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Helianthus annuus - Wikipedia
Helianthus annuus - USDA PLANTS Database
Helianthus annuus - Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
| Duration: Annual | Origination: USA | Edibility: Seeds | Status in Yard: Spreading |
Common sunflower first appeared in my backyard in 2014, and I took the photo on May 22, 2014.
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It didn't grow much in 2014, but it grew very large in 2016, with many flowers. This is the wild version of the common sunflower. When fully grown, the plant has many branches with relatively small flowers, which are about 3-4 inches across, with the central seed part only slightly larger than an inch. As an annual, it dies back every fall, turning black and scraggly in the process.
I saw the first full sunflower bloom on April 1, 2016.
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In 2017, a large stand of common sunflowers grew up to 12 feet tall in the
processing area of the back yard, in more or less the same area they had been in 2016. A lot of activity involving aphids, ants, lady beetles, bees and others has taken place in this stand. This photo was taken on May 14, 2017.
