National Sunflower Day
Vibrant blooms, facing the sun, symbolizing joy, optimism, and resilience, painting landscapes with their golden hues.
In addition to offering benefits such as food and beauty for humans, sunflowers are also excellent attractors for butterflies as well as providing pollen for the all-important honey bees. Part of the daisy family, these giant yellow flowers provide beauty and joy wherever they are grown.
National Sunflower Day takes place in summer to show appreciation for and encourage everyone to enjoy this incredible flower that blooms all season long!
History of National Sunflower Day
National Sunflower Day is a relatively new event, first celebrated in 2023. The day was founded through a partnership between the National Sunflower Association along with the North Dakota Tourism Division, with the purpose of spreading the joy that this amazing flower brings to the world.
Many people don’t realize that North Dakota is consistently one of the top-producing sunflower states in the country, often ranking at number one. But people from any and every state can certainly participate in National Sunflower Day with a wide range of activities!
How to Celebrate National Sunflower Day
Show some love and appreciation for this delightful bloom by participating in National Sunflower Day with some of these ideas:
Grow Some Sunflowers
One of the most delightful activities anyone can participate in for National Sunflower Day is to grow some sunflowers in their garden or bordering their home. In fact, this is a flower that is fairly easy for anyone to grow, as they basically grow themselves. Tolerant to heat, resistant to pests and fast growing, sunflowers offer a delightful project for novice gardeners of all ages, even young children. Pick up some sunflower seeds at a local garden shop, plant them after the spring frost has passed, and enjoy the beauty of a garden filled with bright yellow flowers!
Follow the North Dakota Sunflower Map
One of the resources provided by the organizers of National Sunflower Day is a Sunflower Map for the state of North Dakota, which can be found on the North Dakota Tourism website. This interactive map will not only point out the areas where vast fields of sunflowers blanket the earth, but there are also special perks – delightful mailboxes at certain sites marked “ND Be Legendary” provide sunflower seeds that are free for visitors.
Learn Fun Facts About Sunflowers
One excellent way to get connected with National Sunflower Day is to get more informed about this beautiful flower. Check out some of these fun facts and consider sharing some of them with friends and family to start a conversation about the day!
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Sunflowers are native to the Americas cultivated as long ago as 3000 BC
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Each individual sunflower is made up of thousands of tiny little flowers called ray florets
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Sunflowers display a special plant behavior called heliotropism, which means they follow the sun as it moves throughout the day
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The Guinness world’s record for the tallest sunflower was grown in 2014 and was recorded as measuring 30 feet and one inch tall
