US EditionThe World’s Tallest Sunflower Blooms in an Indiana Backyard as a Tribute to Ukraine
Clover, reaching 35 ft 9 in, surpassed the previous record by 5 feet, symbolizing peace and solidarity for Ukraine amid ongoing conflict, Guinness World Records confirmed.
- Alex Babich, a gardener in Fort Wayne, Indiana, grew the tallest sunflower ever measured, named Clover, which was officially certified on September 3, 2025.
- Babich began growing sunflowers seven years ago as a symbol of his love for Ukraine, a nation where sunflowers represent peace and solidarity, especially since Russia's 2022 invasion.
- Babich refined Clover through years of trial and error, exchanging seeds globally and using a secret plant feed while about 85 people witnessed the measuring event supported by local officials.
- Clover measured 35 feet 9 inches, surpassing the former world record by 5 feet, and Babich reflected emotionally that while he won’t be around forever, the legacy of this sunflower will endure.
- The record highlights gardening’s cultural importance and Babich’s hope for peace, as he expressed prayers that the war and killing in Ukraine will end soon.
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Associated Press News
The world's tallest sunflower blooms in an Indiana backyard as a tribute to Ukraine
When Alex Babich looks up at the 35-foot sunflower towering over his Fort Wayne, Indiana, backyard, he sees more than just a plant. He sees a tribute to his roots.
This is stated on the website of the Guinness Book of Records.The 47-year-old Babich emigrated to the United States after the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in 1991. Seven years ago, he began growing sunflowers as a symbol of love for Ukraine, where this flower is a national symbol. He already had the title of producer of the highest sunflower in the United States, having grown a plant that reached 7.67 m in 2022, and a year later…
The world's tallest sunflower is so tall that you can only see its flowers with ladders and a crane - It was grown by a Ukrainian man who moved to the United States after the Chernobyl disaster.
When Ukrainian immigrant Alex Babich is in his backyard in Indiana stretching his neck to look over 10 meters (35 feet) into the sky, he not only sees a sunflower. He beholds his own roots and his future legacy.
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