16 Flowers That Look Like Sunflowers

It’s said that sunflowers symbolize adoration. People adore them because they are easy to grow and have bright yellow flowers. Moreover, they make great gifts to uplift friends and family alike. However, have you considered trying flowers that look like sunflowers instead?

African Marigold 

	botanical name Tagetes erecta
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	hardiness zones 2-11

Tagetes erecta is a lovely plant with orange flowers that look like Helianthus without the dark brown centers. Instead, their fragrant blooms are compound and smushed together in a lovely display. 

These plants thrive annually in zones 2-11 and appreciate full sun and well-drained soil. They are drought-tolerant and deer-resistant. Marigolds are excellent pollinator plants attracting butterflies and hummingbirds. Although there is some debate as to whether or not these flowering plants are the same as Calendula, the fact remains that each is assigned to a different genus. 

Barberton Daisy

	botanical name Gerbera jamesonii
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	hardiness zones 8-10

Also known as Gerbera daisy, Gerbera jamesonii is a lovely plant with red flowers that look like sunflowers. These are low-maintenance plants that prefer full sun to partial shade. They are clump-forming tender perennials that bloom up to two feet tall. 

Their red flowers get up to four inches across. In some areas, this plant blooms year-round, and in other areas, this daisy blooms from summer through fall. They have pinnate, spoon-shaped leaves that look lovely all year round. These plants are annuals.

Black-Eyed Susan

	botanical name Rudbeckia hirta
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	hardiness zones 3-8

This flowering plant has dark green foliage and is perennial in hardiness zones 3-8. Sometimes also called the gloriosa daisy, it spreads up to two feet wide and up to four feet tall. From the center of a rosette of spoon-shaped leaves grows a stalk on which showy yellow coneflowers bloom in spring and fall. 

There are numerous varieties of Rudbeckia hirta that resemble sunflowers. They self-sow and thrive in both full sunlight and partial shade depending on the variety. Black-eyed Susan plants need either very little water or moderate water. They’re relatively easy to grow, and as a result, gloriosa daisy plants grow wild in most states across North America. 

Calendula

	botanical name Calendula officinalis
	sun requirements Full sun
	hardiness zones 2-11

An attractive plant to bees and butterflies, Calendula officinalis is a plant much beloved by gardeners. This has to do with its ability to attract beneficial insects and trap disadvantageous pests. It also has been used medicinally for ages as a fever reducer, and treatment for spasmodic muscles. 

With large orange flowers that look like our sunny friends, this hardy annual has bushy semi-ovate leaves. It grows up to two feet tall and one foot wide, making it a great addition to an already full flower garden. 

Fall Aster

	botanical name Symphyotrichum oblongifolium
	sun requirements Full sun
	hardiness zones 3-8

Symphyotrichum oblongifolium has become a huge hit among perennial gardeners in recent years. This light purple flowering plant in the Asteraceae family grows up to three feet tall and wide. It blooms in fall, thus giving it the name, fall aster. 

Because it tends to clump together and mound up as it grows, guides recommend pruning it back in June in preparation for fall blooms. This plant supports native bees and helps restore and conserve ecosystems. It thrives in USDA hardiness zones 3-8. 

False Sunflower

	botanical name Heliopsis helianthoides
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	hardiness zones 3-9

False sunflowers (Heliopsis helianthoides) are called so because these plants resemble sunflowers. Like normal sunflowers, false sunflowers are perennial plants too. They reach up to six feet tall and three feet wide. 

The flowers have a yellow to dark brown center much like common sunflowers. But their leaves with serrated edges are more triangular, rather than obviate, and the false sunflower flower heads are simple rather than compound. They thrive in partial sun to full sun and appreciate well-draining soil. 

Florist’s Daisy

	botanical name Chrysanthemum x morifolium
	sun requirements Full sun
	hardiness zones 5-9

Flower colors range from white to yellow, all the way to purple and even green. This herbaceous, slightly woody plant has compound flowers as sunflowers do. Some varieties have a pronounced yellow center, while others have so many petals it’s impossible to see the center. 

Because it’s such a well-known and long-loved plant, there are a lot of colors and styles to pick from. Most mums grow no more than three feet tall and have woody stems with thick leathery leaves that emit a strong smell when bruised. They grow in hardiness zones 5-9. 

Gaillardia

	botanical name Gaillardia spp.
	sun requirements Full sun
	hardiness zones 3-9

The extensive Gaillardia species, also called blanket flower or firewheel, grow in the US plains in vast open areas. If you’ve ever seen and smelled a field of blanket flowers, you know why home growers would benefit. 

The flower is yellow-tipped, with an ombre of dark red in the center (hence, firewheel). This sun-loving plant prefers well-draining silty soil and grows up to two feet tall. It will spread wide over a few years and thrive in zones 3-9.

Golden Tickseed

	botanical name Coreopsis tinctoria
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	hardiness zones 2-11

Coreopsis tinctoria is a plant that grows in the plains of North America. Its interesting yellow flowers with red and orange inner accents are prized in prairie gardens due to their ability to attract butterflies, bees, and other nectar insects. It has been used by native peoples over time to treat diuretic conditions and nausea. 

These annual flowers self-seed, and tend to pop up more in wet years. It blooms year-round, typically in spring and fall. With dark green leaves, it gets up to one foot tall and clumps up to two feet wide. Because this is a plains plant, it loves well-drained soil. 

Japanese Sunflower

	botanical name Tithonia diversifolia
	sun requirements Full sun
	hardiness zones 9-11

Tithonia diversifolia is a tall-growing plant (up to 9 feet) with flowers that look like wild sunflowers. They’re smaller in comparison to Mammoth sunflowers and look more like bush daisies. Because they’re self-seeding perennial plants, they are often grown to improve soil quality and feed livestock. 

Although they aren’t as delicate looking as black-eyed Susan, they provide the soil with a delicate NPK balance that not many other flowering plants can. They love full sun and well-draining soil. Japanese sunflower blooms year-round. 

Note that this species is particularly invasive in the southern regions of the US. If you live in one of these regions, peruse this list for a more suitable option.

Mexican Daisy

	botanical name Erigeron karvinskianus
	sun requirements Full sun
	hardiness zones 6-9

Erigeron karvinskianus, the Mexican daisy, is a mounding-habit perennial plant. It produces a prolific display of tiny white to pale pink flowers that are reminiscent of sunflowers in extreme miniature. If you have a child who wants sunflowers for their dollhouse, this is a great choice!

While it’s more commonly used as a shrubby ground cover plant in warm climates, this can also be used to great effect in container gardens. Incidentally, it also looks stunning tucked in around the base of real sunflowers!

Mexican Sunflower

	botanical name Tithonia rotundifolia
	sun requirements Full sun
	hardiness zones 9-11

Tithonia rotundifolia has lovely red flowers that grow between three and eight feet tall and spread a few feet wide. These flowers are great for tropical areas in zones 9-11. They love poor soils and partial to full sun. This low-maintenance plant does not need much water. 

The red daisy-like flowers bloom atop a tall stem from summer to fall. They’re great for vegetable gardens because they attract beneficial pollinators that so many plants rely on. In their hardiness zones, they’re considered wild. They prefer well-drained soil and full sun.

Oxeye Daisy

	botanical name Leucanthemum vulgare
	sun requirements Full sun
	hardiness zones 3-8

Leucanthemum vulgare is a vigorous spreading bush daisy with a yellow center and small white petals that grow up to three feet tall. In most places it’s considered a weed, making it a great addition for wildflower gardens in hardiness zones 3-8. 

It prefers full sun and well-draining soil. Its white petals bloom from spring to summer. However, it’s not the best plant for a ranch or pasture, due to its invasive classification in several US states. 

Purple Coneflower

	botanical name Echinacea purpurea
	sun requirements Full sun
	hardiness zones 3-9

Echinacea purpurea is another medicinal plant that looks similar to that of the common sunflower. It has a radial petal arrangement, gathered around a dark brown center. Much like its sibling, Echinacea paradoxa, purple coneflower enjoys well-draining silty soils. It self-seeds and grows up to five feet tall in zones 3-9.

Large purple coneflower is a lovely sight to see on the prairie. It’s a great inclusion for an herb or cottage garden where it has room to spread out up to three feet. 

Swan River Daisy 

	botanical name Brachyscome iberidifolia
	sun requirements Full sun
	hardiness zones 9-11

Brachyscome iberidifolia is a purple plant in the daisy family that grows up to one and a half feet high. The light purple lavender flowers bloom from spring to fall and work well in almost any design. 

Swan river daisy grows as an annual in USDA zones 2-11 and is perennial in zones 9-11. The flowers are small, like miniature sunflowers only one inch wide. This is a great choice for gardeners who like the look of sunflowers in a smaller, more compact state. 

Yellow Coneflower

	botanical name Echinacea paradoxa
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	hardiness zones 3-9

Known scientifically as Echinacea paradoxa this herbaceous perennial is hardy in zones 3-9. It grows up to three feet in height, with a spread of up to one and a half to two feet. The flower heads of the yellow coneflower resemble that of black-eyed Susan as well, with a dark brown center and yellow radial petals that bloom in summer. 

It functions in the same manner as its purple sibling, Echinacea purpurea in that it’s an edible plant. Its roots are used in teas for immune support. Its self-sowing seeds attract birds and butterflies too.