| Tithonia rotundifolia | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Asterales |
| Family: | Asteraceae |
| Tribe: | Heliantheae |
| Genus: | Tithonia |
| Species: | T. rotundifolia |
| Binomial name | |
| Tithonia rotundifolia (Mill.) S.F. Blake | |
Tithonia rotundifolia, [1] the red sunflower or Mexican sunflower, is a plant in the family Asteraceae, which is native to the warmer and moister parts of North America.
Plants are perennial in the native habitat, up to 4 m tall with orange or red flowers (in cultivation only 0.8 to 1.5 meters). In USDA zones cooler than Zone 10 it is an annual. Leaves, despite the epithet, are deltoid to lanceolate, occasionally lobed (or broadly heart-shaped) up to 38 cm long and 30 cm wide, with subentire, crenate or serrated margin. The lower ones are usually three-lobed. The petiole is up to 40 centimeters long. The upper side of the leaves is gray, the underside is hairy. [2]
The flower heads have a diameter of 5 to 8 (rarely up to 10) centimeters. The ray flowers are vermilion red and broadly egg-shaped. The disc flowers are golden yellow and are generally solitary, long-pedunculated head, with a campanulate to hemispherical involucrum. There are 12 to 16 bracts, the outer ones being pointed. The fruit is a turbinado-quadrangular cypsel less than 1 cm long, brown or black, with two unequal deciduous wings. [3] Migrating monarch butterflies, hummingbirds, and other pollinators use the flowers as a nectar source. [4]
It occurs in Colorado, Florida, Louisiana, Mexico, Central America, Thailand, and the West Indies on fields, in woody plants and ruderally at altitudes below 1000 meters on the edges of roads and highways, as well as in other disturbed areas. Outside its native region it is sometimes grown as an ornamental and has become naturalized in some of these locales. In Africa it has been recorded up to an altitude of 1,580 m above sea level. [5]
Due to its characteristics, it is usually used in hedges to form a background for other smaller plants. It requires poor to average, well-drained soil in an area protected from the wind to prevent its brittle stems from bending or breaking. It is propagated from seeds. Seedlings are planted 30–50 centimeters apart. It requires a sunny plant site and fresh, nutrient-rich soil with plenty of humus. It tolerates drought well, but it still needs water during long periods of drought. The plant produces flowers from mid-summer until frost. [6]
During the breeding season, the Monarch's favorite habitats are open fields, meadows, and flower gardens. .... In the fall, it seems especially fond of .... Mexican Sunflower (Tithonia rotundifolia), .... .
The blooms are attractive to hummingbirds, butterflies, and other pollinators.
Butterflies of all kinds, but especially the endangered Monarchs, carry a "Torch" for the Mexican sunflower. Swarms of migrating Monarchs are commonly seen mobbing the big, bold, red-orange dahlia-like blooms.
Attracts swarms of migrating monarchs. .... The 'Torch' cultivar has been widely reported by butterfly gardeners to attract lots of butterflies, but some of the lesser planted varieties might bring home the butterflies too.
The blooms of Mexican sunflowers range from red and orange to yellow, with fuzzy stalks that branch out in a big, gangly bunch. They resemble native prairie sunflowers and zinnia more than common sunflowers. Native to Central America and Mexico, they are hearty in arid regions, plus grow quickly into full, lush landscapes with an abundance of flower heads. "That makes them a nectar buffet for swallowtails, monarchs and other butterflies," says Keri Wilson, a horticulturist with Garden Media Group. "Tithonia also thrives in heat, blooming even when other flowers start to wilt and fade, making it an excellent late-season food source for migrating butterflies."