Gardening has always been a beloved past time all across the world. But even the most dedicated hobbyists never expect to find that theyโve created something incredible that beats the odds. Thatโs why gardener Barry Boyton had to spread the word when he found he grew an incredible sunflower with 27 heads.
The discovery
Barry Boyton does his gardening at an allotment that leaves him plenty of room to work. It also gives him plenty of room to enjoy the fruits of his labor. While itโs usually business as usual for the dedicated gardener, he knew he had something special when he visited his sunflower patch one day.
Standing tall and proud in the middle of his field was a single stem that had bloomed with 27 flower heads. You can imagine his surprise when he saw the growth and can understand why he looks so proud. Several news outlets were quick to visit Boyton at his farm so they could see the incredible growth for themselves.
Why is this hocking?
Botanists will tell you that sunflowers are incredible plants. Thereโs something about their rich and vibrant color and how they track the sun that captures the imagination. Many growers also find sunflowers to be some of the most soothing plants to be around.
While itโs not uncommon for sunflowers to sprout multiple blooms on a single stem, experts botanists say that 20 is the normal maximum. For most sunflower growers, the number is usually closer to 10, at best.
There are no reports on what fertilizer Boyton used or if thereโs something special about his soil, but when flowers beat the odds with unexpectedly plentiful blooms, flower fans take notice. We would love to hear what Boyton has to say and can only hope heโs willing to share tips with sunflower lovers across the globe.
Do all sunflowers grow like this?
If you think you wonโt ever get sunflowers like Boytonโs then donโt worry, because there is hope. Sunflowers actually range in height wildly and exist in two categories. Tall sunflowers, like Boytonโs, can get rather massive.The ranges, in fact, go from 5 to 7 feet in height, to a record setting sunflower from Germany that grew to over 30 feet in height.
With such a wild variety of heights per stem, Boytonโs growths donโt seem so impossible. If you plan on trying to grow your own, just make sure you do your research. 10 foot tall stems and the flowers they bloom might get heavy, so check if you need to install a trellis to keep the whole thing from tipping over.
But is it record-breaking?
We know that Boytonโs sunflower doesnโt beat the world record in height, but does it beat the world record in flower heads? Boytonโs flower has a lot of work to catch up, since the world record was set in 2001. That record is currently held by Melvin Hemker from St. Charles Michigan.
How many do you think he had? 30? 50? 100? When Guinness visited Hemkerโs farm on September 18, 2001, they had a final tally of 837 sunflowers on a single plant. Boyton and these records just show what a green thumb can do.
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