The Mighty Sunflower

Black oil sunflower seed, either in the shell or as sunflower chips, is the most popular seed among both birds and birders. It is extremely high in fat and nutrients. But where does this avian superfood come from?

The Common Sunflower (Helianthus Annuus) is native to North America. Sunflowers get their name from the plant’s ability to move its flower heads to follow the sun throughout the day. Once the flowers mature, they lock into an east-facing position. This allows the flowers to warm up earlier in the day and attract more pollinators.

Sunflowers compete with other plants for sunlight and space by growing rapidly and having broad leaves which shade out smaller plants. Sunflowers also produce toxins that act as a natural herbicide, preventing other plants from growing nearby.

As the flowers mature, the petals wilt away to reveal tightly packed rows of seeds. If the sunflower is left standing, birds and other wildlife will feed from the seed head well into autumn and winter. The sunflower stalks provided winter shelter for native bees and other insects, so gardeners may want let the stalks remain even after all the seeds are gone.

Sunflowers disperse their seeds in two ways. Some will simply drop to the ground near the base of the parent plant and sprout the following year. Other seeds are dispersed by birds and other wildlife. Unlike the seeds of many fruits, which pass through the digestive system intact, sunflower seeds that are eaten cannot sprout. But in the process of feeding, wildlife will either drop some seeds or bury them for future use. Some of these seeds will sprout, spreading the plant to new areas.

Sunflowers were widely used by Native American nations since at least 3000 BCE. In the 1500s, the plant was introduced to Europe by Spanish explorers and became a popular ornamental throughout the continent. In the 1700s, sunflowers were grown for oil production and by the early 1800s, Russia was growing over 2 million acres of sunflower.

Global demand for sunflower oil inspired the growth of sunflower farming in North America in the late 19^th and early 20^th Centuries. Newly developed varieties and hybrids increased the level of oil production and made the U.S. and Canada major players in the global market, although the U.S. currently produces only about one tenth of the amount grown in Russia or Ukraine.

While most of the sunflower seed produced worldwide is used for sunflower oil, about one third of the U.S. crop (where BYBS seed comes from) is grown for bird seed. That amounts to over 600 million pounds going to keep our backyard birds happy and well-fed.