The sunflower has a distinctly American flavor, and rightly so. The wild sunflower probably originated[1] in the prairie states and its image is interwoven with our country's early history. The American Indians used sunflowers as a source of food, grinding them into flour.

In California, the most widely grown is 'Sunbright' which has a golden yellow flower, a brown center, and a strong stem.

The sunflower we all recognize has an open flower face that averages 5-6 inches in diameter and a center that takes up about 60 percent of the flower. A few new varieties[2] stray from that standard. 'Sonja' has medium-sized, 4-inch flowers of golden orange with a dark center.

The 'Teddy Bear' is another novel variety. It is a dwarf, fully double variety with a profusion of orange petals, which gives it a somewhat fuzzy appearance.

Yellow is the predominant color of this species, but some of the new varieties add rich reds and browns. 'Floristan' is a bi-color with bronze-red petals, yellow tips, and a dark center. 'Prado Red' has a dark center surrounded by reddish brown petals and is about 4 inches in diameter. Other varieties with these rich, autumn colors are 'Autumn Beauty' and 'Evening Sun.'