Fun Facts About Sunflowers we Bet you Didn't Know

Standing high and tall amongst almost all flowers - sunflowers are those timeless and bright blooms that bring a smile to everyone’s face. These vibrant flowers are charismatic and resemble the sun. Besides, they make a great addition to almost every bouquet. In fact, nothing says summer like sunflowers as they are warm and happy just like the season. Altogether, sunflowers are a sight to behold. Love them? Here’re some fun and interesting facts about them we bet you didn’t know.

Made Up of Thousands of Teeny Flowers

Thousands of yellow petals and fuzzy brown in the centre are actually individual flowers. Therefore, a sunflower’s head is a combination of thousands of tiny blooms known as florets.

Edible from Head to Toe

From leaves to roots and from sprout to stalk - every part of the sunflower is edible. They are highly utilised to prepare salad, tea, butter, seeds and a lot more. Sunflower seeds are the most popular snacks. Not only are they tasty but also a healthy alternative to snacking and are nutritious too. The seeds are rich in protein, vitamins, healthy fats and antioxidants.

A dried sunflower is Repurposed as a Bird Feeder

Just like humans love to munch on sunflower seeds, so do birds! You can turn these beauties into a lovely snack for our feathered friends.

Has About 70 Species

There are about 70 different species of sunflowers that exist all around the world. The blooms are available in tons of sizes and colours of brown, purple, red, white, multicoloured and many more.

Track the Sun

A fun fact about sunflowers is that they track the sun. This process is referred to as heliotropism. The flower buds and young blooms will follow the sun from sunrise to sunset until they reach maturity. After this period, the stem stiffens and the flower heads will remain facing the east direction.

Can be Used as Scrubbing Pads

Once all the seeds have fallen from the flower heads, they can be remodelled into disposable scrubbing pads easily.

Has the Ability to Clean the World

The flower has an excellent ability to get rid of toxins and contaminants including radiation and toxic metals. In older times, after nuclear disasters, scientists planted millions of sunflowers to help the land regain its fertility. Similarly, they were planted in areas with high concentrations of lead to get the land rid of lead poisoning.