Outside my window grows a spectacular plant that causes me delight and a sense of impending dilemma. The Mexican Sunflower, Tithonia, was grown by way of Winter-Sowing, and has thrived both in its milk carton birthing room, and in the rich soil of the patio garden. The plant has attracted every type of buzzing pollinator, hosted hundreds of butterfly visits, quenched the thirst of hummingbirds, and now that it is setting seed, drawn in goldfinches, in drabber Autumn colors, but goldfinches, nevertheless. What could be more of a delight?

A newly hatched Monarch Butterfly spent hours fueling up for its flight to Mexico, circling the Mexican Sunflower continuously for hours, sipping nectar as it went round and round.

A pollinator’s view of the nectar-filled florets and pollen.

One dilemma is the size of the plant. I measured today, October 13th, and the height was eight feet. The plant is at least five or six feet across at the bottom. Next year, I’ll need to plant near the back wall of the house. I have other Mexican Sunflowers, but none reached quite the size of this beauty. I have collected seeds and look forward to growing them again next year with a few amendments.

The first I already mentioned. Keep the Mexican Sunflower at the very back of the garden, but still near enough to enjoy the up close and personal look at the nature it draws in with its nectar and pollen. Second, once the first lush leaves have fallen off, giving rise to many branches with smaller leaves and more blooms, consider planting some fast-growing vining plants at the base to grow up and add a bit of lushness to the sparser foliage by midsummer. A fast-growing scarlet runner bean would be a great choice.

The third dilemma is my indecision over whether to cut it down when it is entirely defoliated and flowerless or to leave it up as perches for the winter birds. My husband and I discussed decorating it by stringing popcorn and other goodies on the branches throughout the winter for the birds to enjoy when food is scarce. I will update later if we do this.

A photo taken today, a Mexican Sunflower, still blooming in mid-October, braving the rain of a N’or Easter. If you have room, consider growing this amazing plant.

An appreciative goldfinch gathering seed was the perfect signpost backdrop for a quote from the poet Robert Browning.