Helianthus 'Eversun 2001'

Trial: Annual

Year Trialed: 2001

Good Qualities

Large, long petals (3); Dark centers (2); Color (2); Saleable; Very easy to grow; Large flower at 6 x 6; spacing and good dark yellow; Nice balance of petal length to disk size; subtle tinge of red in young disk that's attractive; Thick stems, similar to other varieties in general appearance, but large flower head was remarkably attractive; Uniform; Nice form, long petals; Beautiful extra large single stem sunflower, best single stem yet, maybe better than 'Sunbright'; Blossom had a "hooded"effect and "looked like it was going to open further," but actually did not; Very nice flowers; Early, strong plant; Tall, well shaped heads, toward the end of the summer it began to branch as well – the best quality of this particular sunflower was that it held up in the cooler from September 17 until October 6, and was able to hold it's own out of the cooler for another 8 days; Amazing; Would grow again.

Problems

Has to be seeded close to reduce stalk (width) thickness and height, stalks are rather substantial; Heads too large, too much disk and not enough petal; Misshapen heads, also some heads didn't ever open; Rust (California), very large leaves, very large caliper stem; It seems that there are many others like this one; Flower opens too quickly, ugly neck; We weren't impressed with any of these sunflowers – They didn't seem to hold up in the heat well, they bloomed really fast and seemed to attract more insects; Poor market for any sunflowers other than 'Sunbright'  'Eversun' is a look like, so they were saleable.

Comments

Looks like 'Sunbright' but larger blooms. Similar to 'Eversu'n (2), 'Sunbright', and 'Superior Sunset'; Similar to many other cultivars; Heads at a nice angle - no nodding heads; Somehow these flowers stood out from others in the"Sun" series, big, beautiful flowers, distinctive petals and general vibrancy – Also good, early, vigorous, uniform growth; Single flower yellow, spotty performer, some short and crooked, some long straight stems.


Trial Data

Helianthus 'Eversun 2001'
Yield (stems/plant) Stem Length (inches) Market Appreciation Rating¹ Repeat Again Rating¹ Ease of Cultivation Rating¹ Average Spacing (in2)
Wholesale Retail Consumer
Average 1.0 50.3 3.0 3.3 3.9 3.5 4.7 140
Range of Responses 1-1.5 18-96 1-5 1-5 1-5 1-5 3-5 36-432


¹1 to 5 scale, with 5 being the best. Market ratings are based on sales to wholesalers, retailers, or final consumers direct.


Supplier

Kieft Seeds P.O. Box 618 Conway, WA 98238