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External Websites
- Iowa State University Extension and Outreach - Alternative Agriculture - Sunflower
- Science Kids - Fun Science and Technology for Kids - Sunflower Facts for Kids
- Purdue University - NewCROP - Sunflower
- North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox - Helianthus
- West Virginia University Extension - Growing Sunflowers for Beginners
- University of Georgia Extension - Growing Sunflowers in the Home Garden
- PlantVillage - Sunflower
- University of Minnesota Extension - Sunflowers
- Milne Publishing - Sunflower: Helianthus annuus
Britannica Websites
Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students.
- sunflower - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11)
- sunflower - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up)
verifiedCite
While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies.Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.
Select Citation Style
Feedback
Thank you for your feedback
Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.
External Websites
- Iowa State University Extension and Outreach - Alternative Agriculture - Sunflower
- Science Kids - Fun Science and Technology for Kids - Sunflower Facts for Kids
- Purdue University - NewCROP - Sunflower
- North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox - Helianthus
- West Virginia University Extension - Growing Sunflowers for Beginners
- University of Georgia Extension - Growing Sunflowers in the Home Garden
- PlantVillage - Sunflower
- University of Minnesota Extension - Sunflowers
- Milne Publishing - Sunflower: Helianthus annuus
Britannica Websites
Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students.
- sunflower - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11)
- sunflower - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up)
Also known as: Helianthus
Written and fact-checked by
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Last Updated: •Article History
sunflowers
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- Asteraceae
- Jerusalem artichoke
- sunflower oil
- common sunflower
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sunflower, (genus Helianthus), genus of nearly 70 species of herbaceous plants of the aster family (Asteraceae). Sunflowers are native primarily to North and South America, and some species are cultivated as ornamentals for their spectacular size and flower heads and for their edible seeds. The Jerusalem artichoke (Helianthus tuberosus) is cultivated for its edible underground tubers.
The common sunflower (H. annuus) is an annual herb with a rough hairy stem 1–4.5 metres (3–15 feet) high and broad, coarsely toothed, rough leaves 7.5–30 cm (3–12 inches) long arranged in spirals. The attractive heads of flowers are 7.5–15 cm wide in wild specimens and often 30 cm or more in cultivated types. The disk flowers are brown, yellow, or purple, while the petallike ray flowers are yellow. The fruit is a single-seeded achene. Oilseed varieties typically have small black achenes, while those grown for direct seed consumption, known as confection varieties, have larger black-and-white achenes that readily separate from the seed within.
Britannica QuizPlants: From Cute to CarnivorousThe common sunflower is valuable from an economic as well as from an ornamental point of view. The leaves are used as fodder, the flowers yield a yellow dye, and the seeds contain oil and are used for food. The sweet yellow oil obtained by compression of the seeds is considered equal to olive or almond oil for table use. Sunflower oil cake is used for stock and poultry feeding. The oil is also used in soap and paints and as a lubricant. The seeds may be eaten dried, roasted, or ground into nut butter and are common in birdseed mixes.
The Editors of Encyclopaedia BritannicaThis article was most recently revised and updated by Adam Augustyn.