Mexican sunflowers (Tithonia rotundifolia) are very tall, fall blooming annuals. Usually the blossoms are about 3 inches wide, daisy-shaped and orange. Bees and butterflies love the flowers, which are also good for cut flower arrangements.
When Mexican sunflower blooms from September to frost, the sun is at an angle and the light is softer, so the orange is quite nice in the garden. It is not a garish color at all and really blends well with the whole pumpkin fall theme.
The nice thing about this plant is that it is easy to grow from seed and it is easy to collect the seed. When the flower head is past its prime and the resulting seed head is mature, the flower head turns brown and bends down so it is obvious when to cut and save the seed. I cut off the seed heads and save them in a paper bag. In the winter, I separate the actual seed, package them, and give to friends.
These plants are not fussy. They need full sun, tolerate poor but well-drained soil, should not be fertilized, and are deer resistant. They may need to be staked but there are shorter cultivars on the market. Fiesta del Sol, an All-America Selection (AAS) flower winner in 2000, is the first dwarf at 3 feet tall, making it perfect for containers. Goldfinger is 3 feet tall with orange and gold flowers. Torch is a 1951 AAS flower award winner and Yellow Torch has apricot yellow orange flowers. Both of these can grow to 4 to 6 feet tall. All the plants bloom from September until frost here in the DC metro area.
Try growing Mexican sunflowers, you will be pleasantly surprised at the pretty fall flowers and intense pollinator activity.