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Ah Sunflower, weary of time,
Who countest the steps of the sun;
Seeking after that sweet golden clime
Where the traveller's journey is done;

Where the youth pined away with desire,
And the pale virgin shrouded in snow,
Arise from their graves, and aspire
Where my Sunflower wishes to go!
 

SUNFLOWER: Follows the sun as it grows, adoration, haughtiness, devotion. "I don't think there's anything on this planet that more trumpets life that the sunflower. For me that's because of the reason behind its name. Not because it looks like the sun but because it follows the sun. During the course of the day, the head tracks the journey of the sun across the sky. A satellite dish for sunshine. Wherever light is, no matter how weak, these flowers will find it. And that's such an admirable thing. And such a lesson in life." - Chris's (Helen Mirren) comment in the movie, "Calendar Girls."

Name: The botanical name of sunflower is Helianthus. The Greek word "helios" means sun and "anthos" means flower- sunflower. It is aptly named after the sun which it resembles.
Description: A large flower head with usually a big dark centre and bright yellow petals.
Origin: South and West of the USA.
Colour: Most sunflowers are bright yellow with dark brown centres, but varieties of sunflower are appearing now which have tan, orange, maroon or striped petals, and green-yellow centres. Some sunflower are even without the central disc, but are fully covered in petals instead.
Availability: A summer flower, but some sunflower are available all year round ('Orit') and most can be available from late spring to late autumn.
Family: Asteraceae, Aster family
Varieties: There are now so many varieties of sunflower owing to its popularity and sunflower is one of the top ten best selling cut flowers in UK. 'Snittgold' cultivar, which is the classic sunflower, has more than 15 different varieties from the small-flowered 'Sonja' to the large-flowered 'Orit' sunflower. 'Sunrich Orange' sunflower has the darkest yellow of all the sunflower varieties. Other bi colours such as 'Prado Red' and 'Floristan' sunflower have reddish brown petals with yellow bordering.
Care Tips: They need a lot of water.
Trivia:
Facts: Sunflower stems were used to fill lifejackets before the advent of modern materials. Low-pollen sunflowers have been developed in recent years which not only helps asthma sufferers, but extend the flower's life
Language of Flowers: The dwarf sunflower means "adulation".
Medicinal: The sunflower is grown for the seeds and oil it produces.Each mature flower yields 40% of its weight as oil.
History: The sunflower was cultivated by North American Indians for many years as a food crop The nutritional value is still the main reason for growing it in many parts of the world. Only recently have we begun to grow sunflowers for decorative reasons.
Zodiac: Sunflowers are bold and exuberant and one of the flower associated with the star sign Leo

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