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13 Aug 25 Michael (USA - Zone 8a climate)

Want to grow sunflowers to support the birds that eat them. What are the best for growing fast and large quantity for bird food? Birdies in Atlanta georgia TYIA

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06 Sep 25 Dave (Canada - Zone 3b Temperate Warm Summer climate)

Can't answer for certain, but I suspect the birds will eat most. I'm doing similar myself, in containers on my balcony, in Regina. I managed to start a few indoors and transplant them successfully. I definitely lost a bunch, but I've got 5 that survived. 1 giant one, a few dwarf ones and a couple that the birds planted scattering their feed. They're mini, but seem to be the species their feed is made from. My giant one's top flower is just about to clear the bottom railing of the balcony above me! It's got 3 blooming flowers and 4 more buds for 7 on the one plant. The others all seem to only have 1 flower each. But even with no edible seeds yet, they're definitely attracting more birds. They hang out on them. I think the perches with vantages help, along with some cover. I'm a chaos gardener, so I just let their scattered seeds take over a few pots I had other plants in. Some survived and shared, but a couple are only bird grass, currently going to seed. There's young chickadees, sparrows and nut hatches that hang out on my balcony in the pots. So I'd say whatever sunflowers you want to grow will get eaten, the trick is to keep them from the squirrels. I've got 1 acrobatic red squirrel that figured out how to get onto the first floor balcony. I caught it staring at a sunflower and put out seeds for it instead. 'So far' we're at peace, but the cheeky thing will eat the nuts 20 inches from me on the railing while I'm on the balcony. Feel like a Disney princess or something, lol.

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