Do sunflowers grow back every year?

[juston]

I bough a sunflower plant last year and I'm wondering whether to dig it out or whether it will come back this year. It has massive sunflower heads if that helps

Only if it dropped seeds last year I think.

I think they're annuals?

You need a seed for a plant. Did you save any from the one you had last year,?

no, they dont

It is still growing ? In which case I imagine it might flower again. Normally they die in the Autumn/Winter. You could cut off the seed heads to encourage new flowers.

Sunflowers are annuals, so if it was one of the very tall ones then it wont grow back this year.

However, there are lots of things that look like sunflowers but do grow back - if it’s grown into a clump it might be one of these.

I don't think so, I think they grow from a seed, flower, shed their own seeds then die

There are annuals and grow from seed every year, Theres a chance you may have some seeds from last years flower heads that have dropped and are germinating in soil near to they where planted, but you really need to re-sow from seed every year.

they are annuals.
as pp said, if they dropped seed you might get new ones this year.
or you could grow new ones. some pretty cool varieties out there. we had a red one that was more than 6ft one year.
or you could try growing from ones from bird seed.
young ones need protecting from snails/slugs.

jerusalem artichoke look a lot like sunflowers and would grow back

Sunflowers are lovely. Good luck with growing some this year op.
I tend to sprinkle lots of seeds into the ground as the seeds get eaten and don't all grow into flowers.

I leave my allotment sunflowers alone all winter and they set seed and come back, or the birds eat the seeds, so I’d leave it.