The sunflower is an annual plant native to the Americas.
It possesses a large inflorescence and its name is derived from the flower's shape which is often used to depict the sun.
The sunflower moves itself in the most direct position in front of the sun so it can get the maximum sun rays.
The plant has a rough, hairy stem, broad, coarsely toothed, rough leaves, and circular flower heads.
The heads consist of many individual flowers which mature into seeds, often in the hundreds, on a receptacle base.
In Native American symbolism, the sunflower is used in late summer festivals as a symbol of bounty, harvest and provision.
It is a symbol of the sun, and thus likened to the life-giving force of the Great Spirit.
The color of the sunflower was noted for its vitality and symbolic of energy as well as fertility.