Sunflower is a tall plant known for its showy yellow flowers. There are more than 60 species of sunflowers. The most common type grows from 3 to 10 feet (1 to 3 meters) tall and has one or more heads of flowers. Each head consists of a disk of small, tubular flowers surrounded by a fringe of large yellow petals. A sunflower head may measure more than 1 foot (30 centimeters) in diameter and produce up to 1,000 seeds. The head turns and faces toward the sun throughout the day.

Sunflower seeds are rich in protein. They yield a high quality vegetable oil used in making margarine and cooking oil. Some varieties of sunflowers have large striped seeds, which are roasted for snack food or blended with other grains to make birdseed. Special oil-seed varieties produce small black seeds that contain up to 50 per cent oil. Sunflower oil is the world’s third most important vegetable oil. Only soybean oil and palm oil are produced in greater abundance. Sunflower oil is sometimes used as a replacement for diesel fuel.

Before its breakup, the Soviet Union produced more sunflower seeds than any other nation. In the United States, production increased rapidly during the mid1970′s as a result of improved varieties and in response to a growing demand for sunflower oil. The chief sunflower states are Kansas, Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota.

Strawflower is a tall herb grown for its yellow, orange, red, or white flowers. It is cultivated as an annual— that is, for one growing season. However, the straw-flower is actually a perennial and thus can live for more than one year. The flowers are dried and used in winter bouquets. The strawflower belongs to a group of plants called everlastings. All everlastings have flowers that last a long time when dried. The strawflower originated in Australia, and is now grown in Europe and America. It grows 3 feet (91 centimeters) tall.

Scientific classification. The strawflower belongs to the composite family, Asteraceae or Compositae. Its scientific name is Helichrysum bracteatum.

Static electricity. Statice, is a name commonly applied to sea lavenders, a group of herbs or shrubs used in rock gardens and flower bed borders. Sea lavenders grow wild throughout the world, especially in salt marshes and desert or semi desert regions. Their purple, rose, white, or yellow flowers are often dried and made into bouquets. A group of evergreen herbs called thrifts or sea pinks have also been known as statices. Thrifts are found mainly on coasts and in mountainous areas. Their small pink or white flowers grow in dense, globe-shaped clusters.

Sea lavender a type of statice, grows wild in salt marshes and deserts worldwide. The above illustrations show the entire plant, left, and a close-up of flower clusters, right both sea lavenders and thrifts grow well in most garden soils. They usually reproduce by seed. The plants should be started in a greenhouse in early spring and then planted outside. Sea lavenders and thrifts have flowers all summer.

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