Here is an ultimate collection of flowers that look like sunflowers and bring the same warm, golden charm to your garden.
Sunflowers make a fantastic addition to your garden. Their large yellow blooms resemble sun rays. Standing tall and straight, they turn their flower heads towards the sun. Beyond their beautiful blooms, sunflowers are full of seeds and oil, providing everything birds need during both summer and winter.
Such unique flowers are hard to replace. However, this ultimate guide includes over 20 flowers resembling sunflowers without all the associated extras.
Check out these sunflower captions for your Instagram feed.
What is a sunflower?
Sunflowers (Helianthus annuus) are part of the genus Helianthus in the Asteraceae family, which also includes flowers like daisies or asters. They have large striking blooms with bright yellow petals surrounding a dark brown or black center, known as the disk. This center contains many tiny florets that eventually develop into seeds. The flowers look like the sun, hence the name “sunflower.” The blooms are often circular and can vary in size, with some growing to over a foot in diameter.
The wild sunflowers generally grow on tall, sturdy stems and turn to follow the sun as it moves across the sky. This phenomenon is known as heliotropism.
These tall yellow flowers are often associated with the sun, a universal symbol of life, light, and warmth. Just as the sun provides energy and sustenance to the Earth, the sunflower’s yellow ray flowers symbolize radiance, vitality, and positivity.
Ultimate List of Flowers That Look Like Sunflowers
In this ultimate collection, you’ll find flowers from the sunflower family, primarily from the Daisy family (Asteraceae). So, don’t be surprised if you come across some with the name “sunflower” or “daisy” as a part of their common names.
These sunflower look-alikes share similar characteristics, including a prominent central disc surrounded by radiant petals, often in shades of yellow, orange, or red.
1. Black-Eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta)
Black-eyed Susan, Gloriosa Daisy or Rudbeckia, is a timeless perennial flower that resembles sunflowers with its bright yellow petals and dark brown center. It grows up to 3 feet in height and attracts butterflies, bees, and other pollinators. This flower blooms in late summer is great for cut flower arrangements, and, just like a sunflower, provides seeds that birds, like finches, enjoy.
Black-Eyed Susans (Rudbeckia spp.)
2. Butter Daisies (Melampodium Divaricatum)
Another flower that resembles sunflowers is the Butter Daisy, an easy-care summer annual with bright yellow flowers that bloom from May until frost. It resembles a sunflower due to its vivid yellow petals and central disc, creating a sunny appearance. This plant is low-maintenance, thrives in full sun and well-drained soil, and can tolerate dry conditions once established.
Butter Daisies (Melampodium divaricatum)
3. Echinacea maui sunshine (Coneflower)
Echinacea Maui sunshine (Coneflower) is a perennial with an orange central cone surrounded by yellow petals that curve downward, giving them a similar appearance to sunflowers. Additionally, like sunflowers, coneflowers are pollinator-friendly and attract bees and butterflies. These similarities in structure and color, along with their attractiveness to pollinators, make coneflowers and sunflowers kindred spirits in the garden.
4. Chocolate Daisy (Berlandiera Lyrata)
The Chocolate Daisy, also known as the chocolate flower, is a velvety-leaved perennial that grows about 1 to 2 feet tall. The plant features short leafy branches and longer branches that end in bright yellow flowers with a maroon center, similar to sunflowers. The flowers bloom in the morning but droop when it gets hot. After blooming, the plant develops attractive cup-like seedheads. Plucking the petals releases a chocolate-like fragrance. This flower is named after Jean-Louis Berlandier, a French-Swiss physician and plant collector.
Chocolate Daisy (Berlandiera lyrata)
5. Compass Plant (Silphium Laciniatum)
Silphium laciniatum, also called the compass plant, is a flower in the Asteraceae family found in North America. It’s called the compass plant because its leaves tend to point north and south, with their flat surfaces facing east and west, like a compass. This perennial herb has a deep taproot and rough, hairy stems that grow between 1 and 3 meters tall.
While its orientation doesn’t change like annual sunflowers, its large yellow petals and dark center give it a sunflower-like appearance, adding a cheerful and vibrant look to any setting.
Compass Plant (Silphium laciniatum)
6. Autumn Sneezeweed (Helenium Autumnale)
Standing 2-5 feet tall, this perennial has elongated leaves and multiple flower heads, a characteristic similar to many sunflower varieties. Blooming in late summer or fall adds a beautiful yellow hue to gardens. The flowers consist of a central disc surrounded by bright petals, creating that classic sunflower-like appearance. Its common name, Sneezeweed, comes from the traditional use of its dried leaves to make snuff, believed to induce sneezing to ward off evil spirits.
Autumn Sneezeweed (Helenium autumnale)
7. False Sunflower (Heliopsis helianthoides)
The false sunflower, often called the oxeye sunflower, is a hardy perennial that thrives in grasslands and along the edges of woodlands. Its botanical name, Heliopsis helianthoides, references its sunflower-like look (with Helios being the Greek god of the sun). Despite its resemblance to the sunflower, it’s a different species, which is why it’s commonly referred to as the false sunflower.
8. Yellow Cosmos (Cosmos sulphureus)
Cosmos sulphureus is a flowering plant in the Asteraceae family, commonly called sulfur cosmos or yellow cosmos. This plant originates from Mexico, Central America, and northern South America, but it has spread to other parts of North and South America, as well as Europe, Asia, and Australia.
Cosmos sulphureus has bright yellow or orange flowers with a central disk, similar to sunflowers. These edible flowers attract birds and butterflies, including monarch butterflies. The young shoots of Cosmos are eaten raw or cooked in Indonesia, while in Thailand, the flowers are used in salads or herbal tea to inhibit pancreatic lipase.
9. GAZANIA (GAZANIA SPP.)
Gazania is a genus of flowering plants known for its bright, sunflower-like blooms in a variety of colors, including orange, yellow, pink, and red. Often used in gardens and landscapes, Gazania is popular for its tolerance to heat and drought, as well as its ability to attract pollinators with its vibrant flowers.
Gazania (Gazania spp.)
10. Maximilian sunflower (Helianthus maximiliani)
Helianthus maximiliani, commonly known as the Maximilian sunflower, is closely related to sunflowers. The connection to sunflowers is not only in its name but also in its appearance; Helianthus maximiliani features the characteristic tall stalk and large, golden-yellow flower heads associated with sunflowers. Its common name, “Maximilian sunflower,” honors Prince Maximilian of Wied-Neuwied, who discovered this species during his travels in North America, reinforcing its link to the broader sunflower family.
11. Japanese Sunflower or Mexican Sunflower (Tithonia diversifolia)
Japanese Sunflower (Tithonia diversifolia), commonly known as the Mexican sunflower, is a member of the Asteraceae family, like sunflowers. family. This plant resembles sunflowers with its bright yellow-orange petals and central disk, but it grows as a large shrub, giving it a bushier, tree-like appearance.
Krzysztof Ziarnek, Kenraiz, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
12. Indian Chrysanthemum (Chrysanthemum Indicum)
Indian Chrysanthemum (Chrysanthemum indicum) brightens gardens from late summer through fall with its long blooming season. This flower resembles sunflowers with its vibrant yellow petals surrounding a central disc. It’s also used in Asian herbal medicine and to make tea, adding an interesting cultural twist to its appeal.
Blanket flower, with its bright daisy-like blooms in shades of red, orange, and yellow, is a heat-tolerant plant that thrives in informal gardens. The Gaillardia genus, part of the sunflower family (Asteraceae), includes 25-30 species of annuals, biennials, and perennial plants, all native to the Americas.
Blanket Flower (Gaillardia x Grandiflora)
14. another sunflower look-alike is HILTON DAISY (GERBERA AUTANTIACA)
Gerbera aurantiaca, also called the Hilton daisy, is loved for its stunning flowers. While most Hilton daisies are red, they can also bloom in shades of yellow, orange, bright red, and deep scarlet. Unfortunately, this plant is endangered, with only 15 healthy populations left.
Andrew Hankey, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
15. Perennial flower – SUNFLOWER’ LEMON QUEEN’ (HELIANTHUS SPP.)
Lemon Queen’can grows up to 2 meters tall. It has rough, dark green foliage and big, light yellow flowers. Each flower has pale yellow petals around a dark yellow center, measuring about 5 cm across. It blooms heavily from July to September, making it ideal for the back of sunny borders or for cutting to create beautiful floral arrangements.
Sunflower’ Lemon Queen’ (Helianthus spp.)
16. PAINTED DAISIES (TANACETUM COCCINEUM)
The painted daisy, previously known as Chrysanthemum coccineum, is a beautiful annual flower that look a lot like sunflowers, standing 2 to 3 feet tall with a central disk surrounded by bright petals. This flower’s classic daisy structure brings a lively splash of color to gardens.
17. FIREWHEEL (GAILLARDIA PULCHELLA)
Firewheel, also called Indian blanket, is a flowering plant that’s easy to grow and native to North America. It resembles sunflowers and thrives in full sun and well-draining soil, making it a low-maintenance addition to gardens.
Firewheel (Gaillardia pulchella)
18. LEOPARD’S BANE (DORONICUM SPP.)
Leopard’s bane is a unique perennial because it blooms early in the spring and thrives in shady conditions. It produces cheerful yellow sunflower-like flowers that last for several weeks. When the summer heat arrives, most varieties go dormant until the following spring, but some might bloom again in the fall if conditions are favorable.
19. Calendula (Calendula Officinalis) aka Pot Marigold
Marigolds, also called Calendula officinalis, are popular annual flowers known for their bright colors and easy growth. They do best in average, well-drained soil and full sun, though they can handle some shade in hot summers. Too much shade, however, can make them grow tall and thin. Besides looking nice in gardens, marigolds have medicinal uses. I’ve used them to make healing oil, tincture, salve, or shampoo bar.
calendula
20. CROWN DAISY (GLEBIONIS CORONARIA)
Crown Daisy, once known as Chrysanthemum coronarium, is a plant in the Asteraceae family. Just like sunflowers, it’s not just for decoration. These yellow flowers that look like sunflowers are also grown to eat. The leaves and flowers are edible, but the leaves are the main part used in cooking. You can enjoy them fresh in salads or cooked like other greens, offering a distinct, slightly bitter flavor.
Crown Daisy (Glebionis coronaria)
21. ANNUAL DYER’S TICKSEED (COREOPSIS TINCTORIA)
This fast-growing annual plant grows straight up, with lance-shaped leaves, and can be 4 feet tall by the end of the season. It displays sunflower-like flowers with yellow petals and bright red centers on branching stems from summer to early autumn. These attractive blooms offer nectar and pollen to bees and other pollinators.
Annual Dyer’s Tickseed (Coreopsis tinctoria)
22. Tickseed Grandiflora (Coreopsis Grandiflora)
If you want a drought-tolerant low-maintenance flower that blooms for a long time, consider coreopsis plants. With more than 80 types, they can fit into any garden design. They don’t have a strong fragrance, but their leaves give off a mild anise-like scent. Native to North America, they grow in upright clumps and produce daisy-like flowers all summer long.
Tickseed Grandiflora (Coreopsis grandiflora)
