The sunflower plant (scientific name: Helianthus annuus) is a large perennial plant with a large flowering head (inflorescence). It can grow as high as 3m and the flower head can reach 30cm in diameter. Sunflowers grow best in fertile, moist and well-drained soil with a lot of sunlight. In plantations seeds are planted 45 cm apart. The plant is grown for its seeds which can be roasted and sold as a snack food, processed into oil or margarine, used to make a type of bread, mixed into muesli or sold as bird feed. The cake remaining after the seeds have been processed for oil is used as a livestock feed.
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