A New Species of Sunflower Was Just Discovered in Texas

Yahoo

25-02-2025

The thought of spring and the arrival of all those blooming flowers can brighten even the dreariest of winter days. And if you're desperately grasping for anything to bring a little sunshine into your life as the cold days still linger, you'll love this little nugget of news: A new species of sunflower was just discovered in Texas.
That's right! According to the California Academy of Sciences, a park volunteer Deb Manley first observed the plant at Big Bend National Park back in March 2024. After uploading the unknown species to a community science app, an international team of botanists determined it was not only a new species of sunflower, but an entirely new genus a well.
It's been nearly 50 years since a new genus was identified in a national park. The last time was 1976, so this is pretty exciting news! But before you get all excited to grow sunflowers in your garden this year, you might want to take a look at the new family member first. Meet the Ovicula biradiata, also known as the wooly devil.
Eek! Far from the types of sunflowers that Ree Drummond and other fans call "so beautiful," this small, furry relative was confirmed to have genetic similarities after some DNA sequencing. "O. biradiata is a member of the sunflower family, although it does not resemble its sunburst-shaped relatives at first glance," explains Academy researcher Isaac Lichter Marck, PhD.
Even if you find the fuzzy white foliage endearing (hey, all nature is beautiful, right?), the wooly devil would most likely not thrive in your plant hardiness zone, as Big Bend is located in the Chihuahuan Desert. It grows in harsh rocky terrains and it only blooms after rainfall. And unlike the towering stalks of other sunflowers, this new find is a "belly plant," which is best observed when lying on the ground.
So while it may not make an ideal summer garden flower, the wooly devil does show promise elsewhere. "Under the microscope, we noticed specific glands that are known to possess compounds with anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory properties in other plants within the sunflower family," notes Academy co-author Keily Peralta.
There's still so much to learn about this species given its new discovery. But researchers are hard at work and park visitors are encouraged to document their observations to the iNaturalist app to assist in the efforts. And while the world awaits updates, at least we can say: Welcome to the sunflower family, you little wooly devil.
Every day, your garden's tiniest visitors are hard at work. The lovely little butterflies you see floating by and those always-busy bees are transferring pollen from flower to flower so plants can reproduce to make fruits and seeds. And though you may not have ever thought about it, without our pollinators, there's no food for any of us. These winged wonders are what keep your vegetable garden thriving! That's why you'll want to check out these plants that attract pollinators, including several spring flowers and more to bring life to your garden.
Unfortunately, in some places, pollinator populations have been affected by misuse of chemicals or habitat destruction. So what's the best thing you can do to help? Plant flowers to make your garden a welcoming place for different kinds of pollinators including bees, moths, wasps, butterflies, and hummingbirds. Make sure to plant in clumps or swaths, rather than one flower here or there, so your visitors will find the wealth. And if you don't have a big backyard, you can plant them in containers and pots that will also add some variety to your landscaping ideas! Finally, if you're planting perennial flowers, which come back for many seasons, make sure they'll survive winters in your USDA Plant Hardiness Zone.
Now that you know why you should add plants that attract pollinators, here are a few great varieties to add to your garden!
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