The sunflower produces grayish-green or black seeds enclosed in tear-dropped shaped gray or black shells that usually feature black and white stripes. The sunflower seed comes from the fruit of the sunflower (Helianthus annuus). Sunflowers are thought to have originated in Mexico and Peru, but they are one of the first plants to ever be cultivated in the United States. They have been used for more than 5,000 years by the Native Americans. These seeds have a very high oil content, and they are one of the main sources for the production of polyunsaturated oil.