Tithonia rotundifolia - The Torch

Here's the plant that converts even the "I don't usually do orange" gardener. Tithonia rotundifolia 'The Torch', commonly called Mexican Sunflower, bursts into summer with tons and tons of intensely rich, velvety orange blooms up to 4" wide. The flowers glow like little garden bonfires, held on a bushy, multi-branched plant that reaches about 6' tall and 3' wide.

A fabulous choice for sunny borders, pollinator gardens, cutting gardens, cottage plantings, and bold seasonal displays, 'The Torch' Mexican Sunflower brings heat-loving color right when summer gardens need it most. Butterflies and bees adore the nectar-rich blooms, while gardeners love its fast growth, lush habit, and high-impact color.

Plant Tithonia rotundifolia 'The Torch' in full sun with well-drained soil. It tolerates heat like a champ and makes a dazzling backdrop for salvias, zinnias, cosmos, grasses, and purple or blue bloomers. Big, bright, and gloriously generous, this is orange flower power at its best.

Where the dwarf 'Goldfinger' cultivar offers a slightly more golden bloom on a tidier, more compact frame, 'The Torch' is the original Mexican Sunflower — a 1951 All-America Selections winner whose deeply saturated, true-orange flowers set the standard the species is famous for. It's the cultivar every other Tithonia gets compared to.

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