The desert sunflower bears yellow sunflower-like flowers on slender, hairy stems. It gets its name from the Greek gerios meaning, “old man,” referring to its white hairs on its fruits. It is native to western America, where it is a drought evasion plant that dies off after producing seeds. It blooms during the raining seasons, in February-May or October- November. They stay dormant and re-germinate during the short rains in the fall.
The flowers have between 10-12 bright yellow petals, steaming from the small yellow disc in the middle. The fruits inside the flower are a good source of protein for bees.
