Sunflower

Helianthus annus

Family: Asteraceae

Location:

native to North America

Characteristics:

can grow 5-20 feet tall
juice is watery, not milky

Leaves:

irregular teeth
rounded base and pointed tip

Flower and Fruit:

bright yellow with black centers
nutritious seeds are produced in the center of the flower

Uses:

The pithy stalks can be used to make a hand drill, useful for igniting a pile of tinder. The inner pulp of the stalk made both fast-burning candles (if broken into pieces and strung on a string) and chewing gum. A wide array of colors of dye can be obtained from the sunflower, including gray, green, orange, tan, purple and yellow, result from combining different plant parts with various mordants.