{"id":148369,"date":"2025-06-13T02:58:04","date_gmt":"2025-06-13T07:58:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=148369"},"modified":"2025-06-12T14:38:55","modified_gmt":"2025-06-12T19:38:55","slug":"blooming-sunflower-volunteer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2025\/06\/13\/blooming-sunflower-volunteer\/","title":{"rendered":"Blooming Sunflower Volunteer"},"content":{"rendered":"

Today I’m sharing a simple photo of a beautiful blooming Sunflower volunteer that popped up on its own, grew, and bloomed without any planning.<\/p>\n

\"BloomingBlooming Sunflower volunteer in Arkansas \u2013 Canon R7, handheld, f9, 1\/160, ISO 1600, -0.7 EV, Canon EF 100-400mm II at 400mm, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

Sunflowers are from the genus Helianthus<\/em>, and this one likely grew from seeds that spilled out of the bird feeder. Some sunflowers are native to North America, and this one is probably a cultivar of one of the wild species.<\/p>\n

When someone says a plant is cultivated<\/em>, they mean it was grown on purpose by people, usually for food, beauty, or other uses. It didn\u2019t just grow wild on its own.<\/p>\n

A cultivar<\/em> is short for \u201ccultivated variety.\u201d It means the plant was specially bred by people to have certain traits, like brighter flowers, bigger fruit, or a specific shape or color. So instead of being a wild plant, it\u2019s a version people have helped shape through growing and selecting it over time.<\/p>\n

Sunflowers are grown commercially for a bunch of different reasons. The biggest one is sunflower oil.<\/p>\n

They are also grown for birdseed. Black oil sunflower seeds are a favorite for backyard birds. Striped sunflower seeds are the kind you usually see sold as snacks for people, roasted and salted or sometimes flavored.<\/p>\n

Sunflowers<\/span><\/a> are also grown just for their looks. Some varieties are meant for cut flowers or to brighten up gardens. And farmers sometimes plant them to help pollinators or use them as a cover crop to improve soil health.<\/p>\n

They are tough, versatile, and good-looking, which is probably why I like them so much.<\/p>\n

I’m hoping this bloom gets pollinated. I’d really like to see what the seeds look like later in the year.<\/p>\n

By the way, I called this blooming sunflower a “volunteer” because it grew on its own without any planting or planning from anyone.<\/p>\n

Volunteer plants pop up naturally from seeds that were dropped or left behind, often by birds or previous plants. They show up where you didn\u2019t put them, doing their own thing, and that\u2019s exactly what happened with this sunflower.<\/p>\n

Life is<\/em> good.<\/p>\n

Mia<\/p>\n

Click here<\/span><\/a> to see more of my wildflower, shrub and tree photos.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Today I’m sharing a simple photo of a beautiful blooming Sunflower volunteer that popped up on its own, grew, and bloomed without any planning.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":148365,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[13950,13951,5344],"tags":[6627,6098,6663,13331,13330,9853,6518,13931,16523,6583,156,5052,105,16524,13966],"class_list":["post-148369","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-arkansas","category-sebastian-county","category-trees-shrubs-and-flowers","tag-bloom","tag-blooming","tag-blossom","tag-cultivar","tag-cultivated","tag-flower","tag-flowering","tag-garden","tag-helianthus","tag-leaves","tag-low-light-2","tag-sunflower","tag-sunflowers","tag-volunteer","tag-yard"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/sunflower-volunteer-low-light-mia-mcpherson-0171.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-CB3","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":149243,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2025\/06\/23\/blooming-sunflower-shadows-and-bugs\/","url_meta":{"origin":148369,"position":0},"title":"Blooming Sunflower, Shadows And Bugs","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"June 23, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"I appreciated how this volunteer sunflower glowed against the darkly shadowed background yesterday morning after the sun rose above the trees.","rel":"","context":"In "Arkansas"","block_context":{"text":"Arkansas","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/arkansas\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Sunflower, shadows and bugs, Sebastian County, Arkansas","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/sunflower-shadows-and-bugs-mia-mcpherson-0238.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/sunflower-shadows-and-bugs-mia-mcpherson-0238.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/sunflower-shadows-and-bugs-mia-mcpherson-0238.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/sunflower-shadows-and-bugs-mia-mcpherson-0238.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":106572,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2022\/09\/28\/blooming-sunflower-and-bee\/","url_meta":{"origin":148369,"position":1},"title":"Blooming Sunflower And Bee","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"September 28, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Nowadays, I don't take as many photos of cultivated flowers, but in the fall, I can't help but take pictures of a sunflower field close to the nature center at Farmington Bay WMA.","rel":"","context":"In "Davis County"","block_context":{"text":"Davis County","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/davis-county-utah\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Sunflower and a bee, Farmington Bay WMA, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/sunflower-in-bloom-mia-mcpherson-7527.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/sunflower-in-bloom-mia-mcpherson-7527.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/sunflower-in-bloom-mia-mcpherson-7527.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/sunflower-in-bloom-mia-mcpherson-7527.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":115606,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2023\/09\/04\/sunflower-photos-on-a-rainy-morning\/","url_meta":{"origin":148369,"position":2},"title":"Sunflower Photos On A Rainy Morning","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"September 4, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"When I'm not photographing birds, I photograph whatever catches my eye. Last September, my focus shifted to sunflower photography near Farmington Bay WMA.","rel":"","context":"In "Davis County"","block_context":{"text":"Davis County","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/davis-county-utah\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Sunflower blooming in Utah, Farmington Bay WMA, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/sunflower-in-bloom-mia-mcpherson-3904.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/sunflower-in-bloom-mia-mcpherson-3904.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/sunflower-in-bloom-mia-mcpherson-3904.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/sunflower-in-bloom-mia-mcpherson-3904.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":93236,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2021\/08\/13\/blooming-common-sunflower-with-an-ant\/","url_meta":{"origin":148369,"position":3},"title":"Blooming Common Sunflower With An Ant","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"August 13, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"I photographed some birds yesterday morning in the Wasatch Mountains but it was the blooming Common Sunflower with an ant that made me smile the most when I saw it on my screen.","rel":"","context":"In "Morgan County"","block_context":{"text":"Morgan County","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/morgan-county\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Blooming Common Sunflower and an ant, Wasatch Mountains, Morgan County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/common-sunflower-and-ant-mia-mcpherson-4653.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/common-sunflower-and-ant-mia-mcpherson-4653.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/common-sunflower-and-ant-mia-mcpherson-4653.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/common-sunflower-and-ant-mia-mcpherson-4653.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":94643,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2021\/09\/09\/other-things-with-wings-broad-headed-marsh-fly-photos\/","url_meta":{"origin":148369,"position":4},"title":"Other Things With Wings – Broad-headed Marsh Fly Photos","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"September 9, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"These Broad-headed Marsh Fly photos are twofers. I got the hoverflies and the blooming Common Sunflowers in the same frames.","rel":"","context":"In "Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge"","block_context":{"text":"Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/bear-river-migratory-bird-refuge\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Broad-headed Marsh Fly on a Common Sunflower, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Box Elder County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Broad-headed-Marsh-Fly-common-sunflower-hoverfly-close-up-mia-mcpherson-0315.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Broad-headed-Marsh-Fly-common-sunflower-hoverfly-close-up-mia-mcpherson-0315.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Broad-headed-Marsh-Fly-common-sunflower-hoverfly-close-up-mia-mcpherson-0315.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Broad-headed-Marsh-Fly-common-sunflower-hoverfly-close-up-mia-mcpherson-0315.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":116206,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2023\/09\/23\/cabbage-white-butterfly-photos\/","url_meta":{"origin":148369,"position":5},"title":"Cabbage White Butterfly Photos","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"September 23, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"This morning, I'm sharing a few photos of male Cabbage White butterflies and Common Sunflowers that I took last Sunday at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge.","rel":"","context":"In "Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge"","block_context":{"text":"Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/bear-river-migratory-bird-refuge\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Male Cabbage White butterfly on a Common Sunflower, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Box Elder County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/cabbage-white-butterfly-male-mia-mcpherson-0989.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/cabbage-white-butterfly-male-mia-mcpherson-0989.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/cabbage-white-butterfly-male-mia-mcpherson-0989.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/cabbage-white-butterfly-male-mia-mcpherson-0989.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/148369","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=148369"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/148369\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/148365"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=148369"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=148369"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=148369"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}