Enchanting sunflower field in the Oderbruch

by Silva Wischeropp

This enchanting nature motif was taken on 14 September 2021 in the early evening hours in the rural area of the Oderbruch in the district of Märkisch-Oderland.
The photo was taken with the NIKON D90 camera (lens: SIGMA 18.0-70.0 mm f/3.5-4.5).

A few decades after the "discovery" of America by Columbus, Spanish sailors brought the first sunflowers to Europe. It was soon discovered that the sunflower was not only a pleasant sight, but also useful. However, it took around 300 years before sunflowers were cultivated on a large scale in Europe for oil production in the 19th century - initially in Russia, by the way. Even today, the largest cultivation areas are in Eastern Europe, as well as in France and, of course, North America.

The sunflower not only has a sun-like appearance. It is also one of the plants that can orientate its inflorescence according to the position of the sun. This is due to a special substance that makes the plant grow stronger on the shaded side, so that the stem turns towards the sun. In the garden and in the field, sunflowers grow to a height of two to three metres, and there are now hundreds of varieties, from dwarf ones, where the huge inflorescence almost touches the ground, to true giants. With the right variety, plenty of fertiliser and a supporting framework, some garden owners even grow specimens over seven metres high.