RESEARCH AT NUFLOWERS, LLC

Ornamental sunflower research is the primary focus of NuFlowers, LLC.  Every ornamental sunflower variety developed at NuFlowers, LLC is the culmination of years of intensive plant breeding research utilizing state of the art knowledge and technology. 

NuFlowers, LLC maintains  the richest collection of ornamental sunflower genetic materials in the world.  Genetic diversity is the foundation of our product development.  We strive to unlock nature’s hidden variation in sunflower and make it available to the flower world.

Every year the research team at NuFlowers, LLC plants literally thousands of  seeds of ornamental sunflower selections from its extensive collection.  The research is led by Dr. Tom Heaton who brings more than 30 years of sunflower plant genetics experience to the field.  The behind-the-scenes work is exhaustive as every single trait on every plant is evaluated to discover a  potentially new variety that NuFlowers, LLC can offer its loyal customers.  Traits from one sunflower are combined with desired traits found in another sunflower under controlled pollination conditions.  Thousands of bags are placed on the flowers of individual plants to exclude foreign pollen carried by insects.  After 5-7 years of  controlled self  pollination along with selection and evaluation at each generation in both the field and winter greenhouse, researchers at NuFlowers, LLC isolate the best new sunflower plants that combine the unique floral and plant performance traits  that are deemed valuable to our customers around the world whether they be professional cut flower growers  or home garden enthusiasts.  

When we see that a  new sunflower is uniform and breeding "true," the real work begins.   The seeds are multiplied in field cages to maintain genetic purity.  Now,  after years of  meticulous work,  we have sufficient seeds to begin field production  for distribution around the world.   An idea conceived in an experimental cross 7 years before has been become an exciting new ornamental sunflower variety at NuFlowers, LLC !