sunflower seeds

The sunflower is native to North America and was cultivated by the Native Americans in approximately 3000 B.C.E. in what is now New Mexico and Arizona. The sunflower is believed to be older than corn. They developed the single flowered plant with seeds that are black, white, red and multi-colored stripes of white and black. It was a common food throughout the continent: the seed was pounded into flour for cakes, mush and bread.