“Wherever life plants you, be like a sunflower and bloom with grace”
-Adapted from a French proverb
I took this photo at the Jardin du Soleil Certified Organic Lavender Farm in Washington’s beautiful Olympic Peninsula owned by former Californians Jordan and Paula Schiefen.
Back History of Sunflowers: They sunflower or Helianthus Annus are native plant of North America. The word helianthus refers to a plant which turns its flowers and leaves to the sun and the name Annus means annual. It is derived from the Greek language, with helios meaning sun, anthus meaning flower and annus meaning annual. Sunflowers are believed to have grown by Native American Indians in Arizona and New Mexico dating bacck to around 3000 BC. The seeds were ground or pounded into flour for cakes and bread or cracked and eaten as a snack, the meal was mixed with other vegetable and oils used from the seed used to make bread. Non-fused uses include dye for textiles and body painting. Some plants were used medicinally including seed oil for skin and hair and dried stalk for building material. It was also used to treat snakebites.
Sunflowers were taken to Europe by Spanish explorers around the 1500 and became widespread thoughout Western Europe for ornamental and medicinal use. In the 18th century they became popular in Russia. By the late 19th century sunflower made its way to the USA. THere are now over 80 species, ranging from lemon to golden yellow, orange, pink, red and almost black.
In Chinese culture sunflowers are said to symbolize good luck, long life and lasting happiness, while in native American culture, sunflowers symbolize harvest and provision. The sunflowers is the national flower of both Russia and Ukraine.
