Why sunflowers follow the sun?

I found this article few years back and found it interesting to know a little more about the secret life of sunflowers.

NPR Choice page

 

That's a nice informative article - thanks for posting it! I have seen fields of sunflowers on holiday in the south of France and yup they will always all be facing the same way!

On the same theme there is a famous self-portrait by the C17 artist Anthony van Dyck, in which he paints himself with an enormous sunflower - see below. The symbolism is a bit obscure, but again it's believed he chose a sunflower because of the way it follows the sun's rays - he was the principal painter at the court of Charles I at this point, and the gold chain he is showing us had been given him by the king. "Like the flower I rejoice in the sun's [king's] rays," I think he's saying.

 

That's an interesting article. This is the first time we have grown sunflowers, my 9 year old daughter did them seed and currently around 5ft high.

I was wondering how they will end up looking in the front garden if they face away from the public footpath.

Sunflowers are my fave flowers, they always make me smile.

 

Hi colo why not join in with the bit of fun in this thread .
TALLEST SUNFLOWER AND LARGEST SUNFLOWER HEAD 2018