Depending on the variety, it can either absorb toxic metals and radiation from the soil or prevent the majority of them from entering its system and making it safe to consume. It's also lovely, native to the Americas, and blooms in July. It's the sunflower, and its ability to heal the environment has prompted one University of Virginia undergraduate researcher to spend her … [Read more...] about U.Va. Undergraduate Researcher Studies Sunflowers’ Power To Clean Up Soil