Did you know that sunflower Do you have a special date on the calendar? May 1st is the “International Sunflower Gardening Day”. And this is just one of the curiosities surrounding this flower, an icon of ecological movements.
In addition, here in Brazil, the sunflower was chosen, in 2019, as a symbol of a national campaign to warn against depression (“In the Direction of Life – Depression without Taboo”), because of its movement of “always looking for the sun”. ”.
In this article, we will present 23 other curiosities about this plant that is very important to agribusiness. Check out!
23 facts about the sunflower
1. The sunflower (scientific name Helianthus Annuus), has as its first curiosity to be a plant heliotrope, that is, rotates the stem positioning the flower towards the sun during the ripening phase.
2. This is one of the reasons why it is called “sun flower“.
Among the curiosities, the sunflower is a plant whose strength is directed towards the sun during its ripening phase.
3. A popular saying says that it represents the felicidade. Its yellow color or the orange tones on the petals symbolizes warmth, loyalty, enthusiasm and vitality, a positive energy that emanates from the sun.
4. In agriculture, this plant represents much more than happiness. Its plantation is widely used between harvests as a crop rotation option, providing the renewal of soil nutrients, especially after soybean in the Midwest region.
5. According to Embrapa, planting has become a good option for farmers because it has greater tolerance to drought, lower incidence of pests and diseases, in addition to nutrient cycling, especially potassium.
6. It is third annual crop with the highest oil production on the planet.
7. All over the world, its cultivation is mainly intended for the production of edible oil, due to its excellent nutritional and functional characteristics to the human diet.
Sunflower seed is mainly used for the production of edible oil, due to its properties.
8. Sunflower is also an important source of protein in animal feed in the form of bran and as silage.
9. The bran is formed by approximately 44% of crude protein, rich in iron and calcium, vitamins A and B complex, with high biological value (60%), high content of methionine and sulfur, but with lower content of lysine, compared to the soy.
10 Due to its high degree of purity, it is a excellent raw material in the production of biodiesel, without the need to adapt engines, as with other vegetable fuels.
11 Because of its beauty, symbolizing joy, sunshine and vivacity, a bouquet of sunflower flowers means a beautiful gift to a loved one. In decoration, sunflower is widely used in living room, balcony, kitchens, indoor and outdoor gardens.
Its flower provides a special color in any environment. Among the curiosities, many people say that it brings happiness.
Read also: Sunflower: see what can be done with this plant.
12 O biggest sunflower in the world reached 8,75 meters, a record set in 2014 in Germany, cultivated by gardener Hans-Peter Schiffer.
13 But normally, if cultivated in the field, the sunflower reaches up to four meters Tall.
14 Due to its size, the sunflower could be considered a “giant flower”. However, it is not so. In fact, it is formed by the so-called disco flowers, which are small flowers that form the center of the sunflower (they are the true flowers, which will be pollinated) and by the lightning flowers, infertile, responsible for attracting pollinators.
15 Commercial varieties of sunflower usually give only one flower, but there are varieties that the plant can give up to 35 flowers, depending on the size and form of cultivation.
16 The various flowers that make up the brown center grow independently of each other. From this center are produced new seeds.
Want one more of the curiosities? The sunflower flower is not unique. It is formed by several flowers and therefore its size.
17 Contrary to what many people think, one of the curiosities is that not all sunflowers are yellow. There are more than 60 varieties around the world, some of which have striped petals or have brown and orange hues.
18 In Brazil, Embrapa has developed, through genetic improvement, many other colors, such as wine, light pink, dark pink, lemon yellow with light center, lemon yellow with dark center, mixed, dark rust, light rust and streaked in the form of sunbeams.
Among the curiosities, did you know that the sunflower has more than 60 registered varieties with different colors? One of them is red.
See also other features: How to plant red sunflower.
19 According to Greek Mythology, the appearance of the sunflower flower happened as follows: Clytia was a nymph in love with Helios, the god of the Sun, who abandoned her. She then proceeded to sit on the ground, without eating or drinking, feeding only on her own tears, until her feet took root and her face turned into a flower, which continued to follow the sun.
20 In some regions of Brazil, beekeepers plant sunflowers and forage radishes during the off-season, with the aim of guaranteeing honey production throughout the year and attracting more bees.
Sunflower flowers attract many bees, which are responsible for pollination.
21 How about including the seeds of this plant in your food? They have many fibers, vitamins and minerals that make the diet more nutritious. In addition, they can add more flavor to different dishes.
22 Among the benefits, it helps in weight loss, providing a feeling of satiety, and also in controlling blood glucose levels. Therefore, it is suitable for feeding Diabetic.
23 You can eat them raw, roasted and add it to recipes. The seed is also extracted from sunflower oil, rich in omega 3, 6 and 9, and vitamin E.
How about including sunflower seeds in your diet? They bring many benefits to our body.
Final considerations
As we present in this article, the sunflower is a plant surrounded by many curiosities, it brings benefits to our body and advantages to farmers, by providing the recycling of nutrients, with easy management and low investment.
In the video below, get to know a complete dossier with even more curiosities about this plant:
So, did you like the article? Enjoy and also access our post on how to plant sunflower. Good reading!
