Helianthius annuum

Sunflower, in plain English. This is a yet unopened flower, so I included the open bloom in the lower left corner of the photo as a hint of what will come later. 27 ft is the record height for a sunflower, and this one is nowhere near that. I was surprised to learn that sunflowers have the ability to extract toxins from the soil, including heavy metals and radionuclides, in a process called phytoremediation. They have been used at the sites of nuclear accidents such as Chernobyl and, more recently, Fukushima. My ever-inquisitive husband asked where the resorbed toxins go after the plant dies, and I have no answer for that one!