1. Planting Seeds of Friendship Alyssa Libreri-Hutchins 3/16/11

2. History of the Sunflower The sunflower is native to Central America, it was first domesticated in Mesoamerica(present day Mexico) in at least 2600 BC. The earliest known examples of a fully domesticated sunflower north of Mexico have been found in Tennessee and date to around 2300 BC. Many indigneous American people used the sunflower as the symbol of their solar diety, including the Aztecs of Mexico and the Incas in South America. Francisco Pizzaro was the first European to encounter the sunflower in Peru. Gold images of the flower, as well as seeds, were taken back to Spain early in the 16th century. Some researchers argue that the Spaniards tried to suppress cultivation of the sunflower because of its association with solar religion and warfare.

3. Sunflower Its botanical name is Helianthus annuus. The Sunflower is an annual or perennial flower depending on the type of sunflower. Sunflowers can grow up to five to twelve feet tall!

4. Plant Details The sunflower needs six to eight hours of sunlight per day. They mostly bloom in the summer, because they are planted in the spring. In very mild climates they can even be grown year round, but this is unusual. It needs well cultivated soil and red soil or add waste of animals like cows.

5. Watering your seeds They grow best in fertile, moist, well- drained soil with a lot of mulch. Sunflowers need to be watered every three to four days. During a long humid period it’s good to water them every other day.

6. Uses Sunflowers can be used to make bread, medical ointments, dyes, and body paints. Sunflower oil extracted from the seeds is used for cooking, as a carrier oil, to produce margarine, and biodiesel. It is also used for livestock feed.

7. Plant Varieties Sunflowers are not just yellow, there are many varieties such as a white sunflower, Sunrich Lemon sunflower has a very lemon-colored flower; Teddy Bear sunflower has soft, fluffy, pom- pom like flowers; and Velvet Queen sunflower has velvety-red flowers.

8. Sources http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/afcm/sunflower.ht ml http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/afcm/sunflower.ht ml http://www.ehow.com/list_6555251_sunflower-garden- ideas.html http://www.ehow.com/list_6555251_sunflower-garden- ideas.html http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Do_sunflowers_bloom_in_the_ spring_or_in_the_summer http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Do_sunflowers_bloom_in_the_ spring_or_in_the_summer http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=200705282 02608AAcSXYr http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=200705282 02608AAcSXYr http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Which_types-of- soil_are_best_for_growing_sunflowers http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Which_types-of- soil_are_best_for_growing_sunflowers http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunflower http://www.ehow.com/facts_4914703_types-of- sunflowers.html