DoomsdaysCW#Ukrainian #immigrant grows worldβs tallest #sunflower in an #Indiana backyard as a tribute to #Ukraine π»
By CHRISTINE FERNANDO and OBED LAMY
September 12, 2025
FORT WAYNE, Ind. (AP) β "When Ukrainian immigrant #AlexBabich stands in his Indiana backyard craning his neck to look 35 feet (11 meters) into the sky, he isnβt just staring at a sunflower. He is looking at his roots β and his future legacy.
"The flower, nicknamed 'Clover' and confirmed Wednesday by Guinness World Records as the tallest sunflower ever measured, stretches as high as a telephone pole.
"Achieving the feat holds special significance for the 47-year-old Babich since sunflowers are the national flower of Ukraine.
"Born and raised in Ukraine, he immigrated to the U.S. at age 14 in 1991 after the #Chernobyl nuclear disaster. Seven years ago, he started growing sunflowers as a symbol of his love for his home country. Babichβs first sunflower was 13 feet (4 meters) tall, then 15 (4.5), then 19 (5.8). Quickly, he began asking himself, 'How far can we take this?' Babich said the record-breaking flower was the result of 'trial and error over years.' "
Ukrainian immigrant grows world's tallest sunflower, a symbol of peace and legacy
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. Nicknamed βClover,β the sunflower was recently confirmed by Guinness World Records as the tallest ever recorded. Babich immigrated to the U.S. from Ukraine at 14 following the Chernobyl disaster. He began growing sunflowers seven years ago as a symbol of love for his homeland. As Ukraine's national flower, the sunflower is a reminder of where Babich came from and a legacy he hopes to leave behind.