The Sunflower+ Project: StL is a winner of the St. Louis Sustainable Land Lab Design Competition. The Sunflower+ Project: StL is one of 4 winners of the St.
We plant sunflowers on vacant, urban land and these sites become outdoor classrooms, pollinator projects, and biodiversity hubs for our city. We plant sunflowers and create an urban biodiversity project on vacant urban land. The site work began on May 7, 2013 in Old North. We have had partner projects on Delmar and in Dutchtown, with the Sweet Potato Project and Ames VPA of the SLPS
01/30/2026
Since everyone has been reflecting on 2016, here is a little throwback of a volunteer planting at the Sunflower+ Project site from July 2016 that inspires us even to this day!
We can't wait to share more about the plans for the site this year!
01/21/2026
Warm up with some history about the Sunflower+ Project!
Years ago, this picturesque scene was a bit bleaker, with construction debris and weeds filling the lot instead of flowers. In stepped the Sunflower+ Project that filled the lot with blooms that welcome pollinators and people alike.
Sunflowers for Sustainability - Discover + Share The Sunflower+ Project: STL is a collaboration between the Missouri Botanical Garden’s EarthWays Center and Washington University.
11/25/2025
as we enter deep fall and a long winter we will share the occasional post featuring illustrations from the rare books collection of the Missouri Botanical Garden - here are a few to get us started- the oldest in this group was published in 1640…
10/27/2025
some works featuring sunflowers are on exhibit now at the art museum....worth a look
10/23/2025
- home of the Sunflower+ Project: STL
09/26/2025
josh coming and going on a grass cutting day in
09/20/2025
on site today with some pollinators
09/17/2025
getting back to it + mexican sunflowers in full bloom!
08/17/2025
A little utility work needed to take place in the alley between the doctors office and the sunflower site. The folks did a pretty good job of cleaning up with the passable exception of replacing some divots caused by their tires. Additionally, in this post, we have some images from around the neighborhoodand, well, not an exhaustive survey by any means, it gives us an idea of what history and policy has done to the neighborhood.
The Sunflower+ Project: StL is one of 4 winners of the St. Louis Sustainable Land Lab Design Competition. We plant sunflowers to create an urban biodiversity project on vacant urban land. The site work began on May 7, 2013 in Old North. We have had partner projects on Delmar and in Dutchtown. We continue to work with the Sweet Potato Project and others as opportunity presents itself.
Our spaces are simple. low cost, low input projects also serving as outdoor classrooms, pollinator projects, and gathering spaces seeking to demonstrate the value and potential of urban land in transition. Keep an eye out for our Bloomsday event during the peak flowering period and our Sustainability Flag Raising event to mark the change to colder weather.
The Sunflower+ Project is coordinated by co-founding project member Richard Reilly and his colleagues at the EarthWays Center of the Missouri Botanical Garden.