i love Indian Summer Black Eyed Susans, or how about Stella D Oro daylilly?

Check out the many varieties of Solidago (goldenrod).You should be able to find a yellow that works for you. Solidago 'Little Lemon' comes to mind as a medium yellow.
Then there has to be a daylily that would work...Happy Returns is a nice 'calm' yellow. Oenothera missouriensis (ozark primrose) is another great yellow and long blooming, but it sprawls along the ground...won't be more than a foot in height.

Coreopsis 'Full Moon' is a nice medium yellow and starts blooming midsummer and continues till frost. Very adaptable as long as it gets well-drained soil.

Heliopsis 'Summer Sun' is a delightful plant that seems to bloom forever, at least 3 months or more. Here it is in my mixed border. It is the daisy-like plant in the foreground.
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I'm also a big fan of Heliopsis. It is such a non stop bloomer and bright yellow and very hardy. In my opinion you can't go wrong with it!

maryl, since the most obvious plant to fit the criteria you described would be a re-blooming, bright yellow daylily like 'Happy Returns' or others, I assume that you had dismissed them for one reason or another. Do you think your spot won't receive enough sun for daylilies to thrive? Or do you have big deer problems? In that case, I think gazania's suggestion of certain varieties of goldenrod is an excellent one. Also, you might want to consider the new perennial lantana variety called 'Chapel Hill Yellow,' which is a very pretty, soft yellow color, flowers all summer and fall, and the plant stays quite low, although it does tend to spread out rather broadly. Or how about Patrinia scabiosifolia? Its flower stalks get taller than two feet, but they're thin and open and see-through, and the foliage stays down closer to the ground than that. Or how about a hypericum? I really like Hypericum 'Sunburst,' although its flowers don't last all that long and it may eventually get too big for your spot. And of course, you might want to consider good old African mariglods. I know that marigolds seem kind of outdated and gauche, but they really are tough, hardy plants, and nothing will provide more flowers over a longer period of time for less money and effort than marigolds. And some of the newer strains are very pretty, with enormous flowers and a range of rich, luscious, saturated colors.

By the way, speaking of deer, linrose and ghoghunter, you both mentioned heliopsis, which I like a lot, too. What experience have you guys had with deer eating it or not? I don't have a deer problem in my yard, and the heliopsis has been spectacular. I have several clients whose yards are badly infested with the cervine menace, though, and I'm tempted to try heliopsis there, too, but I'm unsure whether it can be trusted to withstand their browsing. I haven't been able to find much on the internet about deer and heliopsis one way or the other. I suppose I can do some experimenting, but I don't want to waste a lot of time and money on a lot of trial and error, so I'm curious about y'all's experiences. Thanks!

Isn't it odd that in the south, it's so difficult to come up with yellow in the summer? I personally use more of the cool acid yellows (chartreuse), but I do use some lemony/golden yellows too.

I add another amen to heliopsis, Prairie Sun.

Though I have not tried heleniums, I have ordered Butterpat for this year. I believe there are some more gold varieties of heleniums too.

This year, I have started a number of Profusion zinnias from seed in the new yellow. At least in the pictures, it appears to be a warm yellow. Deer have never bothered Profusions, even though they eat the pansies planted in the same beds down to nothing in the cool months.

I saw patrinia last year for the first time and it is beautiful. It's pretty important to know, though, that it is a host for daylily rust.

Other yellows that I like:

lantanas, as mentioned,

Marigolds, especially Durango. I plant fresh ones in mid summer to use in my borders instead of mums in the fall. They bloom till frost.

I am trying the Signet Marigold, Lemon Gem, this year after seeing it in a public garden last year. It doesn't "look" like a marigold, as it mounds and is very dainty. The zillions of blooms are very small. I think it blends in with perennials extremely well.

It's hard to beat melampodiums. They bloom their true yellow hearts out from spring to frost and never need deadheading. They self seed too.

I also grow Reginae zephyranthes, which is a yellow rain lily.

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I love Rudbeckia, Indian Summer. I live in Louisville, Ky and here it is considered an annual, but may come back from seed.

I like the 'Indian Summer' rudbeckia, too, but it seems to me that it's more of that golden-yellow color that maryl specifically said she didn't want (kind of like the 'Jethro Tull' coreopsis she already rejected). I think donnabaskets' suggestion of melampodium is the best one yet. I had forgotten all about it, but it's a terrific performer in the South. There are different varieties of melampodium available in various shades of yellow, and they all flower forever and don't demand full sun. They are annuals, but they're inexpensive and fast-growing and I think they would do exactly what it sounds like maryl is looking for. The only downside to them, in my experience, is that they do re-seed rather aggressively, but I've never found them to be uncontrollable. Good call.

I really want to thank you for all of your suggestions. Donnabaskets is right about the lack of good long blooming warm yellow plants in the south. Below are a few comments on all your nice suggestions.
**Daylilies: actually I got "into" daylilies a few years back. There was a yellow I wanted to try but never got around to it(Sherry Lane Carr). Your suggestion reminded me of it. Might work.
**Heliopsis: I've tried them over the years, and each time they just rotted on me. Not the roots, but the foliage. It doesn't like my climate apparently.
**I need something with more height then Lantana or Melampodiums I think.
**Actually I was leaning towards Marigolds as a good annual problem solver for this year. The only objection is spider mites. Hate 'em. Zinnias have their uses too, but again, the foliar diseases cause them to look pretty ratty by September. Haven't grown the profusion series yet, but I think I may have seen some and they were on the floppy side.
****Heleniums?? I'll have to double check but aren't they called Sneezeweed by some? If they are the plant that I think they are they may just work. Where are you getting Butterpat?

As an aside, I ran around to some of our local nurseries today and picked up a new Gaillardia called Mesa. The blooms are just about to open and they look yellow. I haven't grown a Gaillardia in a decade and can't remember how finicky they are (or arn't).....Also, may I just say WOW on your pictures. You kentuckians know how to plan a good border. You watching the Derby tomorrow? I'm a Louisville Gal myself.........Anything else anyone wants to suggest have at it. I appreciate you all.....Brain dead Maryl

Yikes, maryl! You've had major problems with spider mites on marigolds there? That sucks. Spider mites are, of course, among the very worst and most frustrating pests we all battle in the summer in the mid-South. And they can show up on just about any kind of plant, but I've never had more than an occasional flare-up on marigolds here. From what I've seen of Oklahoma, though, that may be especially prime spider mite habitat, so maybe you guys have to deal with more of them in all of your blazing summer heat. Still, from what I've seen here in North Carolina, spider mites have been much more of an issue on lantanas than on marigolds. But your experience is interesting and valuable.

And I had another thought for a suggestion for your situation as I was strolling through my garden earlier this evening: phlomis. There are a number of species and varieties of phlomis out there, with all sorts of different flower colors, but many of them are just the brightest, clearest, purest yellow imaginable. My favorite phlomis cultivarÂand the one I was looking at in my yard that inspired the thoughtÂis 'Edward Bowles,' although its flowers may be too far into that golden-yellow color that you said you don't want. There's another pretty variety that I used to grow at my last house but didn't bring with me which has awesome medium-yellow flowers that are more like what you're looking for. I can't recall the name of that cultivar for the life of me, though. I'll let you know if I think of it or if I find it in my notes. Regardless, phlomis are terrific plants, and they look good all year and are highly critter-resistant. And much to my surprise, I've found that they don't require full sun, and will actually grow and flower quite well in a spot that gets as little as three or four hours of sun a day in the summer. They don't get very tall, although they do tend to spread out rather wide over time. I find a substantial haircut right after flowering helps a lot. A major drawback for your purposes may be that they flower fairly early, usually peaking about now (April-May) here in North Carolina, although mine also sometimes produce a few stray blossoms later in the summer or fall. I think it would be worth considering.

FWIW, donnabaskets, if you think of it this summer, would you mind updating us on how your 'Butterpat' heleniums do? I've always liked heleniums from a distance, but when I got some a few years ago (I don't remember the cultivar name of them, either, but they weren't 'Butterpat;' I think they had some German name, which may have been part of the problem), they got obliterated by powdery mildew by the middle of July, and I gave up on them. But if yours does well in steamy Mississippi, then it would certainly be worth me giving it another try.

Best of luck to both of you!

I looked up Heleniums in my Texas and Oklahoma Wildflower books and the common name is Sneezeweed. I think it's like the Golden Rod/Ragweed mix up though. Anyway, when we first moved into our home, the pasture in back of us was loaded with Heleniums in late summer/fall. I always liked them. The pasture is a subdivision now, so I haven't even thought of them in 20 years. I never really looked at them to see if they mildewed, but I appreciate the warning tla and also the input on Phlomis. I'll check into them......Maryl

Have you tried Rudbeckia nitida 'Herbstonne'? It blooms in August for me. Very attractive plant that tops out at about 5-6'. Nice if you have the room. Loves heat and humidity as long as it gets sufficient water.

Oh yes. I have Herbstonne too and it is a very nice plant. If you cut it back by half as soon as the blooms begin to fade, it will bloom again in the fall.

Helenium (Sneezeweed), Butterpat. I read about it in Fine Gardening, where it was highly recommended. I found it at Digging Dog nursery. It should be arriving in a couple of weeks. I will definitely post toward the end of the season and let you all know how it does here.

Spidermites are a significant problem here on marigolds. Actually, that's the only plant I have had them on, to my memory. They tend to pile up in late summer if we have a long hot droughty spell (But no decrease in humidity. Go figure.). I start fresh ones in early July for fall anyway. So when the first ones look bad, I pull them out and replace them. You really ought to look for Durango. It's a beauty and I don't believe I've ever had mites on it.

maryl, do try the Profusions. I have grown them for many years and have never ever had mold on them. They are low growers, perfect for the front edge of a border. In my hot summers, the lighter colors, especially rose, fade to almost white. The white ones look pristine all season, as does Fire, which is a brilliant red orange. It is positively gorgeous planted in front of blue salvias.
On the other hand, you said Melampodiums are too small...Profusions will be too.

I didn't think of gaillardias, but the one called Oranges and Lemons does great for me, blooming all summer, as long as I deadhead. I have never had it return, unfortunately. I believe Mesa is an annual...? I'd love to hear how it does for you this year.

Question for you all...Do any of you grow a Rudbeckia that blooms all summer? I love their flowers, but of the many I have grown, none bloom well more than one time. Most need pulling up after their bloom time of 2 to 3 weeks is over. I have grown Prairie Sun, Gloriosas, Herbstonne, and Goldsturm. I keep Herbstonne because its foliage is so attractive. This year I have planted some dwarf annual sunflowers in hopes of a longer show. There's nothing that says summer better, to me.

Interesting. I've really never seen a lot of spider mite damage on marigolds here. Of course, while it certainly gets hot here in the summer, it's nothing like Oklahoma or Mississippi, so our mite problems here are probably not as bad as yours there. But it also may be that I never noticed the stippling and bronzing against the marigolds' fine-textured foliage. I always find that mite damage is most conspicuous on plants with large leaves, like buddleias. I'll keep an eye on my marigolds this summer, though. Thanks for the tip about the Durango series of marigolds. I had Durango Bolero in one of my windowboxes last summer, and they were indeed terrific. I'll look for more of them.

maryl, I thought of another suggestion for your original question as I was walking through my yard earlier this afternoon (not that you haven't already gotten too many suggestions). How about a little groundcover rose called 'Yellow Ribbons.' I'm always skeptical about roses of all kinds, since so many of them are such a maintenance hassle. But I got some 'Yellow Ribbons' roses a few years ago, and they have really prospered with little input from me. In our warm climate, they get a bit bigger than the tags say, but they're still small enough to form a nice low mass. They'll flower more-or-less all summer with just a little fertilizer and deadheading. And the flowers are very attractive clear, bright yellow, which are nicely set off against the foliage that's about the cleanest and most attractive of any rose I've grown. I don't know that it's a better alternative than the annuals suggested like the marigolds and the melampodiums, but I think it's at least worth considering.

tla: you made me smile. I'm primarily a rose lover who grows other types of plants just to keep it interesting. A yellow miniature rose may indeed be just the ticket for this spot. However, the one I want is no longer available commercially (June Laver)and I haven't found any others that meet my specs. yet. And if you want to find spider mites, just grow a few miniature roses. They can be worse on minis then on Marigolds......Donna, that's interesting about your problems with Rudbeckia. Don't grow any, so can't comment. I did read a review from the Dallas Aroboretum about 'Mesa' Gaillardia that said considering how most Gaillardias do there, this one did pretty well through the summer. Not exactly high praise, but not totally discouraging. My Mesa flowers are opening and they ARE a nice warm butter yellow. They can be seed grown, so if they do well this summer, I have the seeds to grow them as an annual. We'll see. Temperatures just starting to go up-90 today.......I grew the white Zinnia Angustifolia and it flopped so thought the Profusion Zinnia may do the same. On my nursery run yesterday I saw the red and white Profusions (no yellow) and they were upright. Do they stay that way? Never did see a Marigold called Durango, but will be on the lookout....I did remember another tender perennial that has medium yellow flowers 'Euryops'. But I've grown it before and it does slow down bloom in the worst of the heat, and for this situation might grow too tall. But still another one to add to the list of yellows for the south.