he national flower of Ukrainethe sunflower, has seen huge demand this summer, a supermarket chain reports.
tesco said the demand for sunflower bouquets was already up nearly 120% from the same time last year.
Growers said the current heat wave is boosting the growth of the bright yellow flowers, which have become a symbol of solidarity with Ukraine and resistance to the Russian invasion.
Michael Holod, President of the Nottingham branch of the Association of Ukrainians in Britain, said it “would make sense” that the surge in demand was due to people wanting to support Ukraine.
“It’s one of the many ways the UK has supported Ukrainians in general, and of course we hope it stays that way,” he said.
“Any support, whether it be planting sunflowers or through the schools, anyway, solidarity is the word.
“The support must continue to be shown, as the war is clearly still going on.
“It’s not making the headlines from a few months ago, but the war is still very much alive.”
The UK’s main sunflower production area is in the south Lincolnshirelargely due to the fertile silt soil that offers ideal growing conditions.
One of Tesco’s growers, L&D Flowers, based in Pinchbeck, South Lincolnshire, grows over 3,000 hectares.
James Lacey, director of L&D Flowers, said: “The current heat wave is great news for sunflower growth as the more sun they get, the more they grow.
“The plant itself has a taproot that digs deep into the ground in search of moisture, meaning they are quite happy with warm, sunny, dry days.
“This is the longest heat wave we’ve had in about five years and based on current weather forecasts, we’re calculating a harvest of around 13 million stems this season.”
Sunflowers have been grown in the UK for the gift bouquet market for 20 years, with the first growers starting in the early 2000s.
Until then, sunflowers were traditionally imported, mainly from Europe, but enterprising growers saw an opportunity to grow them in the UK and demand has steadily increased over the past 10 years.
Tesco Flowers’ Purchasing Manager Georgina Reid said: “They have only been in stores for a few weeks but so far the demand has been exceptionally high this summer and if this continues we will probably see our best season yet.
“The start of the sunflower season coincides with the current heat wave and the longest period of sunny weather in about five years and if there is one thing that screams summer, it is a beautiful bouquet of sunflowers.”