Wall Flower Studio Garden

The Arikara Sunflower

Pictured above is photo that snapped at the Stanhope Heritage Museum today, where I take maintain the gardens.

I'm so pleased that they grew this well and grateful I didn't forget to go at least once, armed with my camera!

The Arikara is more than just an rare heirloom. It's a sunflower rich in history.

It was originally collected from the Arikara First Nations in North Dakota, and amazingly, it grows in a range of flower head sizes and types due to it's diverse genetic origins.

The flowers here are growing with different shades of yellow, some heads are large single blooms, and some have smaller multiple-heads.

The single head, pictured here spans 1 foot across! Just marvelous!

The stalks can grow to 12 feet; Mine shown here are 7+ feet tall, and the flowers produce very tasty seeds. I can tell you that the bees were all over them!!

Everything I grow in the gardens, both at my studio and the Stanhope Museum is

done using organic methods only.

The Arikara seeds I originally purchased were certified organic.

Have since collected the seeds from these magnificent plants and offer them here on Local Harvest. Please check my farm listing. Thank you!

Happy Gardening : )

Links about the history of Arikara:

~ http://www.umext.maine.edu/Somerset/MasterGardener/Past%20Issues%20MG%20News/MG%20News%20Sept07.pdf

~ http://www.lenapeprograms.info/Food/food&recipes.htm

~ http://www.bigorrin.org/arikara_kids.htm