Black Oil Sunflower
Jacki Kellum Garden
May 19, 2025

Although it is early, my first sunflowers bloomed today. I am delighted to say that I have sunflowers in my garden much earlier than I did last year. Because I kept my bird feeders stocked all winter, I am blessed with early sunflowers.

I buy 3 types of bird seed–all of my bird seed comes from the Kaytee Company.

I mix the seed as follows:
1/3 Kaytee Fruit & Nut
1/3 Kaytee Black Oil Sunflower Seed
1/3 Kaytee Gray Stripe Sunflower Seed

Because the Fruit & Nut Seed is liberally filled with sunflower seeds, I dispatch a lot sunflower seeds.

Kaytee Nut & Fruit Seed
Image Credit: Kaytee on Amazon

 

Although the Nut & Fruit seed is heavily stocked with sunflower seeds, I supplement with equal portions of Kaytee Black Oil Sunflower Seeds and Kaytee Gray Stripe Sunflower Seeds.

Kaytee Black Oil Sunflower Seed
Image Credit: Kaytee on Amazon

Kaytee Black Oil Sunflower Seed
Image Credit: Kaytee on Amazon

Because I consistently feed my birds equal portions of black oil and grey striped seeds, you might think that I would have both types of sunflowers bloom simultaneously. But Black Oil Sunflower Seeds bloom much earlier than the gray stripes:

Black Oil Sunlower Seeds Mature and Bloom in 60 to 70 days.

Mississippi has a milder climate than many other states, and the black oil seeds that my birds dropped during the winter bloom in mid-May.

Here’s another interesting fact: Although the center of the Black Oil Sunflower will ultimately be dark, it begins as yellow.

“Black oil sunflowers start with a yellow center due to the color of their small, individual flowers, called discoid florets.” Google AI