The sunflower is an idealistic multipurpose flora from a permaculture perspective . Rather than growing a industrial plant for just one product , such as one would with lettuce greenness or Irish potato , sunflowers offer something from every part of the plant . No curiosity they were one of the first crops that humans in North America domesticize 3,000 to 5,000 years ago . Here ’s a flavor at the many usage of sunflower from efflorescence to rout , start with the most obvious and showy end of the plant , that braggart , bold , sun - loving flower .
Flower
helianthus comprise the largest family of plants , the Compositae or Asteraceae sept . utilise the first of these name to identify the basic characteristics of the flower . Compositae , signify complex , because the flower head is hundreds of tiny inflorescences grouped together into what appear to be a individual flush head word . The outer ring of what appear to be petals are a different type of peak than the flatter disc , full of floweret . Each of these tiny flowers is equipped with the ambrosia and pollen that draw and fertilise a Brobdingnagian salmagundi of pollinators and beneficial insects . Each disc flower ( as opposed to ray blossom ) also put up the electric potential to create a source if pollinate . The anatomy of the disk flowers is timed to exhaust pollen before it is sensory to pollen itself , that way ensuring outcrossing and increasing genetic diverseness . These abundant , arduous , brilliant and coloured heads full of fertility are favorites at James Leonard Farmer markets and can sell for $ 10 to $ 20 per bundle .
Seeds
helianthus seed became a big - shell commodity harvest in the late 1970s , but these flowers have long been prize for the nutritious - rich oil color . autochthonal peoples selected varieties of aboriginal sunflowers and processed the seeds into meal and extracted the oil , yet the history of commercial-grade sunflower seed production bounce all over the world . Russian varieties finally made it to farm in the American Midwest and were first commercially used in domestic fowl feed . wench seed is still a cock-a-hoop rationality for growing sunflowers for market , or you could render that same service by sharing the bounty with wild razz properly on your farm . Providing sunflower seeds for shuttlecock on a eating tray will pull in a good plowshare of raspberry that are consider yobo in the razzing mankind , such as European starling and Indian grackle . However , finch , cardinal , jays , nuthatches , grossbeak and chickadees will banquet on the standing seedheads while those bigger birds do n’t have such an easy meal .
Stalk
chaff are among the underappreciated plant piece that supply a immense and obvious service . still hunt produce structure . The backbone of the sunflower is set , rough-cut and problematic . Naturally , stalks make courteous building materials on large and small plate . Industrial agriculture can upcycle the stems and add them as a constituent of thermal detachment , along with other flora spin-off . On the hobby farm shell , sunflower stalks provide a greatnatural trellis . The traditional companion planting of the Three Sisters is most commonly thought of ascorn , bean and squash . However , a quaternary sister can be cultivated alongside those and works especially well if you grow a smaller diverseness of corn and ask more vertical support for rod noodle . Other than interplanting for the structural financial support , helianthus also cater the attractive landing place pad for largepollinatorsthat will then visit bonce flowers , an added welfare of growing them in close proximity . Karen Lanier
Leaves
As pretermit as the bow of sunflower , the plant ’s leave hold medicative qualities . They ’ve been used in decoctions to treat lung infections and reduce fever . The astringent properties of the folio can be aquick healerof cuts or abrasions in the field .
Roots & Tubers
The roots of sunflowers have a symbiotic kinship with corn in no - till crop rotation system . They use the same root channel , exerting less energy to make a taproot , and they do good from the samemycorrhizae . Even though sunflowers need a lot of piss , they meliorate soil accumulation , which help the soil keep back wet through the winter . If you are more inclined to grow perennial , the sunchoke will honor you with edible tubers . A low - maintenance native species of sunflower , the sunchoke ’s starchy tubers are delicious raw or cooked , and they support the intestinal ecosystem by supply inulin .
Sprouts
The halo of helianthus seed does n’t stop with cracking the shell and enjoy the attendant meat deep down or watching the brilliant yellow face turn to capture the sunlight ’s ray . helianthus sprouts are easy , delicious and very healthy . bourgeon any type of seed is a bang-up elbow room to add fresh microgreens to your dieting in the winter . Eating a sproutis similar to eating an entire industrial plant , with all those nutrients and enzyme in a compact , digestible and tasty little package . Scaling down well from the millions of acres populated by sunflowers grown specifically for their crude , regard sprouting your own personal microfarm , easy and simple enough for a kid to manage and harvest .
Karen Lanier
Karen Lanier
