Helianthus annuus, cultivar Teddy Bear.
The sunflower you would never expect. It is distinct from its classic relative, the Ecological Black Oil Sunflower, a tall, structural plant reaching 1.5 to 2.5 m and grown for seeds, oil, and winter birds. Teddy Bear is the complete opposite: compact, fluffy, and ornamental—perfect for children, balconies, and small garden spaces.
An ornamental sunflower variety with fully double flowers, Teddy Bear arose from decorative selections developed by European and North American horticulturists beginning in the 19th century. The double-flower mutation, in which the central florets (normally responsible for seed production) become petal-like florets, appears periodically in sunflowers as it does in many other members of the Asteraceae family. This mutation, fixed and amplified through selection over several generations, gives Teddy Bear its distinctive silhouette: a round, fluffy golden pompom that truly resembles a chrysanthemum or, as its name suggests, the silky fur of a teddy bear.
A compact, stocky plant reaching 50 to 90 cm tall, it often branches into several flowering stems rather than producing a single main stalk like a classic sunflower. Each flower measures 12 to 15 cm across, is fully petaloid and uniformly warm golden yellow, and has almost no visible central disk (unlike the Black Oil Sunflower, whose large dark central disk is as imposing as its crown of petals). The texture is so dense and fluffy that it feels like a large ball of yarn. Blooming extends over 4 to 6 weeks, generally from mid-August to late September in Québec.
Use: a sunflower grown for pure pleasure. Excellent along garden borders, in large containers on a balcony (a minimum diameter of 30 cm per plant), as an accent in the vegetable garden to break up the monotony of green, or in a flower bed in front of taller classic sunflowers that it helps showcase. It is also the ideal sunflower for children: the plant stands at a child's height, the flower fits in one hand, and its spectacular growth can literally be followed day by day in mid-season. It is excellent as a cut flower for compact, cheerful arrangements. Vase life is modest (4 to 5 days), but the visual effect is striking.
A note for pollinators: the double flower offers less accessible nectar than a single sunflower (most of the nectar-bearing florets have been converted to petals through selection), but bees and bumblebees still visit the remaining florets around the edge of the flower head, and the plant produces fertile seeds.
Grower's tip: Like all sunflowers, direct-sow only. The plant has a taproot that does not tolerate transplanting well. Sow in well-worked soil, 2 to 3 cm deep, once all risk of frost has passed (from mid-May through late June in Québec—a comfortable window, and we are still right in it). Full sun is essential (at least six hours; the name says it all). In a container, choose a pot at least 30 cm in diameter and 30 cm deep for each plant, use rich potting soil, and water regularly (pots dry out quickly). Flowering occurs 65 to 80 days after sowing. Let a few flowers go to seed at the end of the season to offer chickadees one last snack in early winter. Each head produces fewer seeds than a Black Oil Sunflower, but still enough to delight the birds.
- Open-pollinated. Annual. Insect-pollinated (self-sterile); can cross with other cultivated sunflowers nearby.
- Height: 50 to 90 cm. Branched growth habit, often with several flowers per plant.
- Maturity: 65 to 80 days to first bloom.
- Exposure: full sun is essential (at least six hours).
- Moderately rich, well-drained soil. Tolerates poor soil better than tall-growing varieties.
- Direct-sow in Québec from mid-May through late June, 2 to 3 cm deep. Do not transplant.
- Excellent in containers: minimum pot size of 30 cm × 30 cm per plant, rich potting soil, and regular watering.
- Ideal for children's gardens, urban balconies, borders, and decorative flower beds.
