Sunflower, suriyakanthi in Tamil and surajmukhi in Hindi, is a tall North American daisy grown for oil, snack seeds and its giant golden heads. Native Americans domesticated it more than four thousand years ago. Russian breeders later raised its oil content and made it a major oil crop. In India it is grown mainly in Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra, though the country imports most of its sunflower oil.
- Botanical name
- Helianthus annuus L.
- Family
- Asteraceae
- Tamil
- Suriyakanthi
- Hindi
- Surajmukhi
- Parts used
- Seed after hulling
- Habit
- Sunflower; the seed is food after hulling, not a children’s raw binge of a whole head
- Last updated
- 2026-10-27
How to recognise Suriyakanthi
It is a coarse, hairy annual, often taller than a person, with a stout, usually unbranched stem.
The leaves are large, rough and heart-shaped, with long stalks.
The head is a cluster of hundreds of tiny disc florets in the centre, arranged in interlocking spirals, ringed by yellow ray florets that look like petals.
The seeds are flat, pointed achenes, either black oilseed types or larger grey-and-white striped snack types.
Young flower buds turn with the sun during the day; mature heads stop moving and mostly face east.
Traditional use of Suriyakanthi
Kitchen
Sunflower oil is a common Indian cooking oil, and roasted seeds are sold as snacks and added to breads and trail mixes.
Indian food practice
Native American use
Native American peoples ground the seed into flour, pressed it for oil, and used the flowers for dye.
North American ethnobotany
Farming
In Karnataka sunflower is sown in the rabi season in black soils of Raichur, Kalaburagi and Vijayapura.
Karnataka farm practice
Modern notes on Suriyakanthi
A 2016 study found that east-facing mature heads warm up faster in the morning and attract more bees.
Standard sunflower oil is high in linoleic acid, and high-oleic varieties have been bred for frying stability.
The seeds supply vitamin E, magnesium and protein, along with many calories.
War in Ukraine in 2022 disrupted world sunflower oil supplies and raised edible oil prices in India.
Suriyakanthi safety
Do not swallow sunflower seed shells. Children who eat large amounts of seeds with shells can develop blockages in the bowel. Salted snack seeds can be very high in salt.
Ecology and sourcing
Wild sunflowers grow across the plains of North America.
Hybrid seed production depends on honeybees and other bees.
Seed heads left standing feed birds such as finches and parakeets.
Related plants
Also in Asteraceae
Questions about Suriyakanthi
Do sunflowers follow the sun?
Young buds do; mature heads mostly face east.
Where is sunflower grown in India?
Mainly in Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra.
What is the difference between black and striped seeds?
Black seeds are oil types; striped ones are snack types.
Are the shells edible?
No. Spit them out.
Are the yellow petals real petals?
They are ray florets, each a separate small flower.
Sources
- Helianthus annuus L. — Plants of the World Online, Kew (search) (accessed 2026)
- Wikidata item Q171497 (Helianthus annuus)
Educational page about a plant. It is not medical advice, not a diagnosis, and not an offer to sell. Traditional use is historical. If you need care, ask a licensed clinician. Questions: hello@meevamed.com.