How Our Florists Create Fresh Sunflower Arrangements
Sunflowers are grown as ornamental plants and cut flowers, and while they are most often found in the summer and fall seasons, local flower shops import these beautiful blooms year-round. Our floral designers cut each stem on an angle before arranging it in a vase of fresh water, seeking to preserve its beauty as long as possible; you can expect these fresh-cut flowers to last anywhere from three to seven days.
Sunflowers work well in many types of floral designs, such as:
- A monobotanical birthday sunflower bouquet that puts these sunny blooms in the spotlight
- A linear design with tall sunflower stems and accentuated heads
- A natural bouquet of sunflowers, daisy pom poms, and feverfew daisies
- A colorful summer mix of happy birthday sunflowers, roses, alstroemeria, asiatic lilies, and button mums
- A fall basket of sunflowers, chrysanthemums, solid aster, carnations, and wheat
There is really no wrong way to display sunflowers! Our florists can use them to create an earthy and natural bouquet or a compact and sleek design, depending on what you're looking for in a sunflower birthday arrangement. Simply looking at a vase of bright and cheery sunflowers on your desk can be instantly mood-lifting, making your loved one smile even when you can't be there in person. So the next time you or someone you care about needs a pick-me-up or you want to send someone a birthday gift they'll love, a bouquet of sunflowers is a great choice. Order a sunflower bouquet from Kremp Florist online today and we'll make sure it gets there quickly and in perfect condition, ready to bring light and life to the home of someone you care about.
Interesting Facts About Sunflowers
A happy birthday sunflower bouquet has been a great birthday gift for generations, with people appreciating their beauty for hundreds of years. Many artists have been attracted to the yellow blossoms, especially during the Impressionist period, when Vincent van Gogh and Claude Monet featured many sunflowers in their famous paintings. But sunflowers are not only beautiful to look at. Humans from 1000 B.C.E. to the modern era have relied on sunflowers for nourishment and a healthy body. Learning a little about these flowers can give you a whole new appreciation for them!
The Helianthus: A Botanical Wonder
Helianthus is the genus that includes 70 species of flowering plants, including sunflowers. The common sunflower that most of us know and love is called Helianthus annuus. Sunflowers can be either annual plants (meaning they only live for one season) or perennial plants (meaning they survive over dormant seasons). Sunflowers can come in all shapes and sizes, but the largest blooms, known as giant sunflowers, can grow between 6 and 14 feet tall. Each sunflower has one head that grows from its stem, and each head features a natural spiral of petals. The petals can be many shades of yellow, brown, or red.
One fun fact about sunflowers is that young plants will turn to face the sun as it moves across the sky throughout the day. This movement with the sun is called heliotropism. When the flowers start to bloom, however, they will stop tracking the sun and generally face east.
Sunflowers' Native Habitat
Sunflowers are native to North and Central America and tend to grow best in temperate and tropical climates. It is believed that sunflowers were first domesticated in Mexico and the southern U.S. about 3,000 to 5,000 years ago by Native Americans.
Around the 16th century, explorers brought the variety to Europe, where it became equally beloved as it was in its homeland. Russians especially embraced the plant, recognizing its ability to be made into oil. Russia was already a major producer of seed oils, so the country began growing sunflowers on a commercial scale to create sunflower oil for cooking.
A Useful Flower
The usefulness of sunflowers was recognized by early Native American growers of the plant. The seeds are good for eating and provide beneficial antioxidants, phenolic acids, flavinoids, and vitamins. They have also been used to feed domestic cattle and poultry. The seeds can be made into healthy oil that can be used for cooking or put into dressings.
Sunflowers have also been used by farmers as a natural insect deterrent. That's because sunflowers are masters at attracting pollinating insects to wherever you plant them. Their heads evolved to be extra-large targets, even in their native dry climates where bugs can be more scarce. Farmers discovered that if they planted sunflowers near their crops, insects would be more attracted to the sunflowers and leave the farmers' crops alone. This helped keep the crops free of insect damage.
Say Happy Birthday With Sunflowers and Send a Ray of Sunshine to Someone Special
At Kremp Florist, we've been arranging and delivering fresh flowers all over the country for more than six decades, and our experienced florists would be glad to help you choose the perfect birthday bouquet. Sunflower arrangements are a great choice to send anyone you care about, especially on a special day like their birthday! And when you order your sunflower birthday gift before 12:30 p.m. in your loved one's time zone, we can even have it on their doorstep this afternoon. Shop with Kremp today and send someone a smile!
