Overview

• The sunflower, nicknamed Clover, was grown by Ukrainian-born gardener Alex Babich in his Fort Wayne backyard.
• The official measurement on September 3 used a 40-foot cherry picker before about 85 witnesses, with a Guinness representative joining by video call.
• Guinness verified the height at 35 feet, 9 inches, surpassing the previous record in Germany by roughly five feet.
• Babich credits seed selection, exchanges with other growers, early starts under grow lights, scaffolding, and a proprietary feed for the plant’s growth.
• The flower’s name came from Babich’s 10-year-old son placing four-leaf clovers on its leaves, and its story will feature in a planned documentary titled Bloom as Babich distributes seed packets in public outreach.