🌻

Annual Sunflower

Helianthus annuus

Not Evaluated →

Diet

Autotroph

Lifespan

1 years

Length

3.0 m

Trend

→ Stable

On this page

About

One of the world's most cultivated flowering plants and an economically critical oilseed crop, sunflowers are native to North America and can reach 3 meters in height with flower heads up to 30 cm across. Their distinctive behavior of tracking the sun — solar heliotropism in young plants — gave them their name. A single sunflower head consists of up to 2,000 tiny individual florets. Global production exceeds 50 million tonnes annually, valued for oil, seeds, and birdfeed.

Fun Facts

✨ A single sunflower head can contain up to 2,000 seeds.
✨ They were first cultivated over 4,500 years ago.
✨ Sunflowers can extract toxins from contaminated soil.

Habitat & Distribution

Inhabits montane grasslands and shrublands and Mediterranean forests and woodlands within the Palearctic biogeographic realm.

🏗️ Artificial - Terrestrial 🌿 Grassland

Widely distributed across Africa (12 countries), Asia (7 countries), Europe (30 countries), North America (Canada, United States), Oceania and the Pacific (Australia, Marshall Islands), and South America (4 countries).

🇦🇱 Albania 🇦🇷 Argentina 🇦🇺 Australia 🇦🇹 Austria 🇧🇾 Belarus 🇧🇪 Belgium 🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina 🇧🇷 Brazil 🇨🇦 Canada 🇹🇩 Chad 🇨🇴 Colombia 🇰🇲 Comoros 🇨🇩 Congo (DRC) 🇭🇷 Croatia 🇨🇿 Czech Republic 🇩🇰 Denmark 🇪🇪 Estonia 🇫🇷 France 🇩🇪 Germany 🇬🇷 Greece 🇭🇺 Hungary 🇮🇸 Iceland 🇮🇳 India 🇮🇪 Ireland 🇮🇱 Israel 🇮🇹 Italy 🇯🇵 Japan 🇰🇪 Kenya 🇱🇾 Libya 🇱🇮 Liechtenstein 🇲🇬 Madagascar 🇲🇼 Malawi 🇲🇭 Marshall Islands 🇲🇩 Moldova 🇲🇦 Morocco 🇳🇦 Namibia 🇳🇱 Netherlands 🇳🇴 Norway 🇵🇪 Peru 🇵🇭 Philippines 🇵🇹 Portugal 🇷🇴 Romania 🇷🇺 Russia 🇷🇼 Rwanda 🇸🇨 Seychelles 🇸🇰 Slovakia 🇸🇮 Slovenia 🇿🇦 South Africa 🇪🇸 Spain 🇸🇪 Sweden 🇨🇭 Switzerland 🇹🇼 Taiwan 🇹🇷 Turkey 🇺🇦 Ukraine 🇬🇧 United Kingdom 🇺🇸 United States 🇾🇪 Yemen

Diet & Behavior

🍴

Autotroph

Annual Sunflower is classified as autotroph, adapted to its ecological niche.

Diet

🍽️ Autotroph

Full Taxonomy

Kingdom

Plantae (Plants)

Phylum

Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)

Class

Magnoliopsida (Dicots)

Order

Asterales (Daisies & Sunflowers)

Family

Asteraceae (Daisy Family)

Genus

Helianthus (Sunflowers)

Species

Helianthus annuus (Annual Sunflower)

Names in Other Languages

Spanish girassol

French Tournesol

German Einjaehrige Sonnenblume

Portuguese girassol

Turkish Aycicegi

Similar Species in Helianthus

Helianthus arizonensis

Helianthus laetiflorus

Helianthus californicus

Least Concern

🌻

Dark-eyed Sunflower

Helianthus atrorubens

Not Evaluated

View all species in Helianthus →

Explore More

Artificial - Terrestrial

Compare Species

vs Anomalus Sunflower vs Arizona Sunflower vs ashy sunflower vs Beach Sunflower

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the scientific name of Annual Sunflower?

The scientific name of Annual Sunflower is Helianthus annuus. It belongs to the genus Helianthus.

Where does Annual Sunflower live?

Annual Sunflower is found in Widely distributed across Africa (12 countries), Asia (7 countries), Europe (30 countries), North America (Canada, United States), Oceania and the Pacific (Australia, Marshall Islands), and South America (4 countries).. Countries include Albania, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Canada, Chad.

What family does Annual Sunflower belong to?

Annual Sunflower (Helianthus annuus) belongs to the genus Helianthus, which is part of the taxonomic family Asteraceae.

What does Annual Sunflower eat?

Annual Sunflower is autotroph. Its diet is adapted to its natural habitat and ecological niche.

How long does Annual Sunflower live?

Annual Sunflower has an average lifespan of approximately 1 years in the wild.

What kingdom does Annual Sunflower belong to?

Annual Sunflower (Helianthus annuus) belongs to the kingdom Plantae (Plants).

What are the closest relatives of Annual Sunflower?

The closest relatives of Annual Sunflower in the genus Helianthus include Anomalus Sunflower, Arizona Sunflower, ashy sunflower, Beach Sunflower, Beautiful Sunflower.