Many believe sunflower heads follow the sun, but only young buds do—mature flowers stay fixed, usually facing east.

Bright and bold, sunflowers are loved by bees, birds and just about everyone. The name of their genus, helianthus, comes from the Greek words for sun (helios) and flower (anthos). These annual plants are known for their large, daisy-like flowers and radiant charm. While sunflowers come in shades of red, orange and maroon, it's the classic yellow blooms with brown centres that are the most common. Beyond their good looks, sunflowers are grown for their tasty seeds, which are snacked on, pressed for cooking oil or offered as a treat for birds.

In India, sunflower is sown during the kharif season from late June to mid-July in light soils and up to late August in heavy soils. In the rabi season, sowing is done between September and November. Traditionally grown in Karnataka, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh, sunflower cultivation has now expanded to Haryana, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.