The Arikara Sunflower
Pictured above are a couple photos that I snapped at the Stanhope Heritage Museum today, where I take care of the gardens.
I'm so pleased that they grew this well and grateful I didn't forget to go armed with my camera today!
The Arikara is more than just an rare heirloom. It's a sunflower rich in history.
It was originally collected from the Arikara First Nations in North Dakota, and amazingly, it grows in a range of flower head sizes and types due to it's diverse genetic origins.
You can see the smaller group in the picture, behind the large one in front.
The flowers here are growing with different shades of yellow, some heads are large single blooms, and some have smaller multiple-heads.
The single head, pictured here spans 1 foot across! Just marvelous!
The stalks can grow to 12 feet; Mine shown here are 6 feet tall, and the flowers, (I'm told, since I haven't tasted them yet), produce very tasty seeds. I can tell you that the bees were all over them!!
Everything I grow in the gardens, both at my studio and the Stanhope Museum is
done by using organic methods.
These seeds I purchased were certified organic.
Am waiting patiently in the hopes that I can collect the seeds from these magnificent plants.
Happy Gardening : )
Links about the history of Arikara:
~ http://www.umext.maine.edu/Somerset/MasterGardener/Past%20Issues%20MG%20News/MG%20News%20Sept07.pdf
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