The Sunflower

Sunflowers naturally turn towards the sun as they grow, making them a symbol of warmth, happiness and optimism.

The Sunflower 🌻

Scientific name: Helianthus annuus

Family: Asteraceae, the daisy family

Origin: North America

Typical height: 1.5–3 metres, although some varieties grow much taller

Flower colour: Usually yellow petals with a brown, dark-red or greenish centre

Sunflower head: What looks like one giant flower is actually made up of hundreds or even thousands of tiny flowers called florets.

Seeds: The central disc develops into sunflower seeds, which provide food for birds, wildlife and people.

Sun tracking: Young sunflowers can follow the sun across the sky. This behaviour is called heliotropism. Mature flower heads generally face east.

Pollinators: Bees and other insects visit sunflowers for their nectar and pollen.

Growth: Sunflowers are fast-growing annual plants, completing their life cycle in a single growing season.

Name meaning: Helianthus comes from Greek words meaning “sun” and “flower.”

Record breaker: Some sunflower varieties can grow over 6 metres tall under ideal conditions.

Fun fact: The spiral arrangement of sunflower seeds follows mathematical patterns related to the Fibonacci sequence and the golden angle.

 Uses

 Seeds

Eaten as a snack or added to breads, cereals and salads.

Pressed to produce sunflower oil, one of the world’s widely used cooking oils.

The leftover seed meal can be used as animal feed.

 Sunflower oil

Used for cooking and baking.

Also used in cosmetics, soaps and some industrial products.

 Whole plant

Sunflower stalks and other plant material can be used in animal feed, composting and biomass.

The large flower heads provide an excellent food source for birds, particularly once the seeds mature.

 Wildlife

The flowers provide pollen and nectar for bees and other pollinating insects.

A mature sunflower can become something of a tiny bird buffet, with birds picking the seeds directly from the flower head.

Sunflowers were cultivated by Indigenous peoples of North America thousands of years ago, long before they became popular in European gardens. They were used for food, oil, dyes and other practical purposes.