New York Botanical Garden Joyfully Celebrates Van Gogh's Sunflowers

Before Vincent van Gogh transformed sunflowers into one of the rock stars of the flower world, the bright yellow flowers had been regarded as ordinary, even plebeian. But to Van Gogh they were every bit as mesmerizing and beautiful as they were humble. This spring, sunflowers take center stage in Van Gogh’s Flowers, a new exhibit at the New York Botanical Garden.

Called “le tournesol” in French, the sunflower follows the sun, suggesting warmth and loyalty as it turns its large head from sunrise to sunset. “The Sunflowers are Mine,” Van Gogh had asserted to his friend, Paul Gauguin. To his brother, Theo, he elaborated, "You know that the peony is Jeannin's, the hollyhock belongs to Quost, but the sunflower is mine.” 

Although Van Gogh failed to sell a single sunflower painting during his lifetime, his sunflower paintings are now among the most valuable works in the world.

Van Gogh understood this might happen, having said in a letter to his sister, "People pay a lot for the work when the painter himself is dead. And people always disparage living painters by pointing unanswerably to the work of those who are no longer with us."

Yet in the years since his far-too-early death in 1890, the world has decreed Van Gogh a master and his sunflower works of genius. When the New York Botanical Garden announced its exhibit of sunflowers, we didn’t have to be told the name of the artist.

"Visitors can revel in the beauty of the natural world that inspired Vincent van Gogh," NYBG says about its new exhibit, following up on its blockbuster Orchid Show. Of the 100+ species of sunflowers on the planet, NYBG has chosen 32 species to grow in its garden and in the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory. The live sunflowers are joined by the contemporary art of Lee Baker and Catherine Borowski of Graphic Rewilding, sculptor Amie Jacobsen, and immersive artist Cyril Lancelin whom we spoke with on our trip to the garden.

A French Artist's Tribute to Van Gogh

As a child, French artist Cyril Lancelin visited and was stunned by the same sunflower fields in Arles, France that inspired Van Gogh, so he was delighted to create sunflower sculptures for NYBG. His monumental sunflowers stand proudly in a field of real sunflowers, where visitors can meander. Lancelin's metal flowers are movable, and visitors are encouraged to interact with them, just as Van Gogh himself would adjust his still-life subjects until they pleased him and he was ready to paint.

Los Girasoles Son Míos

In our multi-language city, but especially in the heavily Spanish-speaking Bronx, NYBG's posting of important ideas in both Spanish and English is a welcome practice. And nice to know that just as the French word for sunflower reflects the flower's movement, so does the Spanish. Girasole: girar, to turn, and sol, the sun.

In Van Gogh's time, sunflowers were widely grown for their edible seeds, which can be eaten like nuts or processed into oil.

Children often find sunflowers enchanting, both because they turn with the sun and because they have a wonderful relationship with bees. Yellow is one of only three colors that bees can see, the other two being blue and ultraviolet. The sunflower's yellow petals, says NYBG, hide an ultraviolet bullseye that helps guide bees to the flower's center so that they will pollinate efficiently.

Graphic Rewilding's Attention-Grabbing Sunflower Sculpture

As you leave the exhibit, say goodbye to Vincent's Flowers by Catherine Borowski and Lee Baker, co-founders of Graphic Rewilding, which they say gives "an artistic counterbalance to urban life." They create, they say "vast, flower-inspired, attention-grabbing, positivity-inducing artworks and immersive environments in often-overlooked and under-appreciated urban spaces​." Of course, NYBG is one of New York's most appreciated urban spaces. Yet their art fits right in.

As the Sun Sets, Join NYBG for Starry Nights

On chosen Fridays and Saturdays, from May 23 through September 13, 2025, 7pm-10pm, Starry Nights will offer "exhibition viewing in the glow of evening, with music and performers, drinks and food available for purchase, and, conditions-permitting, after-dark Van Gogh-themed drone shows—New York City’s first at a cultural institution—bringing Starry Night to life before your eyes," says NYBG. Tickets can be bought online.

How to Visit

The New York Botanical Garden is located in the Bronx at 2900 Southern Boulevard. Van Gogh's Flowers opens to the public on Saturday, May 24th, and is included in general admission. You can book your tickets online.

You can drive to NYBG, but the Garden's parking garage is temporarily closed. A better option is to take public transportation: the Metro-North Railroad from Grand Central, or the MTA's B, D, or 4 train to Bedford Park Boulevard Station. Then pick up the BX25 or 26 bus to NYBG's Mosholu Entrance.

Next, check out 10 Secrets of the New York Botanical Garden!

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