Originated in North America, where wild and weed races are widespread. As an important commercial oilseed crop was developed first in the former Soviet Union. Cultivated forms are little branched, with large capitula,varying from giant types 2 m and more tall with capitula 50 cm across to dwarf forms growing to 1 m. Typical oil seed cultivars are about 1,5 m tall, with 25 cm capitula; achenes black, white or striped.
Cultivated primarily for the seed which yield the world´s second most important source of edible oil.

Sunflower oil is used for cooking, margarine, salad dressing, lubrication, soaps, illumination. A semi-drying oil, it is used with linseed and other drying oils in paints and varnishes. Decorticated press-cake is used as a high protein (up to 50%) food for livestock. Plants used for fodder, silage and green-manure crop. Hulls provide filler in livestock feeds and bedding.
Seeds contain 45-65% of oil. Sunflower oil has a high concentration of unsaturated fatty acids like linoleic acid (44-72%); intermediate level of oleic acid (25-30%) and very low levels of linolenic acid. Under warm conditions the oleic acid content is higher, and the linoleic lower. The saturated acids, palmitic and stearic, rarely exceed 12%. Tocopherol, or vitamin E, is an important vitamin and natural antioxidant.