Everyone in Ukraine knows the sunflower: endless yellow fields in July have become one of the country’s symbols. Here’s when sunflowers bloom, whether they really follow the sun, how many flowers hide in one head and other surprising facts about the sunflower.
Pollen-free varieties are grown for bouquets, so they don’t stain tablecloths
When sunflowers bloom in Ukraine
Oilseed sunflowers in the fields bloom from mid-July to mid-August, peaking in the second half of July, the best time for a photo shoot.
It takes about 60–90 days from sowing to flowering, depending on variety and weather; fields in the south bloom earlier than in the north.
A single head blooms for about 2–3 weeks: the outer ray florets open first, and the disc florets open gradually in rings from the edge inwards.
Ornamental sunflowers bloom from June to September if you sow them in batches 2–3 weeks apart.
Do sunflowers follow the sun?
Yes, but only when young. Until it flowers, a growing sunflower turns its top from east to west with the sun by day and back east at night; this is called heliotropism.
Once the head opens, the stem stiffens and the flower settles facing east. Studies show east-facing heads warm up faster in the morning and attract more bees.
Fun facts about sunflowers
A sunflower isn’t one flower but an inflorescence: one head can hold from several hundred to two thousand tiny florets.
The seeds form spirals whose counts follow Fibonacci numbers, such as 34 and 55 or 55 and 89, packing in the most seeds.
The sunflower comes from North America, where Native Americans grew it thousands of years ago; it reached Europe in the 16th century as an ornamental.
Ukraine is one of the world’s leading producers and exporters of sunflower oil.
The Guinness world record sunflower grew in Germany and was over 9 metres tall.
In 1996, the defence ministers of Ukraine, the USA and Russia planted sunflowers on a former missile base near Pervomaisk to mark nuclear disarmament.
After Chornobyl, sunflowers were used in experiments to clean water of radionuclides, as their roots absorb caesium and strontium.
Vincent van Gogh painted a whole series of Sunflowers still lifes, among the most famous paintings in the world.
What the sunflower symbolises
Sun, joy, warmth and optimism: it’s impossible to give a sunflower without a smile.
Loyalty and devotion, for its faithfulness to the sun.
For Ukrainians, the sunflower stands for home, peace and resilience; see the language of flowers.
Sunflowers in a vase
Cut sunflowers last 6–10 days. They drink a lot, so fill a tall, stable vase half full.
Trim stems at an angle every 2 days and remove leaves below the waterline.
Graduated from Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Institute of Biology and Medicine (2001). BSc in Biology, MSc in Horticulture. Writes about plants, works at a garden centre selecting and repotting plants, and contributes to plant reference guides.
Birthday
Hydrangeas