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Diana Pierce

You know until you don't

“Ruh-roh!”


Have you ever had a moment where a long-held belief turned out to be only partly true?


Cue the Scooby Doo head tilt.


I’ll get to that, but before we dive into that revelation, thank you for joining me in this issue of Blooming.


In my series of newsletters, I’ll be writing about gardens, wildflowers, and, in this case, a fun place to take your kids and family in the state of Minnesota. There are so many blooms to enjoy, and it’s my hope to share these wonders with you.


A woman in a plaid shirt sits on a sunflower-themed bench in a sunflower field, smiling and touching a sunflower, with a camera lens in hand.

Now, back to that surprising moment.


It’s sunflower season in Minnesota and I learned something new about sunflowers the other day from Peg Johnson, who, along with her husband Pete, owns and runs Treasured Haven Farm in Rush City. They farm 450 acres, with a significant portion dedicated to sunflowers.


I had always heard that sunflowers tracked the sun.


Curious to learn more, I asked Peg for her expert insight. Her answer was both yes… and no.


According to Peg, sunflowers exhibit a behavior known as heliotropism during their early growth stages, pre-bloom. She said this means the buds follow the sun across the sky from east to west throughout the day. However, the behavior changes as the sunflower matures.


“As the flower head blooms, the (heliotropic) movement stops and the flower remains facing east.”


According to research from University of California- Davis, this eastward orientation helps the flowers warm up more quickly in the morning, making them especially attractive to early pollinators like bees.


Peg also added that she thought the flower seeds dried faster facing that way and fell to the soil sooner, starting next year’s growth.


As Daphne would say, “Jeepers!” What a revelation! Now I know.


So, the next time you see a field of sunflowers, you’ll know their secret.


Have you ever had a ruh-roh moment? I’d love to hear your story!


Also, if you want to see a short video of my trip to Treasured Haven Farm, head to my Instagram reels for a walkabout.​


And, if you want to try growing sunflowers yourself, check out the steps from the U of M Extension office: https://extension.umn.edu/flowers/sunflowers.


Some Quick Sunflower Fun Facts


  • Sunflower Seeds: A single sunflower head can produce up to 2,000 seeds. These seeds, which are rich in oil, serve as snacks, cooking oil, and even bird feed.

  • Mathematical Patterns: The arrangement of seeds in a sunflower follows a pattern known as the Fibonacci sequence. The spiral pattern ensures efficient packing of seeds and optimizes space.

  • Native to the Americas: The indigenous people of North America cultivated sunflowers for food, oil, and dye thousands of years before they introduced them to Europe.

  • Tallest Sunflower: The tallest sunflower on record reached an impressive height of 30 feet 1 inch (9.17 meters). Someone in Germany grew it in 2014.

  • Sunflower Oil: Sunflower oil is one of the most widely used oils in the world. It’s known for its light taste and high smoke point, making it ideal for frying and cooking.


Thank you for joining me today.


Let’s continue to Bloom Together Through Every Season!


Diana


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