Sunflowers

Did you know?

Sunflowers are a native of the Americas. They were grown as a food crop by native Indians. When growing in the field sunflowers turn towards the sun. This characteristic may partly explain the Incas worship of sunflowers as a representation of the sun god.

Types

The most common type of sunflower is a big daisy shaped yellow flower with a black centre on a long stem of up to a 1.2 m. Smaller varieties have now been bred as well as light brown, orange and red varieties.

Selection and Care

Sunflowers open once they are cut. However, not all flowers in a bunch may open. Select strongly stemmed bunches where flowers have started to or are totally open. Cut a minimum of 2cm off the stem, strip the bottom leaves off, and put in cold water with a flower preservative. Change water daily for optimum lifespan. To stop stems drooping place flowers in a mixture of detergent and water at a ration of 1:100, for 1-3 hours before returning to water.

Availability

All year round.