Tithonia rotundifolia 'Torch'

RHS Plant Profile
Mexican sunflower 'Torch'

Save a plant

Where do you want to save Tithonia rotundifolia 'Torch'?

Plants I own
Wishlist
Go to My Plants
Mexican sunflower 'Torch' RHS
Mexican sunflower 'Torch' RHS
Plants for pollinators
Annual Biennial
Thank you - your purchase supports our charity work Buy this from RHS Plants Shop
Buy online from £2.37Buy this from Plant Nurseries
4 Suppliers

An erect, branching annual to 1.2m tall with rounded, lobed leaves. Bright orange or scarlet flowerheads, 7-9cm in diameter, are borne from midsummer into autumn

Position

Full sun

Soil Types

Loam, Sand

Max Height

1-1.5 metres

Max Spread

0.1-0.5 metres

Size

Time to Maturity
1–2 years
Max Spread
0.1-0.5 metres
Max Height
1-1.5 metres

Growing Conditions

Loam Sand
Moisture
Well–drained
pH
Acid or Alkaline or Neutral

Position

Full sun
Aspect
West–facing or South–facing
Exposure
Sheltered
Hardiness

Hardiness Ratings

All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets

  • H1A: under glass all year (>15C)
  • H1B: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
  • H1C: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
  • H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
  • H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
  • H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
  • H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
  • H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
  • H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20)
H2

Colour & Scent

Season Stem Flower Foliage Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Botanical Details

Family
Asteraceae
Native to GB/Ireland
No
Foliage
Deciduous
Habit
Bushy
Genus
Tithonia can be annuals, perennials or shrubs, with simple or lobed leaves and long-stemmed, solitary, daisy-like flower-heads in late summer and autumn
Name Status
Unresolved

How to Grow

Cultivation

Grow in well-drained, moderately fertile soil in full sun with shelter from strong winds. Water freely in dry weather

Propagation

Propagate by seed sown in spring

Suggested planting locations and garden types

  • Cottage and informal garden
  • Gravel garden
  • Wildlife gardens
  • Cut flowers
  • Flower borders and beds

Pruning

Cut back after flowering

Pests

May be susceptible to slugs and snails

Diseases

Generally disease-free