Indiana man says he has broken national sunflower record, despite squirrels standing in the way

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) — Alex Babich has grown record-breaking sunflowers before. But this year, with one towering plant named Clover stretching 26 feet 4 inches into the sky, he was just one inch shy of reclaiming the U.S. height record.

And this time, the biggest threat was not the weather…it was the squirrels.

“They got two of ‘em already,” Babich said. “Climbed the fence, ripped leaves off, even before the heads grew. It’s like… this structure means something yummy’s up top.”

Babich, a Ukrainian-American gardener based in Fort Wayne, has built a local following for his sunflower-growing obsession. He currently holds the city record and previously set the national record twice.

“Our first U.S. record that we grew, 25-foot, 2-inch, we achieved during the war when Russia attacked Ukraine,” he said. “That one I named Ukrainian Spirit.”

The sunflower holds deep meaning in Ukraine, where it’s not only the national flower but also a global symbol of peace and resistance. That first record-setting flower is now part of Fort Wayne history…literally.

“That record flower, the head and some seeds from it, just a packet with five seeds, is at the Fort Wayne History Museum right now. You can see it on display.”

Each of Babich’s tallest plants gets a name. This year’s contender, Clover, got hers from his young son, who left a four-leaf clover on one of the giant leaves for good luck.

“I came out to him and asked about it, and he said, ‘Dad, this is for good luck.’ So I named it Clover after that.”

Babich checks on the flower daily, often adjusting its structure and now relying on a cherry picker donated by a local sponsor to safely reach the top. He’s sacrificed time, travel, and sleep to protect it.

“To grow a national record takes sacrifice,” he said. “Patience is the biggest.”

Babich contacted WANE 15 on Friday to say his sunflower has surpassed the current United States record and currently stands at 26′ 8″ tall. He said he plans on building a better squirrel barrier this weekend.

The sunflower still needs to be officially measured once it stops growing and the flower matures. The final measurement is expected in late September, with master gardeners, family, and even the Fort Wayne Komets mascot “Icy” on hand for the big day.