Sunflowers

The sunflower is the state flower of Kansas, but no need to go to Kansas to see them. These gorgeous specimens were photographed right here on upper Highland Boulevard in Hayward.

The common sunflower has a long history of association with people. Nearly 3,000 years ago, it was domesticated for food production by the Native Americans. Lewis and Clark made mention in their journals of usage of the sunflower by the plains Indians. It was brought back to the Old World by the early European explorers and widely cultivated there also. Today it is a common alternative crop in the Great Plains and elsewhere for food and oil production.

The domesticated annual sunflower, H. annuus, is the most familiar species. Perennial sunflower species are not as popular for gardens due to their tendency to spread rapidly and become invasive.

Sunflowers tilt during the day to face the sun, but stop once they begin blooming. This tracking of the sun in young sunflower heads is called heliotropism. By the time they are mature, sunflowers generally face east.