All You Wanted to Know About Sunflowers

Resembling a droplet of sun, the sunflower is a sturdy bloom with its bright yellow color and giant round shape. It derives its name from the Greek words “Helios” (or “sun”) and “Anthos” (or “flower”). This is, however, not the sole connection of these flowers with its namesake. It appears that, they track the sun in its movement from east to west. Want to know more about these unique flowers? Find out everything here.

History of Sunflower

Native to North America, the bloom was domesticated by Mexican and Native American tribes around 3,000 B.C. They found several ways to use it in dyeing, food, medicine, decoration and even in building materials. In the 1500s, Spanish explorers introduced it to Europe, where it gained popularity as a decorative piece. By 1769, Europeans started using its seeds to produce oil. In the 19th century, about 2 million acres of land were dedicated to growing sunflowers in Russia. From there, it made its way to the USA, its native land where it began to be used commercially for its seeds and oil.

Types of Sunflowers

Sunflowers grow in variety all over the world. They just differ in shapes, sizes and colors from fiery red to luminous yellow. Here are some popular types of Sunflowers.

  • Arnika
  • American Giant
  • Aztec Sun
  • Autumn Beauty
  • Chianti Hybrid
  • Black Oil
  • Dwarf Sunspot
  • Claret
  • Florenza
  • Evening Sun
  • Gullick’s Variety
  • Giant Primrose
  • Irish Eyes
  • Indian Blanket Hybrid
  • Kong Hybrid
  • Italian White

What do sunflowers symbolize?

Given the special manner in which they follow the sun’s movement, sunflowers denote devotion, loyalty and admiration. The brilliant yellow color of the petals that are similar to the sun’s bright rays also connect to happiness, warmth and longevity. This is why sunflowers are equally good for gift as well as decoration to bring a dazzling smile on the faces of your loved ones.

Why are these flowers special?

These beautiful and special flowers have much more to reveal to you than you already know. Find out.

  • Each sunflower can have a maximum of 2000 seeds.
  • A flower’s head is made up of about a thousand to two thousand individual flowers connected at the base. Its yellow petals arranged around the centre are distinct ray flowers that do not become seeds.
  • Sunflower oil has abundant iron and calcium, and consists of vitamins A and D.
  • Apart from cooking oil, these seeds are also used to make paint, medicine, animal food, paint and biodiesel.
  • The flower can remove poisons like arsenic, lead and uranium from soil. Being a natural soil decontaminator, they have been used to purify soil at some of the biggest environmental disasters, such as Fukushima and Chernobyl.
  • It is Ukraine’s national flower and the state flower of Kansas.
  • As they attract bees, these flowers are useful for bee-keeping.

Now that you know so much about sunflowers as gift, use them any way you want to. They are always a cause for delight. When you need sunflowers in Dubai, contact the most reliable local flower shop or just order online.

admin

Author is owner of a leading flower shop in Dubai with online order facility. He has 10 years experience of managing this service and writing on it. Information on products and services is given on occasional blog posts.

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