This study examined the possibility of using wild sunflower species as a source of desirable genes in breeding the common ornamental sunflower. Crossing 7 wild species with 6 inbred lines of common ornamental sunflower produced F₁ hybrid plants only with Helianthus argophyllus and H. petiolaris. The F₁’s exhibited the dominant phenotype of the wild species. Cytological analysis showed irregularities in meiosis and low pollen fertility in F₁ hybrids. The most frequent configuration was 15 bivalents and 1 quadrivalent and 13 bivalents and 2 quadrivalents. The presence of quadrivalents at diakinesis indicated the occurrence of translocations. In a small percentage of anaphase I meiocytes, chromosome bridges were detected resulting from inversions. The occurrence of translocations and inversions showed the differences in chromosome structure among the crossed species. Helianthus argophyllus and H. petiolaris may be useful in ornamental sunflower breeding as valuable sources of desirable genes.