This week's Plant Of The Week is the sunflower or Helianthus annuus to give it its botanical name.
Sunflowers (Helianthus annuus) are annual plants native to the Americas, with a large flower.
The flower is actually a head comprised of lots of very small flowers (florets) crowded together. The outer florets are the sterile ray florets (petals) and can be yellow, maroon, orange, or other colors. The florets inside the circular head are called disc florets and these are arranged in a spiral pattern which then mature into seeds.
Sunflowers are familiar to most people and are a wonderful plant to grow with children. The flowers can be left up over the winter to provide seeds for birds.
They are available in a range of colours and heights and can be seen blooming all over the Okanagan at the moment.
