Variety field guide
What to expect from Red Torch Mexican Sunflower
Red Torch Mexican sunflower seeds produce red bloom on 61–72 in upright/erect plants. Annual growth and Summer/Fall bloom make it useful for borders, cut flowers, containers or meadow-style planting, pollinator value, and seed saving.
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Red Torch Mexican sunflower seeds produce red bloom on 61–72 in upright/erect plants. Annual growth and Summer/Fall bloom make it useful for borders, cut flowers, containers or meadow-style planting, pollinator value, and seed saving.
Minimum seeds per packet: 50 seeds.
About Red Torch
Red Torch is an annual mexican sunflower with red color, 61–72 in mature height or spread, and an upright/erect habit. Harvest form or size: Flower or head form characteristic of Red Torch; mature plant 61–72 in. Botanically it is Tithonia rotundifolia. Maturity or first bloom: 80-89 Days; germination: 7-14 Days at 70–85 °F. Best for borders, cut flowers, containers or meadow-style planting, pollinator value, and seed saving. Grown for ornamental or habitat use rather than as a food crop.
History and provenance
This named flower is part of the long seed-catalog tradition of selecting annuals for color, stature, bloom form, cutting, edging, containers, or meadow use. Where no reliable breeder or release record is available, the cultivar name is retained without adding a precise date, person, or provenance story. A complete public breeder or release record for the named Red Torch strain has not been located. The cultivar name is retained, but no person, community, date, or place of origin is assigned without reliable documentation. Mexican Red Torch Tithonia Seeds grow Mexican sunflower, Tithonia plants with fiery orange-red flowers. Choose Mexican Red Torch for heat-loving Tithonia flowers. It is called a Mexican sunflower, but it is Tithonia rotundifolia, not Helianthus annuus. This variety is best for butterfly and pollinator gardens, hot summer borders, tall backgrounds, and repeated cutting.
Growing facts
| Scientific name | Tithonia rotundifolia |
|---|---|
| Life cycle | Annual |
| Maturity / first bloom | 80-89 Days |
| Germination | 7-14 Days at 70–85 °F |
| Seed depth | Surface Sow |
| Plant height / spread | 61–72 in |
| Growth habit | Upright/Erect |
| Spacing | 18 in between plants; 30 in between rows |
| Sunlight | Full sun |
| Soil | Loamy; pH 6.0–6.5 |
| Water | Drought tolerant |
| Support | No-Support |
Starting Red Torch from seed
How to grow Red Torch Mexican sunflower
Botanical identity: Tithonia rotundifolia. Life cycle: Annual.
Surface sow and use a seed-zone temperature near 70–85 °F. Expected emergence: 7-14 Days. Use fine seed-starting mix. Press seed into the moist surface and water gently from below to avoid burying it.
Plant during Late Spring. Space plants 18 in apart with 30 in between rows or planting bands.
Provide Full sun, drought tolerant water, and loamy near pH 6.0–6.5. Support: No-Support.
Garden performance and care
For a longer display of Red Torch, remove spent blooms unless seed is being saved. Give the plant its listed spacing, cut flowers with clean tools, and leave selected heads to mature fully for seed. Expected emergence is 7-14 Days; the listed maturity or bloom timing is 80-89 Days.
Harvest, bloom, and uses
Red Torch is suited to borders, cut flowers, containers or meadow-style planting, pollinator value, and seed saving. Its red flowers and 61–72 in stature help determine whether it belongs in a border, cutting row, container, meadow edge, or restoration-style planting. Grown for ornamental or habitat use rather than as a food crop.
Saving seed
Save seed from several healthy, true-to-type Red Torch plants identified before harvest. Confirm the pollination system of Tithonia rotundifolia, separate compatible varieties that flower together, and remove clear off-types before they shed pollen or seed. Allow fruit, pods, ears, or seed heads to reach full biological maturity, then clean and dry the seed completely. Label the lot with variety, source, year, isolation method, number of seed plants, and any selection notes; store it cool, dark, and dry and test germination before an important planting.
Common problems
Common concerns: damping-off from saturated media; poor emergence from wrong temperature or depth; leggy seedlings from weak light; crowding and weak airflow; lodging in wind or rain; feeding damage from slugs, caterpillars, beetles, or mammals; foliar disease under prolonged leaf wetness. Management: use clean media, the sowing depth and temperature, strong light, appropriate thinning, and morning irrigation at soil level. Match support to plant height before wind becomes a problem. Inspect regularly and use the least disruptive control appropriate to the pest, plant, and pollinator setting. Remove diseased debris and rotate annual flower beds where recurring disease is severe.
Frequently asked questions
When is Red Torch ready?
80-89 Days from sowing to the primary bloom or market stage used for the listed maturity range
How long does germination take?
Expect 7-14 Days near 70–85 °F; actual emergence changes with moisture, seed condition, and soil temperature.
How large does it grow?
About 61–72 in with an upright/erect habit. Support: No-Support.
Can it grow in a container?
Possible in a large container, raised bed, or in-ground planting with room for the mature plant
How is it used?
Primary role: Borders, cut flowers, containers or meadow-style planting, pollinator value, and seed saving. Grown for ornamental or habitat use rather than as a food crop.
Can I save seed?
Yes where the crop biology allows, but keep compatible varieties isolated, use several healthy plants, wait for full seed maturity, dry thoroughly, and label the lot.
