If the flower is quite small in comparison to regular sunflowers it might be from black oil sunflower seed. We feed this exclusively to the birds throughout the year. I have them popping up all over the place.

Annette

I haven't measured it, but it's probably 8" across. Smaller than the large sunflowers.

I know these are coming from the sunflower seeds in the bird food.

Cameron

I bet if you posted the picture on the wintersowing forum, you may get some answers.... There are some there who do a lot of sunflowers...

Carrie

I'm betting on black oil, too. That's the only seed I feed to my birds, and your picture looks like the ones that pop up here.

If it's 8" across I think it is too big to be a black oil sunflower.

Annette

Surprise - my guesstimate was off. It is only 5" across. It is 30" high, one bloom per stalk.

When I look at sunflower seeds to sow in the garden, it's difficult to find short and with this yellow center except for Angel's Halo, but that seems too tall.

I don't know about the purity of buying bird feeder seed to plant - lots of millet and other stuff in it, too?

I picked out sunflower seeds from my birdfeeder and sowed them. None have bloomed yet, but it won't be long. They're about 3-4' tall and have one bloom per stalk. We'll compare. They were black seeds.

I would guess Helianthus annuus (common sunflower). I was just doing some reading about oil sunflowers. This and its hybrids are used in the agriculture industry as a source for sunflower oil. We used to live in South Dakota and I remember seeing acres of sunflowers in bloom....their heads following the sun in its path across the sky. A beautiful sight.

Pam

For what it is worth, I left 2 native sunflower plants in an area of the garden, for erosion control. We have seen birds feeding on them that neither of us have ever seen.

We can buy sunflower seeds from the feed stores here. They are about .50/pound, a real bargain. They look like this one.

I like to buy them like this, as I don't want all that other stuff coming up in my flowerbeds.

Janie

Wonbyherwits, millet is in bird seed mixtures. You can buy black oil sunflower seed all by itself. I usually buy 50-lb. bags at a feed store, but I've seen it in supermarkets in 5-lb. bags.

I would agree with those that said black oil sunflower seed. Even 8" across would be correct - it is multi-branched? That would be the kicker, for black oil. I love these when the birds free-sow them for me - the antics of the blue jays and the gold finches, hanging upside-down, to get the seed is a show worth watching!!

Nancy.