Sunflower

Where does Sunflower grow?

Found in: Africa, Angola, Argentina, Asia, Australia, Bangladesh, Botswana, Britain, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Caucasus, Central Africa, Central America, Central Asia, Chile, China, Congo DR, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, East Africa, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Europe, Fiji, Finland, France, Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Guinea, Guinée, Guyana, Haiti, Hawaii, Himalayas, Hungary, India, Indochina, Jamaica, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Korea, Macedonia, Malawi, Mauritania, Mediterranean, Mexico, Moldova, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nepal, New Zealand, Niger, Nigeria, North Africa, North America, Pacific, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, PNG, Peru, Philippines, Puerto Rico, Romania, Russia, Rwanda, Scandinavia, SE Asia, Senegal, Serbia, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Slovenia, Somalia, South Africa, Southern Africa, South America, South Sudan, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Switzerland, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Tasmania, Thailand, Turkey, Uganda, Ukraine, Uruguay, United States, West Africa, West Indies, Yugoslavia, Zambia, Zimbabwe

Notes: Almost all Helianthus (70 species) in N and S America are edible. Elias, T.S. & Dykeman P.A., 1990, Edible Wild Plants. A North American Field guide. Sterling, New York p 156

Status: A major crop for oil seed. The seeds contain 40% oil.

Growing Sunflower

Cultivation: Plants are grown from seed. Only well filled seed should be planted. It is easy to save your own seed. Dry seed stores well. It will grow on most soils. A plant spacing of 1 m by 0.5 m is suitable. Seed are sown at a depth of 2-4 cm. At maturity heads are collected by hand and dried then threshed.

Edible Uses: An edible oil is extracted from the seeds and used for cooking. Sometimes seeds are eaten raw or roasted. The seeds can be ground into a meal for using in bread and cakes. They are also dried, roasted and ground and used as a coffee substitute. The seeds are boiled with water and honey to make a drink. The germinated seeds are fermented into a yogurt or cheese. The young flower buds are steamed and served like globe artichokes.

Production: Time to maturity is usually 4-5 months. Seeds are ready to eat when the flower starts to wither.

Nutrition Info

Sunflower Photos

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