Sunflowers
The Kansas state flower and native is one of the easiest plants to recognize. Sunflowers can be both annual and perennial flowers depending on the type you are growing. In Kansas there are 11 species of native sunflowers and 9 of them grow in the Flint hills region of the state. Most of the native sunflowers are perennials while most introduced sunflowers are annuals that they will freely reseed in the areas they are planted. The traditional sunflower has yellow petals with a brown or yellow center however there are many new cultivars of sunflower with blooms that range in color from white to pink to red to bi-color. Sunflowers can range in height from less than a foot for annual cultivars to 6 feet for perennials and even up to 10 feet tall for some annual varieties. In the wild sunflowers are an excellent source of food and are often sought out by livestock to eat. The seeds make excellent food for birds and the plants should be left standing all winter long for the birds to enjoy. Native sunflowers are often found on heavier soils, in hay meadows, along stream beds and in roadside ditches. This beautiful flower is a favorite of bees and blooms from July through first frost depending on the species. Sunflowers do best when planted as a background plant in flower beds due to their height however some of the dwarf cultivars do well in pots and mixed in flowerbeds. Sunflowers do need full sun to perform best.
