   nt was first domesticated in the Americas. Sunflower seeds were brought to Europe from the Americas in the 16th century, where, along with sunflower oil, they became a widespread cooking ingredient. With time, the bulk of industrial-scale production has shifted to Eastern Europe, and (as of 2020) Russia and Ukraine together produce over half of worldwide seed production. Sunflowers grow best in fertile, moist, well-drained soil with heavy mulch. They often appear on dry open areas and foothills. Outside of cultivation, the common sunflower is found on moist clay-based soils in areas with climates similar to Texas. In contrast, the related Helianthus debilis and Helianthus petiolaris are found on drier, sandier soils. The precise native range is difficult to determine. According to Plants of the World Online (POWO), it is native to Arizona, California, and Nevada in the present-day United States and to all parts of Mexico except the Gulf Coast and southeast. Though not giving much detail, the Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder also lists it as native to the Western United States and Canada. The information published by the Biota of North America Program (BONAP) largely agrees with this, showing the common sunflower as native to states west of the Mississippi, though also listed as a noxious weed in Iowa, Minnesota, and Texas. Regardless of its original range, it can now be found in almost every part of the world that is not tropical, deser  |