ST. LOUIS COUNTY - The summer just got sunnier with the first wave of sunflower blooms at Columbia Bottom Conservation Area.
The beloved sunflower fields attract people from all over the region to take pictures and enjoy the once-in-a-lifetime view. The sunflower season also highlights the organization’s messages about conservation.
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“It’s just an incredible sight to see them,” Dan Zarlenga, who works with the Missouri Department of Conservation, said. “We’re not talking about a couple sunflowers here and there, like some people might put in their landscaping or around their homes. We’re talking about fields of hundreds or maybe even thousands of these sunflowers. And that is quite a sight, seeing them all in a row like that.”
Zarlenga explained there are multiple fields throughout the Conservation Area. The planting times are staggered, so several “waves” of sunflowers will bloom through August. The first wave blooms around the first week of July for approximately ten days.
While the sunflowers have become a favorite photo site for visitors, the fields were originally planted for conservation purposes. The Missouri Department of Conservation hoped the flowers would help control the dove population.
“This all started because we planted sunflowers there, which would bloom in the summer, and then the flowers fall off and they leave their seeds that attract doves,” Zarlenga said. “So it was originally a management thing, to help bring doves in the area and give them things to feed on. But it turned out to have a secondary benefit. While the flowers are actually blooming in the summer, it drew a lot of people because it was just a really cool site.”
This inspired the Conservation Area to plant additional fields for viewing and photography. And it’s paid off; the fields are overflowing with flowers and people alike, especially on summer weekends.
“The place is literally packed,” Zarlenga added. “The area visitation skyrockets during those two months.”
While the sunflower season is the most popular time to visit the Columbia Bottom Conservation Area, there are reasons to stop by year-round. The area is near the confluence of the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers, so it’s a popular spot for boating and fishing. Migratory birds fly over the area, which also draws birdwatchers and wildlife photographers. Hiking trails, hunting opportunities and educational programs are other favorites.
The organization’s main goal — conservation — remains at the forefront of everything they do, and the sunflower fields are no exception. If you go to see the fields, you’ll also see all of the pollinators, birds and animals that benefit from them.
“The sunflowers are just this huge, uniform formation of these very showy, very charismatic flowers. And in addition to providing the seeds, providing food for wildlife and great pictures for us, they also help support native pollinators like bees,” Zarlenga said. “If you see them all together like that, it does produce a very impressive sight.”
For more information about the Columbia Bottom Conservation Area, including sunflower photos, click here. You can check out the Missouri Department of Conservation website to learn about other conservation efforts in the area.
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