These flowers ever plough towards the sun. They originated inwards Central together with South America, together with were grown for their usefulness, non their beauty. In 1532 Francisco Pizarro reported seeing the natives of the Inca Empire inwards Republic of Peru worshipping a giant sunflower. Incan priestesses wore large sunflower disks made of aureate on their garments.
Sunflowers represented dissimilar meanings inwards many cultures. In Red People's Republic of China they symbolized longevity. In the Andes Mountains, golden images of sunflowers were constitute inwards temples. And North America Indians inwards the prairies placed bowls of sunflower seeds on the graves of their dead.
Name
The Latin cite for sunflowers is Helianthus, which derives from the cite Helios who was the Greek god of the sun. The suffix –anthos hateful flower. It rarely happens that the Latin cite for a flora together with the vernacular cite for a flora come upwards together equally it does inwards the illustration of a sunflower. Clearly, in that location is no amend cite for a vivid yellowish bloom that seems to worship the sun.
The sunflower’s method of tracking the Sun is paralleled inwards Greek mythology. Helios was drowned yesteryear the Titans merely he together with so rose together with became the sun. Clytie, a mortal, loved Helios so much that her envy of her sister, whom Helios loved, resulted inwards her burying her sis alive. Clytie died of envy together with despair. She was together with so rooted inwards the spot of her despair to follow Helios course of study through the heaven everyday.
History
Sunflowers come upwards from the Americas. They likely originated inwards Mexico. They were introduced to Europe inwards the 16th century. However, sunflowers were primarily used equally a decorative flora until the mid-1900s when Russians began to cultivate them equally an crude crop.
Description
Sunflowers tin grow to live on rattling tall, to a greater extent than or less varieties grow upwards to 15 feet tall. However, today you lot tin respect dwarf varieties that are alone 2 or 3 feet tall. Sunflowers stand upwards instantly together with get got hairy leaves. Traditionally, the blossoms get got large nighttime centers surrounded yesteryear vivid yellowish petals. Hybridization has produced many dissimilar colors of sunflowers from a lime color ranging through to a deep maroon. There are equally good varieties of sunflowers amongst doubled petals, to a greater extent than or less get got so many petals that the traditional nighttime oculus is obscured.
Cultivation
Sunflowers are slow to grow. They take away amount sunlight. Sunflowers volition grow inwards whatever reason that drains well. Tall varieties should live on staked to foreclose them from toppling during high winds.
Other:
Sunflowers are beautiful inwards bouquets.
Sunflowers are an of import source of birdseed. Sunflowers planted inwards the garden volition attract flocks of birds.