Sunflower plants
Sunflower Plants, Flowers and Leaves
Sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.), an annual, is one of the few food crops that is native to North America. It was carried to Spain and eventually made its way to Russia where it became highly cultivated for the oil produced by the seeds. Sunflower oil is still found on the grocery shelves today. While the home gardener could grow sunflowers for its oil, most grow it for its edible seeds or for its charm in the flower garden. In sunflower plants, both the leaves, buds and flowers follow the sun
Thousands of Flowers
The head of a sunflower may look like one flower with the golden petals surrounding the dark center, but it’s actually consists of thousands of tiny flowers in the center. The flowers in the center are whole and have both the female– pistils — and male — stamen — parts. The petals around the center are without stamens or pistils. Each perfect tiny flower produces one seed.
Sunflower Plants Leaves
Sunflower plants have leaves are oval shaped with a tapered tip. The leaves grow from the main stem. The leaves are arranged on either side of the stalk in groups of two on opposite sides of the stem. As the seed head ripens, cutting away the leaves closest to the head makes it more difficult for birds to access the seeds.
Size of the Sunflower Head and Leaves
Sunflower plants produced for the edible seeds, whether commercially or in the home garden, have heads up to 12 inches across. The leaves are large as well about 12 inches long and 6 to 8 inches broad. Smaller sunflowers for garden use have smaller leaves but the shape and arrangement on either side of the stem remains the same. The leaves at the bottom of the stem may start to brown and die off before the flower has finished blooming.
Sunflower Plants Colors
Sunflower plants have leaves are a lighter green than dark green. Sunflowers bred for the flower bed are smaller, ranging from 24 inches tall for the dwarf varieties to the 6 foot tall multi-stemmed sunflowers. Colors include dark gold, bronze, cream, red and pink. The flowers may have contrasting bands. The seed heads are less prominent on garden flowers than on the edible variety.
Growth Pattern
Sunflower plants germinate and break the soil surface approximately 11 days after planting during temperate weather. The plant grows for 33 days before the flower head is visible. Another 27 days pass before the first anther — pollen producing part of the flower — appears. Within 8 days all anthers have appeared. Another 30 days pass until the seeds are mature.
