Sunflower Hearts

Happy Valentine's Day. I took this picture a several years ago and I still marvel at the heart-shaped stamens. This is an actual photo right out of the camera. I didn't even notice the heart shapes until I copied the photos to my computer or I would have taken more. I have never seen another sunflower like this either and I always look when they start to bloom. This one self-sowed and came up near the birdfeeder. Read a previous post about this flower.

Sunflower hearts . . .

I posted about this phenomenon in July and it still amazes me! This wildflower was a volunteer ~ probably planted by a bird. When I processed the picture I was very surprised to see that the dark center is completely comprised of small hearts. The second photo is cropped to show them up close. No Photoshop tricks were applied; this is Mother Nature at her finest.