Garden-Lou visits the Columbia Bottom Conservation Area Sunflower Fields

Bees love them, birds love them, but what the Missouri Department of Conservation people didn’t realize, is that people love them too! Sunflowers have to the happiest flowers on the planet. Just look at that yellow face that always follows the sun! So, it’s no wonder why hordes of people make the trek to Columbia Bottom Conservation Area every summer for the annual sunflower fields.

Columbia Bottom (as locals know it) sits at the confluence of the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers in the unincorporated area of Spanish Lake-a bedroom suburb of St. Louis. Besides hunting, fishing, and boating, you can normally walk to the viewing area to see the two rivers mesh together before they head downtown to the Arch. (Right now, the viewing area is closed due to flood damage.) Columbia Bottom has over 4000 acres and contains various wildlife habitats like shallow wetlands, bottomland hardwoods, prairie, and cropland. 

Columbia Bottom Conservation Area | Missouri Department of Conservation (mo.gov)

Sunflowers, Helianthus annulus, were originally planted by MDC staff as part of their dove management program for hunters. Once the word got about the sunflowers in bloom, people started coming to see them and take photos. Now it’s a St. Louis tradition that’s growing every year. Thanks to staggered planting times, the sunflowers are in bloom from mid-July to mid-August so, there is still time to get out and see them in person.

Tips if you go;

-There are multiple fields of sunflowers, so if the first field you see is crowded, drive down the road to the next one.

-Due to previous flood damage, the main road to the exit is closed just past the boat ramp. You’ll have to exit the way you came in.

-Sunflower-shaped signs and red arrows direct you to the sunflower fields, most of which are on gravel roads. (Think dust and lots of it.)

-Take lots of photos, not the flowers! 

-Bringing a hat and water is a great idea. Sunflowers like-SUN! Columbia Bottom is a floodplain-you won’t find many trees for shade. Access to the fields is usually mowed, but things can get muddy after a rain.

-Sadly, the beautiful visitor center is closed. If your GPS says ‘closed,’ it means the visitor center, not the outdoor area. Enjoy!

Want to grow your own sunflowers? It’s a great spring activity for kids. First decide if you want to harvest seeds, or just want the fun, showy flowers. Make sure to read the seed packet to learn what the variety is known for. Some are giants, others can be multi-stemmed. There are different colors available as well, mostly in the yellows, reds, and brown ranges.

You can start seeds indoors, but sunflower grow taproots and it’s easier to just sow them in the ground a week or two before the last expected frost date. (April 15th in St. Louis) The seedlings will take a light frost but be sure to cover them if a hard freeze is expected.

Sunflowers aren’t picky about soil, but most plants don’t like wet feet. Water well and consistently throughout the spring season as your seedling emerge, but make sure you don’t drown them. Sunflowers are drought tolerant once established. Fertilizers are not really needed, but staking might be helpful with certain varieties.

The flowers last for up to 4 weeks. If you are growing sunflowers to harvest the seeds, covering the flower heads once they are past prime with a paper bag can protect them from the birds.

The most important thing to remember is that they can get HUGE!

Words and photos by Jo Batzer

© Jo Batzer, garden-lou.com, All rights reserved.