Key to the success of the world’s largest plant family is its compact flower head known as a capitulum, which resembles a single, large flower but is an aggregate of many small flowers. This unique structure plays an important role in pollinator attraction and is a major determinant of yield in many of the family’s crop species. Understanding the genetics of this floral trait, will help to improve food security through optimization of floral structures for yield in crops, and to accelerate progress toward new crop development. This National Science Foundation supported project will increase available genomic tools for the study of the sunflower family and provide novel for gene editing to improve yield and sustainability in the family.