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  2. Plants of the Middle Rio Grande Bosque
  3. Sunflower

Sunflower

Helianthus annuus

Summary 6

Helianthus annuus, known as the common sunflower, is often grown as a crop and used for its edible oil, seeds, and fruits. The sunflower was first domesticated in the Americas and brought to Europe in the 16th century.

Botanical Information 7

The common sunflower (Helianthus annuus) is known for its bright yellow flowers, brown disk that produces seeds in the center, coarse stem, and furry leaves. The flower looks big, but it is really hundreds of tiny flowers. The common sunflower can grow up to 10ft tall and blooms spring through summer. Sunflowers often point toward the sun. A single sunflower can as many produce as many as a 1000 seeds.

Ecological Information 6

The sunflower is a native plant to the Rio Grande Bosque. It is common throughout North America at elevations below 1900 meters. It grows best in places where the soil is disturbed and does not compete well with grass. It usually requires full sun to grow. The common sunflower is native to the Americas where it was domesticated over the past 3,000 years by the Native Peoples. By selecting for plants with the largest seeds, they gradually changed the genetic composition of the plant. Sunflowers help control erosion, and the petals and seeds and are eaten by birds, animals, and people.

Ethnobotanical Information 6

Sunflowers can be used in vegetable oil, cosmetics, paint, and soap. A yellow dye can be made from the ray flowers and the Hopi people grew a variety with purple achenes that were used to make a purple dye from soaking them in water. The edible parts of the sunflower are the seeds. Specifically, the seeds have been eaten raw, cooked, roasted, dried ground, and as a source of oil. The sunflower has a long history of use by humans as it was cultivated by the Native Peoples of North America. For many tribes, it is a symbol of abundance and has been used medicinally in a variety of ways. In Mexico, it has been reported that the sunflower is useful in soothing chest pains and the Dakota made an infusion of the petals for the same purpose. The Pauite applied a decoction of the root externally for rheumatism. Perhaps among the more interesting uses, the Navajo would use the plant for prenatal infections associated with a solar eclipse. (Note: Ethnographic reports often lack important contextual information and relevant traditional ecological knowledge.)

References 8

  1. ITIS. "ITIS Standard Report Page: Helianthus Annuus." ITIS Standard Report Page: Helianthus Annuus. N.p., 7 Apr. 2016. Web. 8 Apr. 2016. .
  2. Lecreux, M. The Girl’s Book of Adventure. Published by Barron’s Educational Series ©2013.
  3. Morris, L.; Stuever, M.; Ellis, L.; Tyding, R. The Bosque Education Guide. ©2003.
  4. World Book Inc. "Sunflower." The World Book Encyclopedia. T ed. Vol. 18. N.p.: World Book, 1987. Print.

https://plants.usda.gov/plantguide/pdf/cs_hean3.pdf
http://naeb.brit.org/uses/species/1821/

About the Author 9

Student author(s)*: Emma (age 9) from Sacred Heart Homeschool Coop

*The entries in this field guide have been edited by Yerba Mansa Project staff to ensure that they contain quality, fact-checked content and standardized formatting. https://yerbamansaproject.org/

Sources and Credits

  1. (c) Andreas Rockstein, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), https://www.flickr.com/photos/74738817@N07/28972147295/
  2. (c) Paco CT, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), https://www.flickr.com/photos/paco_calvino/6480983175/
  3. (c) Monteregina (Nicole), some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), https://www.flickr.com/photos/monteregina/50389556651/
  4. (c) Monteregina (Nicole), some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), https://www.flickr.com/photos/monteregina/50385079398/
  5. (c) Andreas Rockstein, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), https://www.flickr.com/photos/74738817@N07/30082115351/
  6. Adapted by albuquerqueherbalism from a work by (c) smiller33, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)
  7. Adapted by albuquerqueherbalism from a work by (c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helianthus_annuus
  8. Adapted by Hannah from a work by (c) caseynm, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)
  9. Adapted by albuquerqueherbalism from a work by (c) caseynm, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)

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Color yellow
Type forb
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