Don't be concerned with this leaf color thing, It happens as the plant grows.

And boy does it grow! Watch out. On the dry plains of Kansas the species behaves itself, for lack of moisture. But move the plant to an area with 40 inches of precip (such as here in Ohio) and the plant explodes in giant colonies the chemically overtake everything that surrounds it. Like most perennial sunflowers, Maximillian's is strongly allelopathic, meaning that it produces plant-killing chemicals in its leaves and stems. Unless forceably restrained, the plant can take over an area with moderate to high moisture. Watch out. In a year or two, you may not be so excited by this aggressive plant.

Thanks John...

I know it is aggressive and for that reason do not have it planted in my wildflower area...rather it is planted in another area grown with reseeding native annuals like Plains Coreopsis and a few non-natives like Love-Lies-Bleeding and Mountain Garland. I needed to give the fenced in dog area some summer shade plus it acts like a screen from my neighbors view of this area.
Here we are lucky to get rain at all during summer...so far 9" of rain and that was early spring.

Thanks again :)

Vera

so far 9" of rain and that was early spring--that will change in the next couple of days

Hi Pasadena...I hope so!

You still get more rain in the Pullman area then us...
every rain we were supposed to get over the last 2 weeks has gone right around us! We was supposed to get some rain last night in a thunderstorm system that was coming from the South of us and sure enough just as it reached Rosalia it split and by-passed us again! Today was the same darn deal. I believe our annual average ranges somewhere around 20"

Vera

actually I'm not in Pullman, but 150 miles to the west where we get 9" a year total, and a lot of that snow.

Thanks for the info on the Maximillian Sunflower. I was wondering whether it would be worth it to plant and your experience leads me to add to the list for next year.

I don't know why but I always thought you was in Pullman/Moscow area...sheesh! Yep.. most of our moisture is snow too. I think last winter was the most snow we had in years.
Well good news anyways...we got a little rain today! I'm happy but the farmers might not be in the middle of harvest!

I don't have very many of the Max. planted and most will either likely be dead-headed with a few left for the gazillion birds and browsing deer.

Vera