Sunflowers Stretched Canvas Print
van Gogh, Vincent
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Sunflowers Field, Umbria Art Print
Enticknap, Philip
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The Aztecs, who worshipped the sun, valued sunflowers highly and used them as an object of their worship, while the Native Americans knew of their herbal qualities for health and well-being. Golden sunflower statues existed in the ancient Aztec temples of Peru. Originally from North and South America, the sunflower was first cultivated by the native Indians and became a feature in their culture as a sign of endurance and strength.
These flowers even look like the sun, and store up its summer rays, to provide powerful healthy and healing benefits from their seeds and oil. There are many nutrients contained in sunflower seeds -- calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, zinc, and a number of important vitamins. The oil was used by the American Indians as a cure for snake bite, and is still popular as a homeopathic treatment. They can be eaten as a healthy snack, added to multigrain bread and biscuits, and as an addition to many other recipes.
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Sunflowers Stretched Canvas Print van Gogh, Vincent Buy at AllPosters.com |
Sunflowers Field, Umbria Art Print Enticknap, Philip Buy at AllPosters.com |
Often used to represent spirituality, the sunflower is the symbol of Spiritualism because they "always turn their heads to the light of the sun". We become like sunflowers when we follow the path of spirituality, being guided by the true path of the Great Spirit, we turn our minds and hearts to the life-giving rays of the sun.
The sunflower is a flower of the zodiac sign of Leo. Astrologically, the sun represents the spirit, the source of life, and it is easy to see the connection. The summer sun is at its strongest while travelling through its home sign of Leo during August, a time when God's garden is in full bloom, and the sunflowers tower over every other flower, having grown closest to the sun.
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Mix a cup of seeds with two teaspoons of vegetables oil and a teaspoonful of salt. Roast them in a frying pan over a low heat for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring continuously, until golden brown. Oven cook them in a shallow pan at 150 degrees Celsius for 30 to 40 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent scorching.
The botanical name is Helianthus. The Greek word "helios" means sun and "anthos" means flower. It is aptly named after the sun, which it resembles.
Plants can be from 3 to 18 feet tall. The tallest sunflower on record was 25 feet tall and was grown in the Netherlands.
There are over 60 different varieties that vary in colour and size of the flowers. Colours include orange to reddish-brown, and all shades of yellow.
There are two types of sunflower varieties grown, which produce different seeds. The oil seed type of sunflowers has small black seeds, and thin, tight hulls. The seeds of these varieties contain 38 to 50 percent oil and about 20 percent protein. Each mature flower yields 40% of its weight as oil. They are also used in bird food. The non-oil types of sunflowers have larger edible seeds, with a thicker hull that is loosely attached to the kernel and more easily removed.
The seeds contain a valuable edible oil that contains more Vitamin E than any other vegetable oil.
Sunflowers got their name because newly opened blooms often follow the movement of the sun through the sky, facing east in the morning and then moving to face the west in the afternoon.
Sunflowers are native to North America and were a common crop grown by American Indian tribes. The seeds were used in many foods; they were ground or pounded into flour for cakes, mush or bread. The yellow petals were used a dye.
Some archaeologists suggest that sunflowers may have been domesticated before corn.
Sunflowers were first cultivated commercially in Russia. The great Russian ruler Peter the Great liked sunflowers so much that by the 1700s sunflower seeds were being eaten all over Russia.
The sunflowers is the state flower of Kansas and the national flower of Russia.
Sunflower oil can be used as a fuel for vehicles.
Sunflower stems were used to fill life jackets before the advent of modern materials.
Low-pollen sunflowers have been developed in recent years which not only helps asthma sufferers, but extend the flower's life.
Sunflowers are bold and exuberant and one of the flower associated with the star sign Leo.
They attract birds and bees to the garden.
Immortalised by both Van Gogh and Picasso.
In many parts of Europe sunflowers have provided/and still provide leaves for smoking, flower buds for salads, flowers for dyes, and oil for cooking.
The sunflower is not one flower, but a cluster of more than 2000 tiny flowers growing together.
A sunflower's head can normally grow to be as big as 2 feet across. The largest sunflower head on record measured 32 1/2 inches and was grown in Canada.
The shortest mature sunflower on record was just over 2 inches tall and was grown in Oregon using the Bonsai technique.
The French word for Sunflower is tournesol, which means "turn with the sun".
Flower Meaning -- a dwarf sunflower is a sign of adoration, and a tall sunflower of false riches.
According to Greek mythology, the sunflower was once a water nymph (or Dryad) called Clytie, who was deeply in love with Apollo, the God of the Sun. Apollo did not return her affections and poor Clytie resigned herself to sitting and fixing her eyes on her beloved sun from dusk until dawn. Gradually, her golden hair started to resemble yellow petals, her legs became the stem and her face became a flower. In her new form, Clytie continued to gaze at her sun from morning to night, as did all of her children, the sunflowers we see today.
The Aztecs prized sunflowers and gold statues of the flower have been found in ancient temples. They were used religiously and were a sign of divinity. The North America Indians featured them in ceremonial dances as symbols of endurance and strength.
They were introduced to Europe by the Spanish explorers in the 1500s.
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