The majestic sunflower

I'm sure many of you would agree that sunflowers, Helianthus annuus, are stunning. I love how their stately heads move with the sun. These majestic flowers tower over the rest of the garden in late summer. The ancients may have felt the same way as they have cultivated them for millennia what is now Mexico.

As gardeners may have noticed, the pollinators love them too! We all know how yummy the seeds are (plus our parrots and hens enjoy them), they can also be eaten as sprouts, the green heads may be eaten raw, the peeled stalks are much like celery and the roots may be sliced and dined on raw.

I'm sure you're all wondering, is the sunflower really a herb? The short answer is yes! The first I knew of this was about 12 months ago when I heard Mimi Prunella Hernandez talk at NZAMH's conference. She has also written a monograph about it in her Herbal.

Now for the medicinal parts:

🌻the yellow petals are a rich source of flavonoids and may be infused to make a tea to support collagen or used as a gargle for sore throat or bleeding gums.

🌻the leaves are stronger medicinally as they age, becoming more bitter.

🌻topically the leaves are used for: their astringent properties including for wounds as a dressing and to dry it out; for their diaphoretic properties traditionally to draw out a fever by using it as a liniment and wrapping the person up so they sweat it out; as a poultice for bites and stings and scratches.