It appears even larger on Kansas' largely treeless plains. I like to think of Kansas' sunflower as a bridge between the present and the past. Fields that are left untended may be become overrun by sunflowers for a few years. Eventually, the sunflowers are replaced by native grasses. The sunflower ranks as one of the most commercially valuable flowers.
Sunflower oil is another commercial product.
Other products are made from the oil and from the stalk. Eight books that will brighten your life.