They are favorites of butterflies. I don't have any big ones this year.

What a wonderful size. I just love all the butterflies they attract.
This is the plants I had in that front bed that I had to move in the 90 degree temp. so it didn't reach it's full height.
But I will save seed and try again next year now that I have seen the butterflies and black bees it attracts.
Do you water yours when it get hot like it is now?
Bonnie

Pretty Glenda! A couple of my volunteers just started blooming too but some aren't yet.
Hummingbirds go to them too - added bonus!
I think I'll try saving a few seeds to sow in cups next spring to see if I can get earlier blooms than the volunteers.

I must not have given them enough water....maybe one time because of the squash at their base...because they have fired up from the ground maybe 2-3 feet. It looks very ugly. Next year that part will be well hidden by other plants if I follow through about planting them by the cellar.

I will try to save seeds from these monsters.

I was thinking maybe I would plant mine in my melon patch next year.
To help hide the bottom 1/2 of the plant because it is ugly when it drops the leaves an to shade the bottom an get watered when I water the melons. I would like to be able to see the pretty blooms but not the bottom of the plant.
Also since the bee's an such are attracted to them they will also be near the melons which might be a good thing also.
I planted sunflowers in w/my okra an beans this year.
This is the first time I have seen this many black bee's around here. I have always had a few but I have more than that now.
Bonnie

Keep in mind tithonia get HUGE. The first time I planted it, it was in the middle of my vegetable garden. Little did I know it was going to get 7 feet tall by 7 feet wide.

I love it, but will never have it in a vegetable garden again. I didn't notice as many butterflies as I did regularly scheduled visits of hummingbirds.