40 Interesting & Unknown Sunflower Facts
Sunflowers are cheery and happy flowers that make you feel better instantly whenever you look at them. They stand taller than any other flowers of the garden and always looks like to perk up our moods. Did you know that sunflowers can grow up to 12 feet tall in as little as six months, or how tall the current world-record holder is? Check out these Sunflower Facts.
1. With 1,865,498 tonnes, Russia is the largest producer of Sunflower oil.
2. Sunflowers make up the genus Helianthus, which consists of about 67 species.
3. The botanical name for Sunflowers is Helianthus Annuus.
4. The official flower of Kansas is the Sunflower.
5. The Sunflower is also the national flower of Russia.
6. Heliotropism is the name of the behavior for Sunflowers turning to face the sun.
7. There are three main types of Sunflower seeds, linoleic (most common), high oleic, and sunflower oil seeds.
8. The Sunflower is the only flowers with the word flower in its name.
9. Helminthophobia is the fear of sunflowers.
10. A Sunflower needs at least six to eight hours of direct sunlight every day to reach its maximum potential.
12. Sunflowers have been used to create a substitute for peanut butter, known as sun butter.
11. Sunflower oil is a great source of vitamin A and vitamin D, as well as Iron and Calcium.
13. Vincent Van Gogh, (Post-Impressionist painter) loved Sunflowers so much, he created a famous series of paintings, simply called ‘Sunflowers’.
14. In Greek, “Helios” means sun and “ethos” means flower.
15. The average, common outdoor variety of Sunflower can grow between 8 and 12 feet in the duration of 5 or 6 months. This makes them one of the fastest growing plants.
16. The Cherokee created a Sunflower leaf infusion that they used to treat kidneys.
17. Sunflowers are a collection of really tiny flowers.
18. Not all Sunflowers have seeds, there are now known dwarf varieties developed for the distinct purpose of growing indoors.
19. They were brought to Russia by Royalty.
20. The smallest recorded Sunflower was just 2 inches in height.
21. The tallest Sunflower ever grown was recorded in Oirschot, Netherlands, in 1986.
22. The most flowers grown on a single plant was recorded in Saint Charles, Michigan in 2001.
23. The Sunflower seeds traveled to space in 2012 with astronaut Don Pettit.
24. In the past, Native Americans used Sunflower petals for body paint, and also produced dyes for use on fabrics.
25. Sunflower petals are popular in craft because they’re brightly colored petals, which are large, and they can be dried extremely well.
26. Sunflowers seeds contain around 584 calories per 100 gram.
27. Sunflower seeds can be mixed with Rye Flour to make a form of bread, eaten extensively in Germany, called Sonnenblumenkernbrot.
28. Sunflowers are the symbol of faith, loyalty, and adoration.
29. Helianthus species of Sunflower are used as food plants by the larvae.
30. Sunflower oil was able to soften leather, condition hair, wounds, and also used as cooking oil, medicine paint, animal feed, and bio-diesel.
31. In Mexico, the Sunflower was thought to soothe chest pain.
32. Sunflower with largest flower head is 32 ¼ inches in diameter was grown by Emily Martin in Maple Ridge, British Columbia, Canada in 1983.
33. The spiral formation of seeds in a Sunflower almost always follows the Fibonacci sequence.
34. A single Sunflower can have up to 2000 seeds.
35. Some varieties of the Sunflowers have striped petals.
36. Black seeds are used to make oil and snacks are made out of striped seeds.
37. The seeds in the middle of the flower have male and female sex organs and can produce seeds.
38. It requires only 90 to 100 days from planting to maturity.
39. Sunflowers are a great choice for planting to attract birds to your yard.
