Artwork by Henrike Burton
Sun and Sunflowers Small Journal
$20.00
The following description appears on the inside cover of your small journal.
DESCRIPTION
Sunflowers are perhaps one of the most charismatic plants we grow. The towering size reached by these enthusiastic overachieving plants bring a smile to anyone’s face. These flowers come in a wide variety of colors, sizes and shapes…from almost white to red with heights of up to 18 feet!
Members of the Compositae family, sunflowers are North American natives. Archeological evidence supports Native Americans cultivating sunflowers in the Four Corners area about 3000 BC; domestication of sunflowers probably occurred before that of corn. Besides being grown for their beauty, sunflowers are grown commercially to produce sunflower oil as well as edible seeds.
All plant life on earth is intimately linked to the Sun. The scientific name of the sunflower, Helianthus, is derived from “Helios” meaning “sun” and “Anthos” meaning “flower”; these large flowers indeed track the path of the Sun’s journey across the sky each day as if to underscore the importance of this ancient connection. The large showy sunflower heads produce hundreds of edible seeds attracting birds and butterflies. The cheerful sunflower faces have become symbols for optimism, productivty and beauty.
artwork by Christi Sobel