Himawari: Sun Flower

The Sun flower is a seed plant. There is large yellow bloom on the top, it grows to 2 meters in height and is a annual plant. This flower is ornamental plant and the seeds are flat and oval , they are edible and used for cooking oil. What’s more summer season word.

Sun flower’s scientific name is “Helianthus annuus”, Japanese names are “Himawari”, “Nithirinsou” and “Higuruma”.

This flower’s taxonomy is the Plantae Magnoliophyta Magnoliopsida Asteraceae Helianthus. There are exist about 67 species closely related of this plant.

The variety “Himehimawari”, scientific name “H. debilis”, is called in English “Vanilla ice”. This flower is 1.5 meters in height and flower is 8 centimeters in diameter, one year grass and this flower’s color variation is some find for example orange, yellow and pink. That is the snake pattern at stalk and more slender than sunflower. The flower season is between July and September, but is not tolerance of heat.

The variety “Shirotaehimawari”, scientific name “H. argophyllus” alias “Taisetuzan”, is an annual and the country of origin is North America and ornamental plant. The body covered with white down so looked silver gray, 2 meters in height and the flower season between August and September. By the way this flower and “Himehimawari” are resemble. This flower is immigrant Japan.

The variety “Yanagibahimawari” scientific name “H. aslicifolius” English name “Golden pyramid” is 1.5 meters in height, breadth is 100 centimeter. The leaf is slender and many small yellow blooms are beautiful. This flower tolerate heat and cold because strong and for easy to cultivation. The flower season between September and October.

The Sun flower’s range is all over the world. The native place of original is in west coast of North America, the year 1501, carried in Spaniard, cultivation in Madrid Botanical garden next 17 century carried in France , Russia and Japan.

Sun flower’s habitat is very wide because this flower is framed for cold and heat resistant so tough for rain therefore have wide range.

This flower moves with the sun because young flower’s top of stalk leaf moving reverse the sun so turn to east at morning but turn to west at evening, accordingly named sun flower but when follow the sun rapid is the growth of a plant. This moving continues to stick to bud so it doesn’t move when growing it and this flower to blossom but continue this moving turn to east when night so the flower is turn to east, however bloom some flower and too bad sunny place not anyway. It tolerates frost and sub-zero. Sun flower’s seed is shaped long egg and can be used for up of vegetable oil and eating. This flower looks one flower but this is gather for many small flower those form looked chrysanthemum family.

The flower season between summer and fall. Where to see: Tosa City and a few looked in the Makino botanical garden.