By Gabriella Nashiva
How well do you know sunflowers? Well, here are 20 interesting facts about sunflowers.
- Sunflower heads consist of 1000 to 2000 individual flowers
- Fresh sunflower decorations have a vase life of up to 12days!
- Is the flower that has the name’ flower’ in its name.
- Helminthophobia is the fear and phobia of sunflowers.
- Heliotropism is also known as solar tracking. The sunflower head moves in synchronicity with the sun’s movement across the sky each day! However, mature flower heads with stiff stems face east
- Sunflower is the state flower for Kansas, United States. It is the national flower for Ukraine.
- Russia and Ukraine are the world’s largest producer of sunflower oil.
- Sunflower naturally decontaminates soil. They soak up hazardous materials such as uranium, lead, and arsenic!
- The sunflower symbolizes positivity: Traditionally, it symbolized joy, long life, and helped with sadness. Best for weddings as they are a symbol of loyalty, strength, and good luck.
- Sunflower has been to outer space!
- Sunflower is medicinal. It treats high fevers. Crushed leaves cure sores, swellings, spider bites, and snake bites.
- Sunflower takes approximately 120 days to harvest.
- Sunflower is used as an ingredient for Halva, a delicious dessert. Sunflower seeds mixed with rye flour are used to make a certain type of German bread.
- Sunflower is used to make sun butter, a substitute for peanut butter.
- Sunflower seed, in the middle of the sunflower, obeys the Fibonacci sequence. (1,2,3,5,8,13,21,34,55,89,144).
- Sunflowers attract bees. They can be very useful for beekeeping.
- The tallest sunflower was 30fteet, 1 inch in 2014 by Peter Schiffer, Germany. While the average height is 5 to 12 feet. The largest sunflower head on record was in Canada at 32 ½ inches across its widest point.
- Red sunflower exists and is easy to grow.
- Sunflower leaves are rough. Its petals are used to make dyes for fabrics. The toughened disc that housed the seeds can be used as a scrubbing pad for cleaning.
- Sunflower oil is highly valued. It is packed with vitamins D and A. Uses include cooking oil, softening leather, as a hair conditioner, and wounds.