Fines, Jail Time Possible For Frolicking in Colorado Sunflower Fields

This summer, I've taken up running and it has been a real joy to watch the sunflowers come into bloom along my route. I've got to ask you, have you ever picked a sunflower? I tell my toddler to leave them for others to enjoy, but just between you and me, I have totally picked a few sunflowers.

However, no matter how harmless it seems to pluck a blossom or two while you're out, sunflower-seekers could be fined up to $750 and jailed for up to six months for trespassing in sunflower fields on private property in Colorado, as reported by Out There Colorado.

It's OK to pick sunflowers as long as they're not on private property, but do remember that they are a great resource for pollinators, and may do more good out in their meadows than in a vase. Also, if you get the urge to have a family photo shoot in someone's flower farm, you may want to reconsider (unless you have their permission, or course).

But if you, like me, have succumbed to lure of these buttery blossoms, you're not alone. Hundreds of people are doing this and most end up taking a flower as a souvenir. All the same, the fields really do take a beating from all those Instagramers and senior photo sessions. Remember that these fields are your local farmers' livelihood.

"It is a crime to go onto other people’s property, even if there are no signs prohibiting trespassing," the Adams County Sheriff's Office stated in a press release.