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Sunflower (Helianthus annuus)
Photo: Fir0002, GFDL 1.2, Wikimedia Commons

On the map in 3 countries crop symbol: Ukraine

Sunflower

Helianthus annuus

Family: Asteraceae

On our map this plant appears in 3 countries and ranks highest in: Ukraine, Hungary, Russia.

An annual growing to 2–3 m, with a single thick stem topped by a flower head up to 30 cm across. Young plants turn their buds to follow the sun, while mature heads usually face east. The seeds contain 40–50% oil, and pressing leaves oilcake, a valuable animal feed. The species comes from North America, where it was domesticated by Native Americans, and only became firmly established in Eastern Europe in the 19th century. Roasted seeds, known as semechki, are a popular snack throughout the region.

Description from: Ukraine.

More: Wikipedia (en) Wikipedia (pl) Plants of the World Online (Kew)

Significance in each country

  1. Ukraine no. 2 of 10 cultivated

    Unofficial national flower of Ukraine

    The sunflower is a pillar of Ukrainian farming and exports. In 1996 sunflowers were sown on the site of a dismantled nuclear missile base near Pervomaisk as a sign of disarmament, and in 2022 the flower became a symbol of resistance to the…

  2. Hungary no. 7 of 8 cultivated

    The sunflower is one of Hungary’s main oil crops – it covers several hundred thousand hectares, and the country is consistently among the top producers in the EU.

  3. Russia no. 8 of 15 cultivated

    The sunflower reached Russia in the 18th century as an ornamental, and industrial oil pressing was pioneered in the first half of the 19th century by the peasant Daniil Bokarev of Alekseyevka in Voronezh Governorate.