The annual sunflower (Helianthus annus) has a long history in North America, with evidence of its cultivation for food, ceremonial and medical use by Native Americans dating back to at least 1,000 B.C.
Sunflower seeds are said to have been brought to Europe by Spanish explorers around the late 16th century, and eventually found their way to Eastern Europe. Ukraine is now the world’s leading producer of the plants.
