by Elizabeth Jardina, Sunset researcher; photo by Rob D. Brodman
Here's a win-win: Planting sunflowers this spring can help the West's bees thrive.
Oh, and add another win: This year, you can grow them for free, thanks to the Great Sunflower Project.
Before we get to the feel-good part about how bees need pollen-rich flowers to survive in our paved over urban and suburban landscapes, let's talk first about how fantastic sunflowers are.
Shockingly easy to grow, sunflowers are bold and tough. You can't beat them for summery color along a fence line, and they grow thrillingly fast, going from a seed to 10 feet tall in just a few weeks. (Here at Sunset, we planted this beauty, 'Jerusalem Sunrise Lemon', in our ultimate veggie garden.)
Plus, sunflowers are great for wildlife. Bees and other pollinators feed on their pollen-laden centers; squirrels and birds feast on their seeds as they mature. (Sure, you could think up an elaborate scheme to preserve the seeds for yourself, but let the birds have a little fun, will you?)
The Great Sunflower Project is looking for citizen scientists all over the U.S. to plant sunflowers and then observe how many and what kind of bees buzz by them. (All they're asking for is for you to take a look for 30 minutes twice a month and record what you see.) They're looking for folks to plant in urban, suburban, and rural environments. Participants can be any age.
When all the data is in, San Francisco State University scientists will use it to make a coast-to-coast pollination map, showing where bees are and aren't throughout the United States.
Kits, with seeds for native sunflowers, are free and are being mailed out now. Join by visiting the project's website, or call (415) 847-1716.
