Helianthus Soraya has rich orange petals surrounding dark chocolatey-brown centres. These are branching plants and can produce 20 or more of these large vivid flowers. This is the taller big sister of Sonja. Grow them together and you’ll have flowers from knee high to above your head.
🌸 Flowering: July to September
📏 Height: to 180cm
🌿 Annual
Sow: start indoors in February or March in individual pots or modules, about 1cm deep, at around 20°C. Germination usually takes 1–2 weeks. In milder areas, you can also sow outdoors in April, either in pots or direct where they’re to flower.
Grow: harden off and plant out once frosts have passed, spacing them 40-50cm apart. They thrive in full sun and well-drained soil. Water regularly while young and during dry spells, particularly while plants are growing rapidly and developing buds. You may need to stake them if you have a windy garden.
Enjoy: at 10-15cm across, each flower is like a brilliant glowing sun!
🏡 In your garden
• Prairie and meadow gardens
• Cottage and informal gardens
• Cutting gardens
• Flower borders and beds
• Wildlife and pollinator plantings
• Vegetable gardens
✂️ Cut flower
• Fresh vase life of 5 to 7 days
• Its branching habit means plenty of flowers for cutting
• Change the vase water regularly and recut the stems to help them drink
🐝 Pollinator friendly
• RHS Plants for Pollinators recommended
• The pollen-rich flower heads attract visiting bees
🐞 Wildlife friendly
• Seeds provide autumn foraging for a variety of birds
🎨 Natural Dye Plant
• The petals can yield yellow to gold shades
• Prepare cotton, linen and hemp fabrics with a tannin then alum mordant
• Chop the petals and heat them in water for about an hour to release their colour
• Strain, then add the wet fabric to the dye bath. Keep the dye bath hot for another hour, then allow it to cool.
• Your fabric can be soaked in the dye bath for up to 24 hours for the strongest shades. Check how the colour develops and remove it when you are happy.
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