A vast expanse of sunflowers border pastureland in the San Rafael Valley. (Photo by Carrie White)

Lining our throughfares in late summer/early fall are the bright faces of the common sunflower that have flourished this year thanks to late summer rains.

An annual blessing (Helianthus annuus), the cheery greeters are native to our area but can be found in 47 of our 50 states, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Jim Koweek, local author of Grassland Plant ID For Everyone and Sonoran Desert Plant ID for Everyone, said a lot of people don’t realize that the annual sunflower comes up in the wintertime or early spring.

“They don’t notice them because they’ve not flowering,” he said. “But they germinate in the cool season and then they send this taproot down, which stores some moisture.”

Think of it as a sunflower hangout. They lie in wait for the opportunity to shine — which they are definitely doing now. And while providing beauty, they also serve as important food for wildlife.

“Bees love them,” Koweek said. “They’re good as pollinator plants, and they’re also good as a seed source for birds,” such as finches.

Common sunflowers flourish along roadsides due to water runoff. (Photo by Carrie White)

While we appreciate them for their aesthetics, and wildlife for their sustenance, Native American cultures found application for their use in other ways number of areas, according to a USDA plant guide put out by Natural Resources Conservation Service.

  • The Cherokee used an infusion of sunflower leaves to treat kidneys
  • The Dakota used an infusion of sunflowers for chest pains and pulmonary troubles
  • The Navajo ate sunflower seeds to stimulate appetite
  • The Paiute used a decoction of sunflower root to alleviate rheumatism

Currently sunflowers are being pursued by countries around the world for a variety of reasons. According to EarthSky, a digital media organization providing news, guides and updates about astronomy and Earth sciences, sunflowers are used in making soaps, cosmetics and biodiesel. Their stems contain a fiber used in making paper. And people have planted sunflowers at locations impacted by nuclear accidents – such as Chernobyl – to help with soil recovery.

But you do not need a nuclear disaster on your property to encourage this friendly forb.

Koweek said once the petals are gone, dry the dark center. And, right before a late winter storm, “scratch the ground up a little – because the seeds are nutritious and valuable to wildlife. If you just throw out, chances are, something is going to eat them. “

The flowers grow well in sand, loam, clay and caliche. They enjoy full as well as partial sunlight. And blooms can last from July through October.