Bua tong sunflowers in Mae Hong Son

Posted by Northerner on October 28th, 2011 filed in Attractions, Festival

In November the hills west of Mae Hong Son take on a vibrant yellow hue as bua tong flowers bloom. The western half of the loop, Route 108, which links Chiang Mai to Mae Hong Son, has some of the flowers along the roadside, but the best way of witnessing this amazing spectacle of seemingly endless expanses of gold is by taking one of the side roads near Khum Yuam and heading for Thung Buatong.

Trekking and sightseeing tour operators often include a stop at the bua tong bedecked hills on their itineraries at this time of year. The last time I went, I drove up and, although I missed the signpost that apparently indicates the road in, I just followed the steady stream of cars driven by Thais who were heading to the same place.

Bua tong is not a native Thai species but originates in Central America. It is a kind of sunflower, albeit with smaller petals, with the scientific name of tithonia diversifolia. The flower was introduced in the Mae U-Kho District and has since prospered so well that it is now Mae Hong Son Province’s official blossom. A festival starting on November 16 honours the flower. The blooms usually start to die off in early December and their seeds are gathered to make natural pesticides.