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Helianthus Annuus Moulin Rouge: All you need to know about Moulin Rouge Sunflowers

The Moulin Rouge Sunflower is a stunning flowering plant that has an annual life cycle that brings a great dramatic feel to indoor spaces and gardens.

Helianthus Annuus Moulin Rouge
Horsford Gardens & Nursery

With its beautiful dark reddish-brown flowers and nice dark green foliage, it is best paired with other sunflowers of various colors in a garden or bouquet to bring out its best.

Unlike most sunflower varieties, the Sunflower Moulin Rouge does not need the support of a stake to grow upright, this is because this variety boasts a strong natural stem.

The flowers produced by the Helianthus Annuus Moulin Rouge are often regarded as pollen-free, so that makes it a great flowering plant for indoor spaces.  Although pollen-less, the moulin rouge sunflower is still known to attract bees, birds, beneficial insects, butterflies as well as other known pollinators.

This impressive flowering plant is a rare piece and it is no wonder it commands such high popularity among interior decorators and indoor gardeners that are present in the world today.

Botanical NameHelianthus Annuus Moulin Rouge
Common NamesMoulin Rouge Sunflower
OriginHybrid, North America
FamilyAsteraceae
Plant TypeFlowering Annual plant
Full SizeRanges from 60 to 74 inches 
Sun ExposureFull direct sunlight is most needed
Soil TypeWell draining but still moist clay, loam or sandy soil
ToxicityNon-toxic to pets and children

Moulin Rouge Sunflower Care 

One of the easiest sunflower varieties to grow today is the Helianthus Annuus Moulin Rouge or the Moulin Rouge Sunflower, this is because it is an annual plant that requires some care and attention to thrive.

Moulin Rouge Sunflower Light Requirement

Moulin Rouge Sunflower Light Requirement
Bunny’s Garden

One of the important requirements when growing Moulin Rouge Sunflowers would be the provision of adequate direct sunlight. It is needed to achieve the beautiful bloom that the flowering plant is most known for. 

It is therefore advised that you expose the sunflower Moulin Rouge plant to at least 6 to 8 hours of direct sunlight a day. After which you can provide it with some sort of shade that still offers bright but indirect sunlight.

The beautiful dark plant is best kept in a room, close to a window in a part of the house that receives its fair share of direct sunlight a day.

Inadequate sunlight for the Helianthus Annuus could be dangerous as it can lead to the plant not blooming well enough. 

Moulin Rouge Sunflower Water Requirement

The Helianthus Moulin Rouge Sunflower is also known to be drought-tolerant, this means that watering your Moulin rouge sunflower should be an occasional affair.

What you should be aiming for when it comes to watering the plant should be moist soil, not a soggy one. The excess water from overwatering the soil could expose the plant to harmful fungal attacks. 

A great practice when it comes to watering the Moulin Rouge Sunflower would be to feel the topmost part of the soil with your finger. If it is almost dry, then you can proceed to water the flowering plant. 

Watering is most needed during the summer or hot days, so limiting the watering of the plant to at least once a week would be fine. 

Moulin Rouge Sunflower Soil Requirement

The beautiful flowering plant is known to tolerate most soil types, so any soil whether it’s clay, loamy or sandy soil, would be great for the Helianthus Annuus Moulin Rouge. 

Moulin Rouge Sunflower Soil Requirement
Lauri Vigue

Ensure that the soil has great water draining capacity. Since the roots of the Sunflower Moulin Rouge don’t like excess water, the soil should be well-draining so as to get rid of that excess water. 

It also helps for the soil type used to have little water retaining capacity, so as to keep the roots moist. Mixing with little organic compost so as to promote proper growth would be needed, and also, the soil used should have a slight Alkaline pH value. 

Moulin Rouge Sunflower Humidity and Temperature Requirement

 The typical Helianthus Annuus thrives in warm climates, and the Moulin Rouge variety is no exception. 

Moulin Rouge Sunflower Humidity and Temperature Requirement

Try providing a mild humid environment for your Sunflower Moulin Rouge when placed indoors. If you can’t seem to provide this in a natural manner, try using a humidifier, just don’t set it on too high, an appropriate level would be from 9 % to 10%

The appropriate temperature to store the Moulin Rouge sunflower plant would be between 70 degrees Fahrenheit to 75 degrees Fahrenheit. Any level lower than that could lead to the death of the plant.

Moulin Rouge Sunflower Fertilizing Requirement

Sunflowers in general do not require a lot of fertilizing to thrive. The nitrogen contained in these fertilizers could be harmful to the Moulin Rouge Sunflower seeds. 

Fertilizing should be occasional, and should be done during the plant’s growing season. Make use of a granular type fertilizer and be sure to avoid direct contact with the plant’s seeds when fertilizing.

Moulin Rouge Sunflower Potting and Planting Requirements

You would want to place the Moulin Rouge Sunflower seeds in a pot large enough to accommodate the plant’s deep roots.

Moulin Rouge Sunflower Potting and Planting Requirements
Plant Exchange Blog

The appropriate planting routine should be to place the seeds directly into the soil, ensuring the just planted seeds enjoy adequate exposure to direct sunlight. 

For the seed spacing, aim at 4 to 5 inches apart, and for the planting depth, you would want to leave it at a half-inch distance. 

The pot used should have several holes in them so as to allow the easy passage of excess water which might be accumulated during watering. 

Toxicity

Moulin Rouge Sunflowers are non-toxic plants and pose no real dangers to children and pets. They are safe to be grown and cared for in both indoor spaces and gardens.

Common Health Problems of the Moulin Rouge Sunflower

The rare Sunflower Moulin Rouge could attract a lot of pests, so you have to ensure you take adequate measures to protect them. The use of an Insecticidal soap would be essential to protect the plant from pests such as;

  • African Cotton Leafworm
  • Egyptian Cotton Worm
  • Mediterranea Brocade 
  • Tobacco Cutworm
  • Root Rot
  • American serpentine leafminer

Frequently Asked Questions

How tall do Moulin Rouge sunflowers grow?

The Moulin Rouge Sunflower has the tendency to grow as tall as 60 to 74 inches when at full maturity.

Is the Moulin Rouge Sunflower a Perennial?

No, the Moulin Rouge Sunflower is considered an annual plant.

How many different types of sunflower seeds are there?

There are 3 different types of sunflower seeds, high oleic, linoleic, and sunflower oil seeds.

What is the best soil for a Sunflower?

Sunflowers can tolerate most soil types but the best type is the loamy soil.

Do sunflowers do well in pots? 

Sunflowers make a perfect potted plant, they can be grown indoors in large pots with water draining capacity.