No flower can lift someone’s spirits quite like sunflowers. They are bright and cheery, and as warm and inviting as the sweet summer sun. With brilliant yellow petals, also known as “rays,” sunflowers have an unmistakable sun-like appearance that has made them a crowd favorite.
Sunflowers symbolize adoration, loyalty and longevity. Much of the meaning of sunflowers stems from its namesake, the sun itself. These flowers are unique in that they have the ability to provide energy in the form of nourishment and vibrancy—attributes which mirror the sun and the energy provided by its heat and light.
Sunflowers are known for being “happy” flowers, making them the perfect gift to bring joy to someone’s day.
With proper care, sunflowers should last from six to twelve days. To maximize the vase life, look for flowers that are just starting to fully open. Choose strong, straight stems with perky flowers that look at you. Here are a few simple care tips to extend the life of your blooms:
1.When you get home, stand the wrapped flowers in water so they can drink much water while you’re getting the vase ready.
2.Fill a vase with water and allow it to come to room temperature. If you’re using floral foam, let it soak until it is fully saturated and sinks to the bottom.
3.Add a packet of flower food to extend bloom life. If you don’t have flower food, dissolve half a teaspoon of sugar, a teaspoon of lemon juice, and a few drops of bleach in 4 cups of water to create a home-made substitute.
4.Slant cut the stems to the desired length, cutting at least ½ from the bottom. Flower stems naturally begin to seal their ends, so cutting them helps the flower to take in fresh clean water and extends their vase life. The shorter the stem the more water will feed the bloom.
5.Remove any leaves that will be submerged as these will rot over time.
6.Arrange stems to your liking, varying the height and position. Add other flowers to the arrangement once all the sunflowers are positioned.
7.Sunflowers are thirsty flowers, so check the water frequently and add fresh water to fill the vase.
8.Change the water if it starts looking cloudy, rinse the stems clean. You may also want to recut the stems under water to help the flower uptake water.
9.Continue to remove spent leaves to keep the bouquet looking fresh longer.
Maybe you don’t know enough to sunflowers.There are about 70 species of sunflowers. Sunflowers can be different shapes, and some can be tall while others are short. The shortest sunflowers are called dwarfs and usually grow in clusters.
Sunflowers can even be different colors. Yellow is the most common but there are also red, orange and purple sunflowers.
Sunflowers track the sun. The French word for sunflower is “tournesol” which means turns with the sun. Young sunflowers track the sun, which is referred to as heliotropism. At sunrise, the flower buds and young blossoms will face east and follow the sun during the day. At sunset, the bloom will be facing the west. However, as the flower grows, the head of the plant becomes heavier and the blossom will generally stay facing east.
Sunflowers are a multi-purpose plant. Sunflowers seeds are a healthy snack, they can produce a useful oil, and provide a nutritious food for birds. Sunflowers have been found to be good at absorbing toxins, too.
Once the flower heads are dry, they can be converted into scrubbing pads. Just like peanuts can be ground to make peanut butter, sunflower seeds can be ground to make sunflower seed butter. An interesting fact about sunflower seed butter is that it has more minerals than peanut butter and significantly less saturated fat.
