A Ukrainian immigrant in Fort Wayne, Indiana, has grown the world’s tallest sunflower, a 35-foot, 9-inch plant that Guinness World Records has confirmed as the tallest sunflower ever measured. The flower, nicknamed “Clover,” was cultivated by 47-year-old Alex Babich as a tribute to his war-torn homeland.
The sunflower was officially measured during a verification event on Sept. 3 that drew roughly 85 people, including master gardeners from a local university and representatives from the Allen County Department of Weights and Measures. A Guinness World Records representative monitored the process by phone while a camera crew and a drone captured the plant as a 40-foot cherry picker weighed and recorded heights. The measurement surpassed the previous record holder in Germany by about five feet.
Babich planted and tended the sunflower in his backyard over several months, saying the result came from “trial and error over the years.” A landscape gardener, seed seller and outdoor gear designer, Babich immigrated to the United States at age 14 after the Chernobyl disaster. He began growing sunflowers seven years ago as a symbol of love for Ukraine; his first sunflower reached about 13 feet.
The plant’s nickname, “Clover,” arose from a ritual by Babich’s 10-year-old son, who climbed scaffolding around the stalk to place four-leaf clovers on its leaves for luck. Babich described the plant emotionally: “It’s one of my kids. You’re out there every day taking care of it.” He added, “I’m going to die someday, but the stories of this flower will live on,” and said he hopes his children will pass the story to future generations.
Sunflowers have become a symbol of solidarity and peace for many Ukrainians since Russia’s 2022 invasion of the country. Babich said his affection for the plants deepened after the invasion and that he hopes the sunflower will inspire attention to the conflict’s human cost. “We just pray that the war will end, that the killing will stop,” he said.
The towering flower will be featured in a documentary titled "Bloom," which the filmmaker plans to release this summer. Babich has said the sunflower and its recognition by Guinness World Records will be used to draw attention to Ukraine and to celebrate resilience through gardening and community.
Officials and gardening experts at the measurement event documented the plant’s height using industry-standard equipment and procedures before submitting evidence to Guinness World Records for final verification. Babich and those who gathered said the event was both a technical measurement and a communal moment of recognition for the effort that went into growing the plant.
Babich, who said he has refined his techniques over several seasons, described the record as a culmination of years of work and experimentation. He expressed hope that the sunflower’s story will continue to resonate as a message of peace and a reminder of ties to his homeland.
With reporting from wire services.