Summer is finally here! And with that in mind, I’ve collected a bunch of neat facts about Sunflowers to brighten everyone’s day. Sunflowers practically scream "summer time" with their huge golden heads that sway in the sunshine and their massive stems that reach towards the sky. Here are 5 interesting facts that I learned about Sunflowers that I never would have expected.

1. Sunflowers were originally cultivated by Native Americans as a source for food.  Archeologists estimate that Sunflower cultivation dates back to more than 8,000 years ago, and even began before corn, squash, or beans. Until recent years, the only reason for growing Sunflowers was to consume them. Growing Sunflowers for decorational purposes only is actually a fairly recent practice.

2. Sunflower stems were the original filler material for Personal Floatation Devices/Life Jackets.

3. Sunflowers are one of the official flowers of the Leo in the Zodiac. They are also the official flower of the Vegan Society as well as the official representation of "Green" Ideology. The Sunflower is the state flower of Kansas and the city flower for Kitakyushu, Japan, and the national flower of Russia.

4. Sunflowers get their name not only from their resemblance to the Sun, but also from the fact that Sunflower heads actually track the movement of the Sun throughout the day. This is  called Heliotropism, which means that Sunflower heads point East in the morning, stand up straight in the afternoon, and point West in the evenings- just like our Sun.

5. Sunflowers make great subjects for Art. Because of their delicate charateristics and unqiue dimensions, Sunflowers are a common subject for artists to paint. Noted artists Van Gogh and Picasso both enjoyed painting Sunflowers.