Frankhartx wrote:
From: John DeBoo
have 38 of these wonderful plants growing in my backyard ranging
in height from 3' to about 8'. Some are blooming and many are ready
to. All seem to produce one just one flower, at the top of the
stem. However I have one that appears to be contrary to what the
rest of them do. This bad boy has 16 buds on it so far that appear
like they'll become flowers. None of the other plants have this.
One at the top is opening as of tonight but the rest are identical
to it, just not open - yet. There are 6 of these are near the top
where it has forked several times leaving the bud at the very end of
each of the forks. The rest are at the very end of lower branches
that already have huge leaves. Is it abnormal for a sunflower to
produce more than 1 head?
Zone 7, Albuquerque - variety is Mammoth
John you may have a sport--a natural mutation- sometimes these mutations can
lead to a completely new variety, some of which may be quite valuable. Kep a
close watch on this plant and observe it's characteristics. And SAVE THE SEED!
I am not familar with all the varieties of sunflower so this could be just a
stray seed of a known variety but unless you can identify it as such a sport is
possible.
Good advice seed saving. I'll do that for sure. The plant is
healthy as all get out and the stalk as like 1.5" think at the base
& 7' tall. Now to keep the birds away from it and munching the
other 37 plantsG.