Sunflowers, did you know? …

We all love sunflowers, they're seen as 'happy' flowers and are great 'mood lifters'!

🌻As they are so loved we thought we'd put a few facts together to give a greater insight into this inspirational flower!😍

• Sunflowers represent loyalty, longevity and adoration and are seen as a symbol of hope, positivity, strength and lasting happiness.😃
• The sunflower is the national flower of Ukraine!💙💛
• Sunflowers are loved by all pollinators - as the pollen is easy to obtain, birds are also partial to their seeds once flowering has finished!
• Their scientific name  is Helianthus, derived from the Greek words 'Helios' meaning sun and 'Anthos' meaning flower, perfect for their 'sun like' appearance!🌻
• They help remove toxins from soil and water! After the disaster at Chernobyl, Ukraine, large fields of sunflowers were planted less than a mile from the site to help remove radioactive elements from the area. They were planted in a similar way following the Japanese Fukushima disaster.
• Young sunflowers have a unique characteristic called 'Heliotropism' - this is when young flower buds and leaves follow the sun from east to west during the day. Overnight they return to face the east to wait for the sun rise the following day!🌞
• Not all sunflowers are yellow! They come in shades of orange, red, maroon, bronze and bi-colour. Also, not all are tall, some varieties only reach a few inches!
• Finally, they make an excellent healthy snack! They're rich in healthy fats, vitamins and minerals and are delicious roasted or sprinkled on yogurt!😋

So, an all round winner, why not get some seeds and reap the benefits!🌻😊