Life Span
Annual
Perennial
Type
Flowering Plants
Cactus or Succulent
Origin
North America
Caribbean, Central America, Northern America, South America
Types
Helianthus annuus, Heliantheae,
Grafted Gymnocalycium Cultivars, Echinopsis chamaecereus cultivar, Pilosocereus pachycladus, Austrocylindropuntia subulata monstrose
Habitat
Dry areas, Open areas, Prairies
Desert
USDA Hardiness Zone
3-10
Not Available
AHS Heat Zone
12-1
Not Available
Sunset Zone
A1, A2, A3, H1, H2, 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Not Available
Habit
Upright/Erect
Not Available
Flower Color
Brown, Yellow
Magenta, Red, White, Yellow
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Not Available
Fruit Color
Black, Chocolate, Ivory
Not Available
Leaf Color in Spring
Dark Green, Green
Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green
Several shades of Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green
Light Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Not Available
Several shades of Green
Leaf Shape
Oval
Globe shaped
Plant Season
Summer
Summer
Sunlight
Bright direct sunlight
Bright direct sunlight
Growth Rate
Very Fast
Medium
Type of Soil
Dry, Light, Well drained
Loamy, Sandy, Well drained
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Alkaline
Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Early Fall, Early Summer, Fall, Late Spring, Late Summer, Summer
Early Summer, Late Spring, Summer
Tolerances
Not Available
Drought
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground, Pot
Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Grafting, Seedlings, Transplanting
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Requirements
Keep the ground moist but not water-logged, Requires regular watering, Requires watering in the growing season
Does not require lot of watering, Water once every two or three weeks, Water when soil is dry
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil pH
Acidic, Alkaline
Alkaline
Soil Type
Dry, Light, Well drained
Loamy, Sandy, Well drained
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Bright direct sunlight
Bright direct sunlight
Pruning
Prune ocassionally, Requires little pruning
Prune if you want to improve plant shape, Prune ocassionally, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Alternaria leaf blight, Apical chlorosis, Bacteria wilt, Bacterial leaf spot, Botrytis head rot, Charcoal rot, Crown gall, Downy mildew, Erwinia stalk rot, Fusarium stalk rot, Fusarium wilt, head rot, Phialophora yellows, Stem spot
Aphids, Caterpillars, Cochineal insect, Mealybugs, Nematodes, Red spider mite, Rodent, Root rot, Scale, Slugs, Snails, Thripes, Viruses, Worms
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought
Flower Petal Number
Single
Not Available
Foliage Texture
Coarse
Not Available
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Not Available
Attracts
Birds, Butterflies
Birds
Allergy
Runny nose, Red eyes, Watery eyes, Sore eyes, Itchy eyes
Not Available
Aesthetic Uses
Beautification, Bouquets, Showy Purposes, Used for decorating walls, fences, gates, hedges, etc.
Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
Not Available
Not Available
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Medicinal Uses
Pulmonary afflictions
Diabetes, Hangover
Part of Plant Used
Flowers, Seeds, Stem
Flowers, Leaves
Other Uses
As Fertilizers, Economic Purpose, Oil is used in perfume, soaps, creams, etc., Showy Purposes, Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant, Used for producing cooking oil
Employed in herbal medicine, Fine spines and trichomes are used as fiber for weaving, Showy Purposes, Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant, Used in construction, Used in Furniture
Used As Indoor Plant
Yes
Yes
Used As Outdoor Plant
Yes
Yes
Garden Design
Bedding Plant, Bonsai, Container, Edging, Edible, Feature Plant, Houseplant, Vegetable
Feature Plant
Botanical Name
Helianths Annuus
Cactaceae
Common Name
Sunflower
Cactus
In Hindi
Sūrajamukhī
Naagaphanee
In German
Sonnenblume
Kaktus
In French
Tournesol
Cactus
In Spanish
Girasol
El Cactus
In Greek
ηλιοτρόπιο
κάκτος
In Portuguese
Girassol
cacto
In Polish
słonecznik
kaktus
In Latin
Helianthus
Cactus
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Tracheophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Dicotyledonae
Order
Asterales
Caryophyllales
Family
Asteraceae
Cactaceae
Genus
Heilanthus
Not Available
Clade
Not Available
Angiosperms, Eudicots
Tribe
Heliantheae
Not Available
Subfamily
Helianthodeae
Cactoideae, Maihueniodeae, Opuntioideae, Pereskioideae
Importance of Sunflower and Cactus
Want to have the most appropriate plant for your garden? You might want to know the importance of Sunflower and Cactus. Basically, these two plants vary in many aspects. Compare Sunflower and Cactus as they differ in many characteristics such as their life, care, benefits, facts, etc. Every gardener must at least have the slightest clue about the plants he wants to plant in his garden. Compare their benefits, which differ in many ways like facts and uses. The medicinal use of Sunflower is Pulmonary afflictions whereas of Cactus is Diabetes and Hangover. Sunflower has beauty benefits as follows: Not Available while Cactus has beauty benefits as follows: Not Available.
Compare Facts of Sunflower vs Cactus
How to choose the best garden plant for your garden depending upon its facts? Here garden plant comparison will help you to solve this query. Compare the facts of Sunflower vs Cactus and know which one to choose. As garden plants have benefits and other uses, allergy is also a major drawback of plants for some people. Allergic reactions of Sunflower are Runny nose, Red eyes, Watery eyes, Sore eyes and Itchy eyes whereas of Cactus have Not Available respectively. Having a fruit bearing plant in your garden can be a plus point of your garden. Sunflower has no showy fruits and Cactus has no showy fruits. Also Sunflower is flowering and Cactus is flowering. You can compare Sunflower and Cactus facts and facts of other plants too.