Having grown sunflowers for the past four years at his home on Shaker Road, Fletcher said he decided to thin out his crops this time.
But in May while plowing the small patch of earth in his backyard, he found a sunflower sprouting — a volunteer plant leftover from last year.
Impressed by the plant’s vigor, he decided to leave it alone. Fletcher said the months of rain helped the little, neglected flower burst forth into a tall stalk, towering over his 6-foot-1-inch frame by several feet. Even with the sunflower’s head not fully mature, Fletcher said he estimates the plant to be at about 12 feet.
“I’ve never seen one that big,” he said. “Everyone has been commenting on how big it is.”
The sunflower’s growth was entirely encouraged by nature — Fletcher said he and his wife, Mamie, used no special seeds or fertilizer. But he said he hopes other budding gardeners give the sunny plants a try.
“I encourage people to grow them because the birds enjoy them and they are beautiful flowers,” Fletcher said.
As for whether this year’s experience will push him to grow sunflowers next year, Fletcher said, “I may wait to see if there are more volunteers first.”
While Fletcher’s sunflower is taller than average — most garden varieties grow to be about six feet tall — it is a dwarf compared to the record. According to the Guinness Book of World Records, a sunflower grown in the Netherlands in 1986 holds the title, measuring 25 feet, 5.4 inches.
Contact this reporter at (513) 705-2843 or jheffner@coxohio.com.
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