Sunflower Facing Away in album plants

In Albums: flowers nature Philadelphia plants

Jul 9th, 2011, by Alex Zorach

People usually like to take pictures of sunflowers facing them head-on. But in reality, sometimes when we see sunflowers they are facing away from us, as this one was. This sunflower plant was an isolated large individual growing in a vacant lot on the south side of Baltimore Avenue in West Philadelphia, between 42nd and 43rd street. A few other weedy plants are visible sticking up in this photo.

Sunflowers grow readily on disturbed ground, such as vacant lots. Sometimes, merely scattering seeds is enough to lead to a thriving bunch of sunflowers. I wonder how this one got into the lot, if someone scattered some seeds about, or if it somehow got there by more natural means.