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| Photo Credits: Zina Deretsky/National Science Foundation |
We usually see sunflowers blooming every summer. They are fascinating plants because of their huge sizes and of course because of their round, brown lovely heads. Aside from their appearance we also enjoy them by their seeds’ own natural taste or by using their nutritious oil that we typically use for cooking. We love them by their look and taste, but do we really know where they come from? Join me as we take an overview from its past history below.
Sunflowers are native to Americas and many believe that these flowers originated in Peru and Mexico, while others recognize the idea that sunflowers were first cultivated by the Native Americans over 8,000 years ago, though others resist this belief because according to them were not cultivated until 2, 600 B.C. Based on the fossils that were excavated, sunflowers are growing in South America 50 million years ago. Also based on the findings, scientists suggest that Mexico were cultivating these crops as far as 300 B.C.
Sunflowers become one of the main staple foods for the Native Americans; they used these crops for culinary and medicinal purposes. The cultivation of these crops was discovered by the European explorers as they arrived in the area. They were captivated by these tall, strange crops that the Indians were cultivating, and like most of us they become enchanted with the sunflowers’ alluring huge brightly colored petals, which they’ve never seen before. Out of curiosity and fascination, the explorers brought the seeds back to Europe where they nurtured and sowed them to get huge yields. Strangely, they did not consume the seeds. They introduced the seeds to Russia which then became popular.
After some years, sunflowers become popular plants among the other countries such as Spain and China. Because of its beauty, sunflowers quickly become widespread to other countries. Sunflower seeds were planted, grown and become an abundant supply for cooking and for snacks.
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