Sunflowers are impressive!

I did not know the Sunflower was in the daisy family. I have also learned that Sunflowers are known to reach out and track the sun because they are on a circadian cycle known as heliotropism. Sunflowers are native to North America having been first grown by Native Americans in 3000 BC in today’s Arizona and New Mexico.

Sunflowers have a remarkable ability to absorb toxins, including toxic metals and radiation (wow!). Following nuclear disasters such as Chernobyl and Fukushima, scientists planted millions of sunflowers to help the land recover Similarly, they’ve also been planted in areas with high concentrations of lead. 

In scientific terms, they’re ‘hyperaccumulators’ which means they can absorb much more of these contaminants than other plants. It’s believed plants develop this ability partly to make them less tempting as a snack for herbivores.