I WSed them my first year - didn't get to grow them out because I gave the seedlings to a friend. She said they were huge .... close to 6 ft. tall. She told me the flowers were not as abundant as she would have hoped, but she has more shade in her garden than sun. WIth that in mind, seems like they'd be a pretty good privacy border as to the size of them; perhaps siting in a more sunny spot would get more flowers.

PV

I grew them last year. Mine were 6 ft. tall and also branched out quite nicely. They need full sun and are drought tolerant once established. Mine flowered until the frost killed them. They also dropped seed and more were trying to come up in the fall. I purposely did not deadhead them as the birds were eating the seed. Butterflies and hummingbirds love them, too.

I don't remember if I wintersowed them last year. They grow pretty fast, though. I have not planted them yet this year, but they are in my box for March sowing.

Becky
ramazz

I grew them last year. I WS sowed them late like early April. Mine grew to be enormous! One was almost 8 feet tall and branched and had hundreds of flowers! It was gorgeous. That one was in a garden with full sun and rich soil. Some others I planted in a large pot and it grew about 3 feet tall and another was in a raised bed and grew to about 4-5 feet tall. They are great for butterflies & hummingbirds besides being so beautiful.
Joann

Oh yeah, love them.
Mine get at least 7 ft tall. South facing side of the house. Feed em with osmocote.
I spring sowed mine in March too.

Becky, your so organized seperating your seed by sowing months!

Great thanks folks, today I sowed 2 milk cartons and 9 16oz. cups with them, used both packs of seeds.

okay nothing sprouted 0 for 11, think its time to dump them and see if I have any remaining seeds from the packs to direct sow. On the other hand maybe I'll not dump them and see if anything comes up late...doubt it.

I sowed last year and this year...seed need to lay on the surface and do not cover....just press in. This year I sowed on May 6th and they germinated May 10th.

Vera

Hi Rich, I direct sowed Tithonia rotundifolia the past 2 years, usually around June 1st, and it germinates pretty well. Tithonia is a heat lover and really puts on the growth when the weather warms up. They do get very large in full sun, like everybody says, easily 6 feet tall. Not sure I would use it as a screen though.

I sowed mine on April 28th in yogurt cups. It's not late to sow some! This year's results:

Tithonia 'Aztec sun', sprouted 5/7,5/8,5/13
Tithonia 'Fiesta del sol', sprouted 5/8

I will probably direct sow some too! The butterflies LOVE this plant, especially the Monarchs. Here's a pic from 2 years ago -

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