5 little know facts about Sunflowers

Ever wonder why sunflowers are so popular? They’re a symbol of happiness and joy, and come in all different colors. Did you know that they can grow up to 18 feet high? We’ve compiled some facts about these majestic flowers for your viewing pleasure. 5 little known facts about sunflowers:

1) Sunflower petals rotate around the center of the flower as it grows; this is called ‘spiral phyllotaxis’ 2) There are over 100 species of sunflower with more than 2,000 varieties in total . 3) Some types of wild sunflower have been found to contain toxic levels of nitrates. 4) The tallest sunflower on record was over 30 feet tall. In the summer of 2014, the tallest sunflower ever recorded was grown in Germany and measured 30 feet, 1 inch. This was confirmed by Guinness World Records on August, 28 2014.  . 5) Sunflowers have been found to improve cognitive function in seniors with Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and dementia. They’re also used as a natural treatment for depression.

 

The sunflower is a strange creature. We see it towering over us, commanding attention with its large yellow petals and fuzzy brown centres. But these stunning flowers are actually composed of thousands upon thousands of teeny little blooms! Called ray florets or disc floret depending on their location in the bloom, each individual flower can number up to 2000- making this spectacular plant an example of true teamwork.”

Sunflowers are a multi-purpose plant that can be eaten and provide food for birds, while also being good at absorbing toxins. These qualities make them useful in many different ways!

Once the flower heads are dry, they can be converted into scrubbing pads. Just like peanuts can be ground to make peanut butter, sunflower seeds ground to make sunflower seed butter. An interesting fact about sunflower seed butter is that it has more minerals than peanut butter and significantly less saturated fat. [1]

Sunflowers are vary

There are about 70 species of sunflowers. Their scientific name is Helianthus (which comes from the Greek words for “sun” and “flower”). Sunflowers can be different shapes, and some can be tall while others are short. The shortest sunflowers are called dwarfs and usually grow in clusters. Sunflowers can even be different colors. Yellow is the most common but there are also red, orange and purple sunflowers. [1]

Sunflowers Track the Sun

In a newly-published article in Science, the researchers say the young plant’s sun-tracking (also called heliotropism) can be explained by circadian rhythms – the behavioral changes tied to an internal clock that humans also have, which follow a roughly 24 hour cycle. A young flower faces east at dawn and greets the sun, then slowly turns west as the sun moves across the sky. During the night, it slowly turns back east to begin the cycle again. [2]

How Sunflowers Grow

• Sunflowers are sun worshipers that grow best in spots that get six to eight hours of direct sun per day. [3]
• They have long tap roots that need to go several feet into the ground, so sunflower plants prefer loose, well-drained, somewhat alkaline soil with a pH of 6.0 to 7.5. [3]
• Sunflowers are heavy feeders, so they’ll be healthiest and generate the most blooms in nutrient-rich soil that has had compost or other organic matter mixed into it. [3]

 

Sources

[1] http://www.royaltonlibrary.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Fun-Facts-About-Sunflowers.pdf

[2] https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/08/05/488891151/the-mystery-of-why-sunflowers-turn-to-follow-the-sun-solved

[3] https://www.hgtv.com/outdoors/flowers-and-plants/flowers/growing-sunflowers-when-to-plant-and-how-to-grow-sunflowers

Thanks for reading interesting facts about sunflowers! Hope you enjoyed it!

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