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Sunny Sunflowers

 

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Sunny Sunflowers

Introduction

 

The sunflower is a flower that follows the sun.

It is yellow on the outside and brown or black in the middle.

Sunflowers are an annual plant which grow tall,

height can reach up to 12 feet. 

The hairy stems are rough and strong. 

The round flowerheads can range from 3 to 6 inches wide

or even up to one foot in some species.

An average acre can produce about 50 ushels of seeds.

 

Uses

 

This large flower has many economic uses.

Every part of the plant from the seeds

to the flowers to the stems to the leaves can be used

for some practical purpose.

The flowers being yellow

can be converted into a yellow dye.

The leaves can be fed to cattle

and poultry or used for mulch.

The stems being fiberous can be transformed into paper.

 And the seeds are bursting with valuable oil

which can be used for the art of wool-dressing,

soap-making, candle-making, mixing paint and as a lubricant.

 

Medicinal

 

The seeds are diuretic and

have expectorant properties.

They have been used to treat bronchial,

laryngeal and pulmonary affections,

colds, coughs including whooping cough.

Mexico

 

Sunflowers are native to Mexico and Peru.

The natives located around the Mexico area

used them for high-energy food

as they did with other seeds as well.

Historians date this first use at around 3000 B.C.

They used the seed grounded into flour for making cakes,

for mush or for breadmaking.

The seeds were also squeezed for oil

which was used for making bread.

The oil was also made for rubbing into the hair and skin.

Sunflowers were also good for purple dye for textiles,

body painting and pottery.

Of course the plant also had a medicinal use

such as snakebite and various body ointments and teas.

Seeds were used in ceremonies and rituals.

The stalks were a sturty building material.

 

Peru

 

The Aztecs of Peru revered the sunflower

and placed them in their temples of the Sun

and they worked into shape by artistry images

of them in pure gold.

High priestesses who were crowned with sunflowers

also carried them in their hands during special rituals.

Historical Traverse

 

The royal sunflower was brought by Spanish explorers

back to Europe. But it was mainly the Russians

who worked to make it the agricultural hybrids

that we know today.

Russian and even German immigrants brought

the sunflower plant back to North America

where they cultivated it abundantly.

Nutrition

 

There are many important vitamins and minerals

found in sunflowers. The seeds are high protein,

low carbohydrate and

contain the best whole-food source of vitamin E.

 

Oil from the seeds is a light yellow colour.

It is often compared to olive oil

and consided just as valuable for common use.

 

There are other uses too

but this is just to introduce you

to the wonderful uses of the sturdy sunflower.

And besides all of this goodness,

it looks great growing in your garden

and the seeds make a good tasting snack too!

 

This page is dedicated to my sunflower Robert!

 

 

You may e-mail:

susan@home2b.nl

 

ancient christianity

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Updated August 04, 2009

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CopyrightŠ2002-2009 by Susan and Robert