The sunflower (Helianthus annuus)
is an annual plant native to the Americas.
It possesses a large inflorescence (flowering head), and its name is derived from the flower's
shape and image, which is often used to depict the sun. The plant has a rough,
hairy stem, broad, coarsely toothed, rough leaves and circular heads of
flowers.
The heads consist of many individual flowers which mature into seeds,
often in the hundreds, on a receptacle base. From the Americas, sunflower seeds were brought to Europe in the 16th century, where, along with sunflower oil, they became a
widespread cooking ingredient. Leaves of the sunflower can be used as cattle
feed, while the stems contain a fibre which may be used in paper production.
To grow best,
sunflowers need full sun. They grow best in fertile, moist, well-drained soil with heavy mulch. In commercial
planting, seeds are planted 45 cm (1.5 ft.) apart and 2.5 cm
(1 in) deep. Sunflower "whole seed" (fruit) are sold as a snack
food, raw or after roasting in ovens, with or without salt and/or seasonings
added.
Sunflowers can be processed into a peanut butter alternative, sunflower butter.
In Germany, it is mixed with rye flour to make Sonnenblumenkernbrot (literally:
sunflower whole seed bread), which is quite popular in German-speaking Europe.
It is also sold as food for birds and can be used directly in cooking and
salads. American Indians had multiple uses for sunflowers in the past, such as
in bread, medical ointments, dyes and body paints.
Source: Wikipedia
