- Common Sunflower (Helianthus annus): Purple flower disk.
- Cucumberleaf Sunflower (Helianthus debilis): Purple flower disk. Oval leaves with long petiole (leaf stem).
- Woodland Sunflower (Helianthus divaricatus): Sessile (no leaf stem) or rarely a leaf stem up to 0.5 cm.
- Sawtooth Sunflower (Helianthus grosseserratus): Long leaves (10-20 cm) that are more than 3 times long as wide. Lower leave surface green (not pale-green).
- Cheerful Sunflower (Helianthus x laetiflorus): Bracket leaves below flower broad, firm and appressed. Very long petiole (up to 5 cm).
- Stiff Sunflower (Helianthus pauciflorus): Red/Purple flower disk.
- Jerusalem artichoke (Helianthus tuberosus): Leaves very large (10-25 cm long and 4-12 cm wide), spreading-hairy stem.
- Thinleaf Sunflower (Helianthus decapetalus): Green bract leaves are conspicuously ciliate (hairy margins). Significant serrated teeth on leaf margins. leaves.
Paleleaf Woodland Sunflower grows 36-72 inches tall. It has yellow flowers with 8-15 petals (1.5-4 cm long) and the central part of the flower is made up of numerous tiny flowers each with five petals. Flowers are 5-9 cm wide and the central disk is 1.2-2.5 cm wide. The leaves are opposite (but uppermost leaves can be alternate), have 0.5-3 cm petioles, broadly lanceolate or ovate, serrated margin teeth, 8-20 cm long by 2.5-10 cm wide, thin, scabrous (rough to touch) or hispid (short stiff hairs) on upper side and moderately short-hairy and pale green below and leaf comes to a sharp point (accuminate). Leaf base abruptly contracted and decurrent (extends downwards to the petiole. Green bract leaves are conspicuously ciliate, having long hairs on the margins.
