The Benefits Of Sunflowers In Today And Future Society

Much to the delight of wild life, wild birds and we human, sunflowers are starting to gleam our backyards and fields. Why such an attraction to these flowers? As an individual flower they are gangly, lanky and not really attractive. Nothing special, that's for sure. A patch or field of sunflowers makes an awesome sight and a brilliant statement. One can't help but smile while gazing over a field of sunflowers with their huge yellow flowers bobbing in the breeze. Sunflowers (Helianthus annuus) are native American annual plants. There is evidence sunflowers were first domesticated in Mexico and brought to Europe by the Spanish. The sunflower's resemblance of the sun prompted the Aztec and Otomi civilizations as well as the Incas of South America, to use the sunflower as a symbol for their solar deity. Medicine men of several cultures chewed the dried or fresh root of the plant before sucking the venom out of a snake bite. They then applied a poultice of sunflower to the bite site. The plant's petals made paint and dyes. Sometime in the 1800's the Russian Orthodox Community made sunflower oil popular because of its acceptable usage during Lent. All parts of the sunflower can be used. To fully appreciate the plant let's dissect its features. The flower head or flower as most people refer to it as,is really made up of many individual flowers which yield an abundant amount of seeds. Due to the flower head resembling the sun the outer petals are called ray florets. These are sterile petals and come in various shades or hues of yellow, orange and red. The individual flowers inside the circle are known as disc florets. It is this part of the sunflower that actually yields the seeds. In 1979 H.Vogel discovered the sunflower petals had a specific number of spirals and pattern. The sunflower's seeds are technically the fruit of the plant but for this article's purposes we will refer to them as seeds. Many products are produced from the seeds. Oil is extracted from them for cooking and bio diesel with the leftover cake going to livestock feed. The seed meats are used in food products for breads, cakes, snacking food and flavoring. The sunflower's heart shape leaves have a coarse saw-toothed edge. They are single band and alternate on the stem. The leaves are used for cattle feed. The stem or stalk has a cortex and pith which contain fiber that's extracted to make paper. The latex in the stalk is now being researched as an alternative crop for non allergenic rubber. The root of the sunflower is considere a dicot. The taproot develops from the seed expanding into primary and secondary tissues. These tissues then develop into roots which specifically determines the plants length (primary) and girth (secondary). These tissues are vital to the plant's growth and strength. The root in past cultures was used for medicinal purposes. Sunflower root is still used in some modern medications. One of the main benefits of the sunflower's root is its ability to neutralize toxins in the ground. It has been known to extract lead, arsenic and uranium from contaminated soils. Both the Russians and Japanese planted sunflowers after their nuclear disasters. It was found through rhizofiltration the sunflower was able to neutralize the radionuclids caesium-137, stronkum-90 and other harmful bacteria from water and soil. Sunflowers not only attract our attention for their beauty and their bounty of seeds but they've contributed to many cultures throughout the centuries. From the seeds yielding oils for cooking, fuel, flour, bird and livestock food to the roots used in toxin removal, the sunflower has proven its worthy of our respect and admiration. As you can see sunflowers are quite beneficial. Plant a few sunflowers to brighten the garden and rid the lawn of fertilizer toxins. The high oil content of the seeds provide a good food source for wild birds and wildlife. Be sure to plant sunflowers away from the house for the fallen seeds may attract some unwanted wild life. Check your local pest or invasive weed list to be sure sunflowers can be planted. If you can plant sunflowers please do, this way, even on a rainy day you'll still see the sun. Please visit my website for many other wild bird products. My website is www.wildbirdseedmart.com.