Red sunflower facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Red sunflower |
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The red sunflower, also called the Mexican sunflower, is a beautiful plant. Its scientific name is Tithonia rotundifolia. It belongs to the Asteraceae family, which is also known as the daisy family. This plant originally comes from the warmer and wetter parts of North America.
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Where the Red Sunflower Grows
The red sunflower naturally grows in places like Florida, Louisiana, Mexico, Central America, and the West Indies. It loves warm and moist weather.
People also plant these sunflowers in their gardens because they are so pretty. Sometimes, these plants escape from gardens and start growing wild in new places. This is called becoming "naturalized." You can even find them growing in parts of Africa, sometimes high up in the mountains!
What the Red Sunflower Looks Like
Red sunflowers can grow very tall, sometimes up to 4 meters (about 13 feet)! In their natural homes, they can live for many years. This means they are a "perennial" plant.
However, in colder places, they usually only live for one year. This makes them an "annual" plant there. Their flowers are bright orange or red, making them easy to spot.
Red Sunflower Flowers and Insects
The bright flowers of the red sunflower are very popular with many insects. They come to drink the sweet nectar inside the flowers.
One special visitor is the Monarch butterfly. These butterflies travel long distances, and the red sunflower provides an important food source for them during their journey.
The leaves of the red sunflower are shaped like triangles or spears. They can sometimes have small lobes, which are like little bumps or divisions on the edges.
See also
In Spanish: Tithonia rotundifolia para niños
