My Homepage

Sunflower seeds may be roasted and used
for baking, soups and stews as well as a
snack food.

Sunflower butter provides a carry-along
food similar to peanut butter.

Roasted hulls steeped in boiling water
made a beverage similar to coffee.

Sunflowers have been used for food and
medicine for thousands of years. Native
Americans have been cultivating
Sunflowers since 2300 B.C. More vitamin E
is found in sunflower oil than in any other
vegetable oil!

Sunflower seeds have both diuretic and
expectorant properties. They are used as
a herbal treatment for colds, bronchial
infections and whooping cough.

Sunflower oil, extracted by boiling, has
been used by Native Americans as a
treatment for snake bites and sunstroke.
Taken internally sunflower oil is used (as
a lubricant) to alleviate constipation.
Externally it is used as a massage oil for
wounds, skin lesions, psoriasis and
rheumatism.

Place seeds in 2 quarts of water with 1/2
cup of salt. Boil, then simmer for two
hours OR soak overnight. Drain and dry.
Bake the seeds for 30 minutes at 300
degrees.

Sunflowers grow best in average
to fertile soil. Choose your
sunniest area for planting. They
do not do well in the shade.

Sow seeds 2" deep, spaced 18"
apart, after danger of frost has
passed. Keep soil moist.

At early dawn, like soldiers in their places,
Rank upon rank the golden sunflowers
stand;
Gazing toward the east with eager faces,
Waiting, until their god shall touch the land
To life and glory, longingly they wait,
Those voiceless watchers at the morning's
gate.

Dawn's portals tremble silently apart;
Far to the east, across the dewy plain,
A glory kindles that in every heart
Finds answering warmth and kindles there
again;
And rapture beams in every radiant face
Now softly glowing with supernal grace.

And all day long that silent worship lasts,
And as their god moves grandly down the
west,
And every stem a lengthening shadow casts
Toward the east, ah, they love him best,
And watch till every lingering ray is gone,
Then slowly turn to greet another dawn.

How many types of sunflowers are there? Wild sunflowers have at least 50 different species!
There have been over 2000 varieties of sunflowers identified.

The Department of Biology of the San Francisco State University is asking
for participants in "The Great Sunflower Project". They are collecting data
on bee populations in urban environments with the hope of developing
strategies to support them.

Participants are asked to grow a Lemon Queen Sunflower and record their
observations of bee visits. Visit their website for more information:
http://www.greatsunflower.org