What it Takes to Grow the Beautiful Blooms at Dorothea Dix Park

The much-anticipated sunflower bloom is back! Yes, the bright yellow sunflowers are a staple at Dorothea Dix Park every summer.

But how did those beautiful blooms get there?

As much as we’d like to think the sunflowers at Dorothea Dix Park magically appear every year without any extra work, we’d be wrong. While visitors may only need to worry about bringing sunscreen or finding the perfect photo op, we can take a moment to learn about the people who help create these special moments in the City. Thanks to the hard work of both Raleigh Water and Raleigh Parks crews, these flowers are now photo-ready.

Do you remember when we took a deep dive into the Raleigh Water farmlands?

Those farmers aren’t just busy tending crops—they also made their way out to Dix Park for land prep. You might have seen a few tractors plowing the land and planting sunflower seeds. Those workers planted more than 125,000 sunflower seeds across five acres at the park.

We’ve been patiently waiting, and now it’s time to enjoy the blooms. A special thank you to the crews working to keep Raleigh looking beautiful!

The sunflower field, located at 1700 Umstead Drive, is open to the public seven days a week from dawn to dusk.