September Sunflowers

As mom always said, staring into the sun will make you go blind.

Greek mythology teaches us the tragic tale of Clytie, a Roman water nymph, who was enamored with Apollo (also known as Helio), god of the sun. Their romance, to her dismay was short lived, and she soon found herself weeping and pining for her lost love. Clytie decided she could not sit by and do nothing, and so she went to the father of Apollo's new love, Leucothea, to tell her tale. Orhcamus, Leucothea's father, was so angry with what Apollo had done to Clytie and could possibly do to his own daughter he took Leucothea away to spite Apollo. Clytie took this opportunity to try and win back his love, but her actions had only hardened his heart.

As the legend goes Clytie sat alone crying for nine days. The hot sunny days went by quickly and the cold nights left her lonesome and angry. As the sun would rise every morning her eyes followed its solitary course through the sky at every hour without fail. She could see nothing else, as she was blinded by her love for one who could not see her, so small and petty sitting alone and crying. At the end of her nine days of suffering she was transformed into a sunflower, destined to spend the rest of eternity turning her head longingly to watch Apollo's chariot of the sun.

"The heart that has truly loved never forgets,
But as truly loves on to the close;
As the sunflower turns on her god when he sets
The same look that she turned when he rose."

Ancient mythology is filled with stories explaining the names for flowers today. The word sunflower comes from the Latin word, Heliotropium (Helio = sun, Anthos = flower). Today the sunflower symbolizes an undying love. It screams "I only have eyes for you!" A typical symbol of late summer and fall, the sunflower sends a bright and cheery message. Send a sunflower arrangement nationwide today!