Additional notes (click to expand)

Medicinal

Helianthus annuus Greene Asteraceae. Sunflower, Marigold of Peru, Floure of the Sun. Distribution: Peru and Mexico. It was much recommended by Gerard (1633) who advises that the buds, covered in flour, boiled, and eaten with 'butter, vinegar and pepper, far surpass artichokes in procuring bodily lust’. Sadly, today only the seeds of sunflower are consumed, as the source of sunflower seed oil used in cooking. It contains mono and polyunsaturated fats, linoleic acid and oleic acid, and is low in saturated fats. As such it was thought to lower cholesterol and so the risk of heart disease, but it may increase the risk of breast and prostatic cancer. However a recent report BMJ2013;346:e8707 concludes that '... clinical benefits ... [of] omega 6 linoleic acid, have not been established. In this cohort, substituting dietary linoleic acid in place of saturated fats increased the rates of death from all causes, coronary heart disease, and cardiovascular disease. An updated meta-analysis of linoleic acid intervention trials showed no evidence of cardiovascular benefit. ...'. It is a rich source of vitamin E. Not in Fuchs (1552), but elegantly illustrated in Lobel (1576) as Solis flos and Chrysanthemum peruvianum. Hybridising and selective breeding can reduce the level of saturated fats even further, as well as producing scarlet flowers like this cultivar. Darwin’s ‘natural selection’ has been replaced by ‘artificial selection’ as the commonest cause of new varieties of plant.
Oakeley, Dr. Henry F. (2013). Wellcome Library notes. link

The following notes refer to the species of this plant. In traditional medicine a tea made from the leaves is astringent, diuretic and expectorant, it is used in the treatment of high fevers. The crushed leaves are used as a poultice on sores, swellings, snakebites and spider bites. A tea made from the flowers is used in the treatment of malaria and lung ailments[ Foster. S. & Duke. J. A. A Field Guide to Medicinal Plants. Eastern and Central N. America. Houghton Mifflin Co. 1990].
https://pfaf.org https://pfaf.org/user/plant.aspx?LatinName=Helianthus+annuus

Helianthus annuus L. 'Taiyo'

Family: ASTERACEAE
Genus: Helianthus
Species: annuus L.
Cultivar: 'Taiyo'
Distribution summary: N.America, Mexico
Habit: Annual
Hardiness: H2 - Tender; cool or frost-free greenhouse
Garden status: Currently grown
Garden location: Mulberry Tree bed (H)
Flowering months: July, August, September
Reason for growing: Medicinal


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