Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Sunflower Surprise?

I've been anxiously waiting for the rest of my sunflowers to bloom. But now that they are blooming, they  don't look quite like I expected...

Almost a Mammoth Sunflower, August 6

August 9 bloom. The flower is a lot smaller than last year's. At first glance, I thought the flower looked nothing like the mammoths I grew before, because the center seems smaller in proportion to the rest of the flower, and the petals just looked different. But when I compared pictures, I realized the petals and center do look the way they should. 



Three almost Chianti hybrid Sunflowers, August 6


The first one bloomed yesterday...This is not a Chianti sunflower. Chiantis have dark red petals--no yellow! My baby got switched at birth!

Did a different kind of seed get slipped into the packet? Could something have happened during pollination? It's pretty, but this does not look like the Chiantis I grew last year.  This flower came from a bud (top picture) that didn't look like the other buds, which have the tell-tale purple markings of a Chianti. I'm crossing my fingers that I get my beautiful deep red flowers. In the meantime, I'll enjoy this pretty sunflower, but I'd like to know what variety it is.

I'm linking up with Fishtail Cottage's Cottage Flora weekly meme this week. Looking forward to seeing other blooms around the Internets.

8 comments:

  1. I love the colour of the petals on your Chianti impostor. Looks like sunburst is how I would describe it, beautiful.

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  2. Lovely blooms! Even the buds look inviting. Strange...pretty, tho...

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  3. @Adele and Sage Butterfly--thank you! I think the bloom colors are pretty too, but yes, very strange. :) Sunburst is a nice way to describe it!

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  4. "Switched at birth" was really funny. But your sunflowers are all pretty! Mine are incomprehensibly small and wimpy looking. And I do see them everywhere around where I live, growing in ditches, in gravel roads, looking great. Not giving up. Next year...

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  5. I love them have they attracted any birds yet. I heard that goldfinches liked them.

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  6. I love your blooms, very pretty.

    Your blog is great too.


    Fiona @ Raindrops & Daisies

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  7. Love Love Love your sunshiny sunflowers! so happy! thanks for linking up to Cottage Flora Thursdays! xoox, tracie

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