FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WISH) — A sunflower grown this year in Fort Wayne has received the honor as the tallest in the Guiness Book of World Records.
What’s more special is how the gardener, originally from Ukraine, is bringing people together.
The 35-foot sunflower was a labor of love. “I was like, ‘This is how fun? How far can we take this?’” Alex Babich said.
The sunflower is Ukraine’s national flower. Babish grew his first sunflower seven years ago, standing at 13 feet tall. “I remember laughing, ‘You think I can grow a 30-foot flower?’ Best growers in the world tried this and nobody got there. The 30-foot, 1 inch mark has been famous, set by a German grower 11 years ago.”
Historically, Fort Wayne wasn’t made famous for sunflowers until, last year, a documentary crew approached Babish and his wife to film the garden growing.
This year, his wife prayed that they would beat the world record. Babich said, “Her prayer was answered. We beat the Guinness World Record, and we beat it by her height.”
Clover, the world’s tallest sunflower, stands at 35 feet, 9 inches, and is still growing. “In a way, we’re representing Fort Wayne, Indiana, USA and Ukraine. I’m originally from Ukraine. So, there’s so much at stake.”
“Just like this flower, this story grew so quickly.”
Their family sunflower has made national headlines. “Everybody is behind us 100%, and I want to thank every single person who’s supported us. It’s been awesome.”
Babich also hopes this serves as a light during the darkness in Ukraine, which has been at war with Russian since February 2022. “This story with Clover the sunflower reaches all the right people and the right places, and let’s end this war.”
As for the future, Babich said, he’s not done growing. “A 40-foot flower is not out of the question.”
This week his family is soaking in the beauty of this moment, a beauty that’s bringing everyone together. “This flower is a miracle, it truly is.”
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