Helianthus annuus 'Teddy Bear'
Teddy Bear
A dwarf sunflower that looks more like a pompon than a classic sunflower: fully double, fluffy and cuddly enough to earn the name. The most popular choice for pots, balconies and small hands.
- Scientific name
- Helianthus annuus 'Teddy Bear'
- Height
- 40–60 cm (16–24 in)
- Flower diameter
- 12–15 cm (5–6 in)
- Days to bloom
- ~75 from sowing
- Light needs
- Full sun
- Water needs
- Moderate, regular
- Edible seed
- No
- Pollen-free
- Nearly (little visible)
Origin and breeder
'Teddy Bear' is an old dwarf cultivar that the British seed house Thompson & Morgan has offered since around 1970, and it has been a fixture in garden catalogues ever since. It does not hold an Award of Garden Merit from the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS, 2023), but it has been valued for decades for its compact form and long flowering. Unlike most sunflowers, this is a fully double cultivar: the flower head consists almost entirely of ray florets, so the orange-brown centre of an ordinary sunflower largely vanishes behind a ball of yellow petals.
How to identify it
- Fully double head — a dense, round pompon of 12–15 cm (5–6 in), not the flat disc of an ordinary sunflower.
- Low and compact — usually 40–60 cm (16–24 in) tall, rarely more.
- Barely visible centre — the brown disc is largely hidden.
- Deep egg-yolk yellow — even in colour, with no bicolour or red tints.
- Sturdy, short stem with several buds per plant.
Growing notes
Teddy Bear works where tall cultivars struggle: in pots, planters and small borders. A pot of at least 25–30 cm (10–12 in) diameter with good drainage will do. The plant likes full sun and regular water, but will not tolerate wet feet. Thanks to its modest height it usually needs no staking — a clear advantage over giants such as Russian Mammoth. For the general approach to container culture, see sunflowers in containers, and for the basics of sowing and position, the page on growing.
The honest growing flaw
The dense, double head is this cultivar's weakness. In wet summers, moisture lingers inside the pompon and the head rots from within. Teddy Bear is also prone to powdery mildew: the low, compact foliage with little air movement is an ideal breeding ground for the white fungal film. Give it generous spacing, water at the root rather than over the leaves, and place it in an open, airy spot.
Companion plants and substitutes
Teddy Bear looks good with low, drought-tolerant bloomers such as lavender, marigolds or cosmos, which share the same sunny position. If you want a dwarf with a more open, classic flower centre and better air movement, look at 'Sunspot' or 'Pacino' in the cultivar database. For a similar fluffy effect at cutting height there is 'Double Dandy'. A full overview of dwarf versus giant cultivars is on the species page.
Pick this if…
you have little space, garden on a balcony or terrace, want children to sow it, or want a cuddly flower without a tall stem that blooms quickly.
Don't pick this if…
you live in a wet, shaded garden, want to harvest seed, need a tall focal point, or want a cultivar that offers plenty of pollen to bees.
A packet of Teddy Bear seed typically costs £2–3 (€2–3) from Thompson & Morgan or a garden centre. It is a stable, non-hybrid line, so you can in principle save your own seed — though the double head yields little viable seed.
Sources
- Thompson & Morgan — cultivar description and seed catalogue 'Teddy Bear'.
- Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) — plant guide, 2023.