Tithonia rotundifolia

Mexican sunflower, Red sunflower

Message of the Flower

Physical Consciousness turned entirely towards the Divine

The Mother’s Comment

It thirsts for the Divine and wants nothing but Him.

Spiritual Message by the Mother/ Quotes by Sri Aurobindo

When I speak of the physical consciousness, I mean the physical mind and the physical vital as well as the body consciousness proper.

Sri Aurobindo, Letters on Yoga - I: The Physical Consciousness

In my view the body as well as the mind and life has to be spiritualised or, one may say, divinised so as to be a fit instrument and receptacle for the realisation and manifestation of the Divine. It has its part in the divine Lila, even, according to the Vaishnava sadhana, in the joy and beauty of Divine Love. That does not mean that the body has to be valued for its own separate sake or that the creation of a divine body in a future evolution of the whole being has to be contemplated as an end and not a means—that would be a serious error which would not be admissible. In any case, my speculations about an extreme form of divinisation are something in a far distance and are no part of the preoccupations of the spiritual life in the near future.

Sri Aurobindo, Letters on Himself and the Ashram: Spiritual Force and the Body

Colour

Bright reddish-orange, yellow

Family

Asteraceae (Compositae)

Person who named the flower

S.F. Blake

Flower Size

The flower heads have a diameter of 5 to 8 centimeters, rarely up to 10 centimeters.

Flower Texture

daisy-like flowers have a soft texture

Number of Petals

ray flowers contribute to what is commonly perceived as petals

Floral Symmetry

Radial symmetry

Fragrance of Flower

No

Leaf Texture

The underside of leaves is hairy.

Leaf Arrangement

Leaves are deltoid to lanceolate, occasionally lobed, with subentire, crenate, or serrated margins.

Leaf Color

The upper side of the leaves is gray, while the underside is hairy and possibly lighter in color.

Structural Variation (Shrub or Tree)

It is an annual or perennial plant in its native habitat, growing up to 4 meters tall, but typically only 0.8 to 1.5 meters in cultivation.

Life Cycle

Perennial in native habitats but annual in cooler climates (USDA zones cooler than Zone 10).

Blooming Period

Blooms from summer until the first frosts.

Climate

Native to warmer and moister parts of North America.

Water Requirements

Tolerates dry to medium water conditions.

Soil Type

Prefers poor to average, well-drained soil.

Temperature Ranges

Hardy in USDA zones 2 to 11.

Sun or Shade

Requires full sun.

Susceptibility to Insects and Diseases

slugs and snails

Pollinators

Attracts birds, hummingbirds, butterflies, including migrating monarch butterflies.

Habitat

Native to Mexico and Central America; found in fields, woody plants, and ruderal areas at altitudes below 1000 meters.

Role in the Ecosystem

Serves as a nectar source for many insects.

Endangered Status

Not listed as endangered;

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