Sunflowers growing in Zone 12

Growing Sunflowers in Zone 12

When to plant and harvest sunflowers in Zone 12— based on your zone's frost dates.

Possible with careZone 12 · SunflowersUpdated October 2026

Zone 12 sits just outside sunflowers' ideal range (Zones 2–11), but a good harvest is achievable with careful timing and a little season extension.

Sunflowers planting calendar for Zone 12

These months are derived from Zone 12's frost dates — last frost around None, first frost around None.

Start indoors

—

Sow outdoors

January

Transplant

—

Harvest

April

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A month-by-month Zone 12 chart with sunflowers already on it — add the rest of your garden, then print it or save it as a PDF.

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Sunflowers care at a glance

Very easyVery easy to grow
Sunlight
Full sun (6+ hours)
Water
Moderate; deep but infrequent once established
Spacing
6–18 in apart by variety
Days to maturity
70–100 days
Best zones
2–11

Growing sunflowers in Zone 12: FAQs

Can you grow sunflowers in Zone 12?+

Zone 12 sits just outside sunflowers' ideal range (Zones 2–11), but a good harvest is achievable with careful timing and a little season extension.

When should I plant sunflowers in Zone 12?+

In Zone 12, sow outdoors around January. Zone 12's last spring frost is typically None and its first fall frost around None, which sets the planting window.

When to harvest sunflowers in Zone 12?+

Expect to harvest sunflowers in Zone 12 around April, depending on the season and variety.

Full Sunflowers guide →

Complete care, problems, companions, and harvest tips.

Zone 12 overview →

Frost dates, climate, and everything to grow here.

October in Zone 12 →

What to sow, transplant, and harvest this month.

Growing sunflowers in other zones