are an attractant to humming birds and butterflies. Love it!

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applestar
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Joined: Thu May 01, 2008 7:21 pm
Location: Zone 6, NJ (3/M)4/E ~ 10/M(11/B)

Beautiful pictures Licenter :D

Someone sent me seeds for this in a bundle trade since I ran out, but somehow I couldn't get them to germinate. ...But I was having some trouble all around with peppers and tomatoes at that time, so it was probably my fault. I will have to try again next year.

HoneyBerry
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Joined: Sat Jul 18, 2015 1:10 pm
Location: Zone 8A Western Washington State

I enjoy watching the bees as they flit from flower to flower. I took alot of pictures of bees on my bright orange poppies. My computer crashed so the pictures are stuck on the hard drive. I hope that the pictures can be recovered. I was planning to use them for a watercolor painting. I want to do the same with a monarch butterfly but I haven't seen one for so long. The last time I saw a monarch butterfly was about 25 years ago. Isn't that a shame? I was taking some laundry down from the clothes line, moving slowly to the left from towel to towel, and then suddenly a monarch butterfly was right in front of my face, about an inch from my nose. It was sleeping on the towel that I was getting ready to take down. A once in a lifetime experience. I also had an amazing dragonfly experience once. I was riding my bike and a dragonfly was flying at eye level about 12 inches in front of my face for about a mile.



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