The Beauty of the Sunflower

Each summer in France, beneath pure blue skies, endless fields of sunflowers bloom-pregnant with the possibilities of life and hope. Not only are these flowers, grown for their edible seeds, enormous, but their leaves are thick, and their stems tall and strong. The sea of blossoms turns people's thoughts upward toward the heavens in gratitude.

Sunflowers are known as the timekeepers of the plant world-rising at dawn and sending the sun off to bed at dusk. Because the flowers always face the sun, clinging to the light of its rays hour after hour, day after day, their mythical beauty is as bright today as it was in centuries past.

The sunflower is native to Mexico and Peru, and in the 16th century, the Spanish introduced it to Europe. Today it's importance as a cash crop is growing quickly. The sweet, fragrant, edible oil extracted from the flower can be used to make artificial butter and cooking oil. It is also used in the production of bath soaps and other cosmetics.

The scientific name for the sunflower is Helianthus annuus. The French name is tournesol, which means "turns to the sun," and its names in many other languages also reflect the belief that the sunflower follows the sun throughout the day. In Peru, where it is the national flower, the golden sunflower is used for temple decorations, in offerings, as the badge of a priestess, and in floral crowns. Hence it is also known as the "golden flower of Peru." In Taiwan, sunflowers are a favorite new ornamental flower, and are being tried out as pot plants and in flower arrangements. The seeds are also processed to extract fragrances and essential oils.

Nor do the beneficial properties of sunflowers stop there. Native Americans extract yellow pigments from the flowers' petals, make life-saving ropes from the stem fibers, and use the greens as feed for geese. And yet the most valuable part of the sunflower is its seeds.

A single sunflower can yield as many as 2,362 sunflower seeds. The seeds are loaded with fats, protein and high levels of vitamins A, D, E, and B. They are also rich in oleic acid and various minerals essential for health. The seeds make good snacks for humans or feed for birds. After the seeds are removed, the flowers can be dried and used decoratively. The stems can also be used to make paper. Sunflowers are not only beautiful but useful too. No wonder Europeans-especially the French-have fallen in love with them.

Already famous for their practical applications, sunflowers became just as famous for their beauty through the work of Vincent van Gogh. Van Gogh was born in Holland but longed for the magical sunlight of the Mediterranean, where with great passion he attempted to capture the beauty of the sunflower in his paintings. To welcome the already famous painter Paul Gauguin, who was visiting van Gogh in the French city of Arles, van Gogh painted a series of sunflowers. Upon seeing the sunflower paintings cluttering van Gogh's room, Gauguin exclaimed: "Now these are worthy of the name flowers!" It's a pity that the friendship lasted a mere two months before they parted on bad terms. Afterwards, van Gogh was left with a profound loneliness-kept company only by his series of much celebrated sunflower paintings.

A Love Myth of Ancient Greece

Legend tells that the Greek maiden Clytie fell deeply in love with the heroic and noble sun god Apollo, who spurned her affections. Beside herself with misery, Clytie rejected food and drank only the morning dew. She hoped her asceticism would win Apollo's love. After she pined for nine days and nine nights, Clytie's legs turned into stems, her delicate body turned into leaves, and her wan face transformed into a flower. Her eyes were fixed on Apollo in his sun chariot moving across the sky. That love-smitten flower is what we know today as the sunflower.

When the gigantic sunflower is in full bloom, the weight of its fully ripened seeds causes its head to hang bashfully down, giving an impression of tenderness.

The bright yellow of the sunflower emanates warmth and joy, and reflects the light and passion of life.

The sunflower likes sunny climates where it rains only occasionally. In well drained, fertile soil, the sunflower grows to its full glory.

The bright yellow of the sunflower emanates warmth and joy, and reflects the light and passion of life.

In commemoration of the 100th anniversary of van Gogh's stay, his old psychiatric hospital decorated the walls of its garden with reproductions of van Gogh's sunflower paintings from Arles.

When the gigantic sunflower is in full bloom, the weight of its fully ripened seeds causes its head to hang bashfully down, giving an impression of tenderness.

The bright yellow of the sunflower emanates warmth and joy, and reflects the light and passion of life.

The bright yellow of the sunflower emanates warmth and joy, and reflects the light and passion of life.

The 17th-century French king Louis XIV, known as the Sun King, used the sunflower as a symbol of court, another example of a famous historical figure being captivated by the magic of the sunflower.

The 17th-century French king Louis XIV, known as the Sun King, used the sunflower as a symbol of court, another example of a famous historical figure being captivated by the magic of the sunflower.