Heliopsis is native in our area and simply flowers and flowers and flowers as long as you give it a little water, it'll still be flowering at hard frost.

Helianthus (sunflower) is usually not quite that florific, but given drainage, mostly quite robust plants. Ones I've grown (and there are tons), tend to be 4-6 week flowering and can be quite a statement (due to being pretty tall fellows as a general rule).

If I were making a choice, my favorite is the red touched heliopsis like burning or bleeding hearts.

There are so many heliopsis that I love but in our area (our garden?) they invariably become infested with aphids. (The only one I still "put up with" as I especially love the flower is "Burning Hearts").

I'm another who has dug out most of my Heliopsis because of the red aphids.

Helianthus, on the other hand, is a really varied genus, including perennials, annuals, species for sun, shade, and everything from short, shrubby mounds, to the traditional giant flower heads on tall stalks...what exactly are you looking for?

It's not that I haven't seen aphids, but not frequently and they're usually not much of a problem for me (on heliopsis). For me, milkweeds are the aphid hotels.

My heliopsis helianthoides 'Sunstruck' has been slow to establish, but I love the variegated foliage, so I am willing to give it more time, although the blooms are rather similar to a few of my coreopsis.

Helianthus 'Lemon Queen' was added to my garden as divisions and did so poorly the first year (no blooming, no growth) I assumed they wouldn't even come back. Imagine my surprise when they grew into the largest clump of flowers in my yard in their second year, completely dominating the entire border and hosting something like 87 million pollinators. It was a sight to behold, and now I never want a garden without that particular cultivar again.

Dbarron, good to know that heliopsis does so well in our are. I looked up Burning Hearts. It’s a stunner!

rouge, I’ve heard about the aphid problem. I guess the only way I’ll know how bad it is here is to get one and give it a try. Lol.

sah, when I asked about helianthus I was referring to the perennials that grow to a good size and flower in mid-late summer/fall. Sun or shade either is fine. Not against the dwarf versions of the larger perennials, but definitely not asking about the annual sunflowers! :)

perenn. and Jenn, I’ve heard such good things about Lemon Queen, and I love the look. Glad to hear a few more thumb ups.

I love Helianthus divaricatus for part shade or open woods...it can spread quite rapidly if it's happy, but if you have the room for it, it's a nice burst of upright "sunshine" in darker wooded areas.

Helianthus salicifolius is another favorite of mine for a sunny area. It can handle pretty much any condition you throw at it (other than shade), and the fine, threadlike foliage (very similar to Amsonia) is very unique for the genus. There are some dwarf cultivars if you don't have the space for a potentially very tall plant (6-9' at its peak), but individual plants don't take up much width until they get a colony established.

Me too sah67.

https://www.houzz.com/discussions/1672273/so-nice-seeing-this-sunflower-in-deep-shade#n=35