story by MANDY HOWARD
photos courtesy of Dix Park Conservancy, North Carolina Museum of Art, Janice Lewine and Mandy Howard
What makes a sunflower so alluring?
Is it the technicolor splendor that pops from fields of green? Is it the sheer scale of these majestic beasts that are taller than our toddlers with flowers bigger than our heads? Maybe it’s their heliotropism, their nature to follow the sun, which seems to teach us something about life if we would only lean in and listen.
Whatever it is, in the Triangle we have an abundance of options to immerse ourselves in the grandeur of the sunflower. Here are four sunflower destinations to check out this summer.
Dix Park
1987 Umstead Drive, Raleigh
dixpark.org/sunflowers
Peak: July/August
The 5-acre Dix Park sunflower field has become a must-visit destination since its debut in 2018. More than 100,000 admirers flock to this picturesque space in the heart of Raleigh each summer to amble among the flowers, which rise from the more than 125,000 seeds planted in late May. Dix Park Marketing and Communications Manager Lauren Danforth says, “Visiting the Dix Park sunflower field is a chance to immerse yourself in nature in beauty—and those big yellow blooms evoke such a sense of joy.”
Remember to apply sunscreen, wear a hat and stay hydrated. Give yourself a little extra time to take a long stroll and then relax in the hammocks. Dix Park is open daily from dawn until dusk.
Best time of day: “Take advantage of the morning and evening (during the week if you can) to avoid heat and crowds,” advises Danforth.
Walk on sunshine at Dix Park, which planted 125,000 seeds in May to offer sunflower lovers endless fields of blooms to enjoy in July. Photo courtesy of Dix Park Conservancy
Museum Park at the North Carolina Museum of Art
2110 Blue Ridge Road, Raleigh
ncartmuseum.org/visit/museum-park
Peak: September through November
The later seasonal peak at the North Carolina Museum of Art’s (NCMA) expansive Museum Park allows visitors to spend a beautiful fall day among the blooms. Rachel Woods, the park’s director, says, “The NCMA sunflower field … provides an array of reds, oranges and yellow sunflowers in combination with shades of fuchsia zinnias and cosmos scattered to create a full spectrum of color.”
Park at the Welcome Center, which offers food and beverages, water fountains and restrooms. Stay on the mowed paths and be sure to check out the Musical Swings and Daydreamer Musical Benches.
Best time of day: 7 a.m. to experience the best bird activity with goldfinches, bluebirds and migratory birds like tanagers and grosbeaks; and 8–10 a.m. or 2:30–4:30 p.m. for the best photography light. The field is open daily from dawn until dusk.
Museum Park at the North Carolina Museum of Art boasts colorful fields of sunflowers, fuchsia zinnias and cosmos. Photo courtesy of the North Carolina Museum of Art
Hill Ridge Farms
703 Tarboro Road, Youngsville
hillridgefarms.com
Peak: Mid- to late-July
For a whole family interactive experience, check out Hill Ridge Farms. This privately owned destination offers phenomenal fields of sunflowers, and family-friendly activities such as wagon rides, train rides, a petting zoo, gem mining and more.
Unlike NCMA and Dix Park, you can take sunflowers home for a small fee. Hill Ridge Farms advises, “If you’re planning on picking a sunflower, bring some shears or something to cut with; the stalks can’t just be broken.”
Visit the website for hours and admission fees, which were not yet determined at the time of publication.
Best time of day: Get there early and plan to stay for the day.
Varieties of sunflowers fill the fields at Hill Ridge Farms, where visitors can take home flowers for a small fee. Photo courtesy of Janice Lewine
Ken’s Sunflower Fields
3175 Benson Road, Garner
kensproduce.com/sunflower-fields
Peak: Late July–late September
Ken’s Sunflower Fields in Garner offers three flowering seasons, with sunflowers blooming in late July, late August, and late September. One sunflower is included with admission, which is $5 for ages 5 and older. Visit the website for operating hours.
Ken’s Sunflower Fields offers three flowering seasons from late July to late September. Visitors can take home one sunflower, which is included with admission. Photo courtesy of Janice Lewine
Be sure to check the websites and social media channels for all four sunflower fields for bloom updates.
The Triangle’s cheerful sunflower fields will leave you feeling lighter and brighter. Photo courtesy of Mandy Howard
Sun-sational Sunflower Facts
1. The head of a sunflower, which appears as one large bloom, is actually a cluster of individual flowers called florets. These can range from 1,000–2,000 per sunflower.
2. Heliotropism is for the young. The flower heads follow the direction of the sun while young, but as they mature, the flowers get heavier and the stalks more rigid—yet they tend to face east continually.
3. The Guinness World Record for the tallest sunflower is 30 feet, 1-inch. It was grown by Hans-Peter Schiffer in Karst, Germany, and verified on August 28, 2014.
4. Sunflowers have the ability to absorb toxins and pollutants from the soil, a process called phytoremediation. Lauren Danforth, marketing and communications manager for Dix Park in Raleigh, says this is her favorite fun fact, which is significant since the park’s sunflower fields are planted on a former landfill.
5. Sunflowers can create medicine for bumblebees. Rachel Woods, director of Museum Park at the North Carolina Museum of Art in Raleigh, says her favorite fun fact is that the pollen sunflowers produce has medicinal properties, which can lower infection rates in bumblebees.