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Kiara Smith

Project 1

Honey Bees and Humans, Fall 2017

Sunflowers and Pollinators

As a high school graduation gift, a friend of mine offered me a corner of her garden in

Warrior’s Mark, PA, to plant whatever I’d like. In part, this was an opportunity for me to get out

of the house over summer break, but it also meant I could finally do something for the bees I

talked incessantly about. Naturally, we planted a selection of vegetables, including tomatoes, but

I was most excited for the sunflowers (Helianthus annuus). I knew they were a boon to local

pollinators, including bumblebees, and while we gardened every week I watched them grow

taller and taller. Then, when the blooms finally opened, the bees practically swarmed the

flowers––around noon on a warm day at the end of August, I counted eight bees of at least three

species, including bumblebees (Bombus), honey bees (Apis mellifera), and carpenter bees

(Xylocopa) on one flower head. Later, I observed the flower changing while the bees crawled

over them; it appeared as though they were opening the inside petals or flowers or something

inside the disc of the flower. I found this intriguing, especially upon realising I had no idea how

sunflowers worked; I knew the inside disc would eventually become sunflower seeds, but how

they came to that point confused me.

As it turns out, a sunflower’s most recognisable petals are nothing but sterile ray flowers,

growing around the disc to attract pollinators. They unfold around the flower during blooming

season and then fall off while the seeds mature. The real action is in the sunflower’s dark inner

disc, which consists of hundreds of tiny flowers clustered together, with both male and female

parts. These flowers will produce seeds after pollination (MacKenzie). Similarly to the ray
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florets, the inner flowers begin flowering at one side of the head and open in rows at about 4

rows a day, depending on flower stress, influenced primarily by temperature, but also water

supply, sunlight and more. They open early in the morning, releasing 5 anthers to form a tube;

later in the same day pollen and the flower’s stigma extend, while the tube itself retreats. The

exposed stigma must attract a pollinator or self pollinate within 2 days, or else it withers and the

seed will remains useless. Here access to water is critical, as without it the anthers and stigma

would be unable to extend properly. After pollination is a stage of maturation, during which the

seeds complete their own growing process (Connor). So while I was correct in noticing the

gradual opening of the disc flowers, it was the flower itself opening and releasing its stigmas––

not the bees. So then, what do bees do for sunflowers?

The usefulness of bees for sunflower seed yield has been heavily researched. Many

sunflowers can self pollinate, as pollen is spread by wind between florets in a single disc.

However, insect pollination is still more beneficial to sunflowers, especially in times of stress.

There are two primary theories working together to explain this. First, bees could increase self

pollination rate, spreading it while crawling between florets on a single disc. Secondly, bees

could also transfer pollen between rows, promoting greater genetic diversity; one study found

bees carrying pollen from over six rows away from the flower it was on. Nevertheless, the bees’

merits differ between type of sunflower, as some are more compatible to self pollination. Bees

can also expedite the pollination process. As mentioned previously, flowers naturally lose florets

in times of high stress (such as low humidity, high temperatures, etc) and must be pollinated

within two days of opening; bees may offset this loss by pollinating the florets quickly enough

the stigmas don’t wither away before pollination (DeGrandi-Hoffman and Chambers).

Sunflowers also perform better in lower temperatures because it preserves water supply and
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encourages them to produce nectar, attracting more bees (Ribbands). To this end, it’s possible

bumblebees are even better than honey bees at pollinating sunflowers, as they perform better in

cooler temperatures, rainier climates, and with less sunlight (Mahmut Murat Aslan and Cicek

Yavuksuz).

Overall, sunflowers can complete their own complicated life cycle without bees, or at

least, some species can; however, bees still benefit sunflowers by increasing genetic diversity,

increasing overall seed yield, and overcoming times of limited resources for the sunflowers. The

bees benefit from the abundance of pollen and nectar the massive flower heads produce. So

while my beginning hypothesis was wrong, I did learn about the sunflower life cycle, why they

attract so many pollinators, and how exactly they make those tasty seeds.
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Sunflower Florets Opening Over Time

Image Credit: Kiara Smith, 30 Aug 2017 and Sept 2017

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Works Cited

Aslan, Mahmut M. and Cicek Yavuksuz. “Effect of Honey Bee (Apis mellifera L.) and

Bumblebee (Bombus terrestris L.) Pollinators on Yield and Yield Factors in Sunflower

(Helianthus annuus L.) Production Areas.” Journal of Animal and Veterinary Advances,

Vol 9, Issue 10, 2010. DOI: 10.3923/javaa.2010.332.335

Connor, David J, and Anthony J. Hall. “Sunflower Physiology.” Sunflower Technology and

Production, Agronomy Monograph 35. ASA, CSSA, SSSA, 1997. Ch 4, pg 113-182.

doi:10.2134/agronmonogr35.c4

Degrandi-Hoffman, Gloria and Mona Chambers. “Effects of Honey Bee (Hymenoptera: Apidae)

Foraging on Seed Set in Self-fertile Sunflowers (Helianthus annuus L).” Environmental

Entomology, Volume 35, Issue 4, 2006. https://doi.org/10.1603/0046-225X-35.4.1103

MacKenzie, Jill. “Sunflowers.” University of Minnesota Extension. 1999. www.extension

.umn.edu/garden/yard-garden/flowers/sunflowers/

Ribbands C.R. “Part II Individual Behaviour in the Field.” The Behaviour And Social Life Of

Honeybees. Bee Research Association, London, UK, 1953.