The sunflower or Helianthus annuus is an annual flower which is famous for its extremely large and vividly yellow blooms. Sunflowers are native to South America, but they are widely cultivated all over the world today as ornamentals, food plants, and for their valuable oil. Many people enjoy growing sunflowers, because they are quite easy to grow and they are a great way to brighten even a small garden.
It is estimated that the sunflower was domesticated around 1500 BCE in South America, presumably for the purpose of utilizing the oil-rich and highly nutritious seeds. Sunflowers were also used as a source of dye. When European explorers were introduced to the sunflower, they brought it back with them, with sunflower cultivation in Europe dating to around the 1600s. France in particular has become famous for its sunflowers, perhaps because of Van Gogh's lush paintings of sunflower fields in bloom.