Interesting Facts About SUNFLOWER

Sunflower is an annual plant native to the Americas. It possesses a large inflorescence (flowering head). The sunflower got its name from its huge, fiery blooms, whose shape and image is often used to depict the sun. Here are some interesting facts about these amazing flowers :-

1. The sunflower resembles one huge flower, but actually a single sunflower head hosts hundreds of tiny flowers called florets. The heads consist of 1,000-2,000 individual flowers joined together by a receptacle base.

2. The sunflower's name is believed to have originated from the connection of the plant to the sun, both in looks and behavior. At a glance, the sunflower does indeed resemble the sun. Second, the sunflower actually tracks the sun's position in the sky.

3. Sunflowers are grown for their edible seeds and are enjoyed by many as a delicious, nutritious snack. Sunflower seeds can be eaten directly as they are or roasted.

4. More than sixty different varieties of sunflowers can be found in the world. Out of all these, the most common one is bright yellow, with dark brown centers filled with seeds.

5. Sunflower seeds are used to produce numerous things like cooking oil, medicine, paint, animal feed and biodiesel.

6. The sunflower is the state flower of Kansas and the national flower of Ukraine. Kansas city has been also nicknamed "The Sunflower State."

7. The Bonsai technique was used to make the shortest mature sunflower record. The sunflower was grown and was just over 2" tall.

8. The sunflower plant can grow from 3 to 18 feet tall. A sunflower only requires 90 to 100 days to grow.

9. A domesticated sunflower has a single-stem and a large seed head. This is in contrast to the wild variety that is highly branched with small heads and seeds.

10. New kinds of sunflowers that range from orange, tan, maroon or striped petals are being created. Not only are they different in color but, their centers are also green and yellow instead of the original sunflower color we all love.