In a heartfelt gesture towards his war-affected homeland, Ukrainian immigrant Alex Babich, 47, has grown the tallest sunflowers in the world in his backyard in Indiana.
These impressive sunflowers, reaching a staggering height of 35 feet and 9 inches, stand tall like utility poles, representing the Ukrainian national flower.
The record was officially confirmed last Wednesday by Guinness World Records, which measured the towering blooms.
Babich’s son, just 10 years old, joined in the excitement by climbing a scaffolding nearby, placing a four-leaf clover among the leaves for good luck and branding the sunflower with its namesake’s charm.
A community gathering of around 85 people, including local master gardeners and representatives from Allen County, took part in measuring the flowers on September 3.
Babich was live on the phone with a Guinness World Records official while a crew filmed the sunflower measurement from a cherry picker in his Fort Wayne garden.
According to Guinness, Babich’s sunflower surpassed the previous record holder from Germany by an impressive five feet.
“This flower story is going to live on,” Babich remarked. “My children will pass it down to their grandchildren.”
Expressing the emotional weight of the journey, he added, “It’s a good story for those who nurture giants.”
A landscape gardener and seller of seeds and outdoor gear, Babich moved to the United States when he was 14 years old, following the Chernobyl disaster.
His journey with sunflowers began seven years ago as a tribute to his homeland. His first sunflower managed to reach a surprising height of 13 feet. Over time, he discovered techniques that have consistently broken records.
Describing the record-breaking flower, Babich said it was the product of “years of trial and error.” He likened it to one of his children, noting the daily care required for such remarkable growth.
After the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Babich’s passion for these flowers grew even stronger. “We pray for an end to the conflict,” he expressed, hoping to inspire others through his efforts. “It has gone on long enough.”
The towering sunflowers are also set to be featured in a documentary titled “Bloom,” which is expected to premiere this summer.
With post wire
