Plants with yellow flowers
Plants with yellow flowers, from the daffodils of spring to the prairie daisies of late summer, and how to use yellow.
Yellow is the colour the eye sees most brightly, so it is seen first and carries furthest: one strong yellow at the end of a garden pulls the eye to it from the house. Use it where you want the eye to go, and repeat it to lead the eye down a bed.
Yellow comes in two waves. In spring it is the daffodils, tulips and the first perennials; in late summer it is the daisies of the North American prairie, the black-eyed Susans, coreopsis, sunflowers and goldenrods, which carry a bed into autumn. Soft lemon yellows are the gentle ones, lovely with blue and lilac; deep golden yellows belong with orange, red and bronze.
Bees see yellow well, and many of the daisies here feed them. Every plant here has yellow flowers, or comes in yellow.
216 plants: 138 perennials, 35 bulbs, 2 grasses and 41 shrubs.
The dozen to start with
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Hyacinth
10 in · mid April to early May · also in blue, purple, pink and white
Dense, waxy spikes of intensely fragrant flowers in blue, purple, pink, white or soft yellow, in mid-spring.
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Bearded iris
2½ ft · late May to mid June · also in purple, blue, white, pink, orange and red
Ruffled, often scented flowers in almost every colour stand above fans of grey, sword-shaped leaves in late spring.
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Tulip
18 in · late April to mid May · also in red, pink, white, purple and orange
Clean, saturated colour on upright stems in mid to late spring.
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Canna
5 ft · early July to early October · also in red, orange and pink · host plant
Huge, paddle-shaped leaves, green, bronze or striped, topped with bright flowers in red, orange, yellow or pink from midsummer to frost.
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Garden chrysanthemum
24 in · mid September to late October · also in orange, red, pink, purple and white
The florist's mum: dense domes of daisies, pompoms or buttons in every autumn colour.
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Yarrow
24 in · mid June to late August · also in pink, red and white
Flat-topped flower heads sit above feathery, aromatic foliage through the heat of summer.
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Daffodil
16 in · mid April to early May · also in white and orange
The most reliable spring bulb: it comes back and multiplies for decades, and deer and rodents leave it alone.
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Daylily
2½ ft · late June to early August · also in orange and red
Nearly indestructible, with each flower lasting a single day but many buds opening over several weeks.
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Forsythia
8 ft · late March to mid April
Arching branches covered in bright yellow flowers before the leaves in early spring: the signal that winter is over.
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Shrubby cinquefoil 'Goldfinger'
3 ft · early June to mid September
Large, bright golden-yellow flowers like small wild roses, from June until frost, on a dense, dark-leaved mound.
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Hybrid tea rose
4 ft · early June to early October · also in red, pink, white and orange
The florist's rose: large, high-centred, often fragrant flowers, one to a long stem, on an upright, rather stiff bush.
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Northern Lights azalea
5 ft · mid May to early June · also in pink, orange and white
Deciduous azaleas bred in Minnesota, with flower buds that survive -35 C.
A bed planned only from these plants
The planner was given only the plants on this page that suit zone 6 and full sun, and designed this 16 × 8 ft (4.9 × 2.4 m) bed from them when the page was made.
The plants
- 1 Yellow ice plant × 12, yellow
- 2 Blanket flower 'Arizona Sun' × 5, red
- 3 Fernleaf yarrow 'Cloth of Gold' × 3, yellow
- 4 Red hot poker 'Percy's Pride' × 2, green
- 5 Shrubby cinquefoil × 1, white
- 6 False sunflower 'Summer Nights' × 4, yellow
- 7 Sweet coneflower 'Henry Eilers' × 3, yellow
- 8 Golden ragwort × 32, yellow
- 9 Turkestan tulip × 8, white
- 10 Daffodil 'Jetfire' × 12, yellow
- 11 Darwin hybrid tulip × 7, orange
Planned as a naturalistic planting: low grasses and groundcovers, the matrix, make up 51% of the planted ground. Sweet coneflower 'Henry Eilers' and fernleaf yarrow 'Cloth of Gold' anchor the back corners of the bed: the tallest plants on the plan stand there. There is more golden ragwort than anything else, 32 plants in all.
The planner's own design check: 10 Excellent, 7 Good.
Open this bed in the planner Change its size, the sun or the style, move plants about, or swap one for another.
All 216 plants
Show all 216, by where they go in a bed
Front of a bed 75
- Aaron's beard 14 in · late June to late August
- Barren strawberry 5 in · late April to late May
- Barrenwort 'Amber Queen' 18 in · late April to mid June · with orange
- Barrenwort 'Frohnleiten' 12 in · mid April to mid May
- Basket-of-gold 10 in · mid April to mid May
- Black-eyed Susan 'Little Goldstar' 16 in · mid July to mid September
- Blanket flower 'Arizona Sun' 12 in · mid June to early October · with red
- Blanket flower 'Goblin' 14 in · mid June to early October · with red
- Blanket flower 'Mesa Yellow' 18 in · mid June to early October
- Celandine poppy 16 in · mid April to late May
- Coreopsis 'Jethro Tull' 16 in · mid June to late August
- Cowslip 10 in · mid April to mid May
- Creeping mahonia 12 in · mid April to early May
- Crocus 5 in · late March to mid April · also in purple and white
- Cushion spurge 18 in · late April to late May
- Cushion spurge 'Bonfire' 16 in · late April to late May · with green
- Daffodil 16 in · mid April to early May · also in white and orange
- Daffodil 'Dutch Master' 18 in · early April to late April
- Daffodil 'February Gold' 12 in · mid March to early April
- Daffodil 'Ice Follies' 16 in · early April to late April · with white
- Daffodil 'Jetfire' 10 in · late March to mid April · with orange
- Daffodil 'Tete-a-Tete' 7 in · late March to mid April
- Daylily 'Happy Returns' 18 in · mid June to mid September
- Daylily 'Stella de Oro' 14 in · mid June to mid September
- Dwarf bearded iris 8 in · late April to mid May · also in purple, blue and white
- Dwarf lady's mantle 8 in · late May to mid July · with green
- Eastern prickly pear 10 in · mid June to early July
- English primrose 6 in · late March to early May
- Forsythia 'Gold Tide' 24 in · late March to mid April
- Golden garlic 12 in · late May to late June
- Goldenrod 'Golden Fleece' 18 in · late August to early October · host plant
- Goldenrod 'Little Lemon' 14 in · early August to mid September
- Goldmoss stonecrop 3 in · late May to late June
- Green-and-gold 6 in · late April to mid June
- Greigii tulip 10 in · mid April to early May · also in red, orange and pink
- Groundcover rose 18 in · late May to mid October · also in pink, red and white
- Horned violet 6 in · mid April to late June · also in purple, blue and white · host plant
- Hyacinth 10 in · mid April to early May · also in blue, purple, pink and white
- Iceland poppy 16 in · early May to late June · also in orange, white, pink and red
- Iris 'Katharine Hodgkin' 5 in · early March to late March · with blue and white
- Jonquil 12 in · mid April to early May
- Lady tulip 12 in · mid April to early May · also in red and white
- Lavender cotton 18 in · late June to late July
- Leopard's bane 18 in · mid April to mid May
- Lupine Gallery Series 20 in · late May to early July · also in blue, pink, red and white
- Lydian broom 24 in · late May to mid June
- Marsh marigold 16 in · mid April to early May
- Missouri evening primrose 10 in · late May to early August
- Mouse-ear coreopsis 'Nana' 8 in · early May to mid June
- Pineleaf penstemon 12 in · mid June to early August · also in orange
- Polyanthus primrose 8 in · late March to mid May · also in red, pink, purple, blue and white
- Rock rose 10 in · late May to early July · also in orange, pink, red and white
- Rock rose 'Wisley Primrose' 10 in · late May to mid July
- Roman chamomile 6 in · late June to early August · with white
- Russian stonecrop 6 in · early June to mid July
- Shasta daisy 'Banana Cream' 18 in · late June to late August · with cream
- Snow crocus 3 in · early March to late March · also in white, blue and purple
- Sundrops 18 in · late May to mid July
- Sundrops 'Fireworks' 18 in · early June to mid July
- Tarda tulip 5 in · mid April to early May
- Tasteless stonecrop 3 in · late June to mid July
- Threadleaf coreopsis 'Moonbeam' 18 in · late June to early September
- Threadleaf coreopsis 'Zagreb' 16 in · late June to late August
- Tickseed 'Early Sunrise' 18 in · early June to late August
- Trout lily 'Pagoda' 12 in · mid April to early May
- Tulip 18 in · late April to mid May · also in red, pink, white, purple and orange
- Tulip 'Lilac Wonder' 7 in · mid April to early May · with pink and lilac
- Turkestan tulip 10 in · late March to mid April · with white
- Waterlily tulip 8 in · late March to mid April · also in white, red and pink
- Winter aconite 4 in · late February to mid March
- Woolly yarrow 8 in · late May to early July
- Yellow barrenwort 'Sulphureum' 12 in · late April to mid May
- Yellow corydalis 14 in · early May to mid September
- Yellow ice plant 2 in · mid May to late June
- Yellow trout lily 6 in · mid April to early May
Middle of a bed 69
- Asiatic lily 3 ft · late June to mid July · also in orange, red, pink and white
- Avens 'Lady Stratheden' 24 in · late May to late July
- Bearded iris 2½ ft · late May to mid June · also in purple, blue, white, pink, orange and red
- Black-eyed Susan 24 in · mid July to mid September · host plant
- Black-eyed Susan 'American Gold Rush' 24 in · mid July to early October
- Black-eyed Susan 'Goldsturm' 2 ft · late July to late September
- Blanket flower 20 in · mid June to mid September · with red
- Blue-stemmed goldenrod 2½ ft · early September to mid October · host plant
- Bush honeysuckle 'Kodiak Orange' 3½ ft · mid June to early August
- Chrysanthemum 'Mary Stoker' 24 in · late August to mid October · with orange
- Columbine 24 in · early May to mid June · also in blue, purple, pink and white
- Common blanket flower 24 in · mid June to early September · with red
- Coneflower 'Cheyenne Spirit' 2 ft · late June to early September · also in orange, red, pink and cream
- Coreopsis 'Full Moon' 2½ ft · late June to mid September
- Darwin hybrid tulip 24 in · late April to mid May · also in red, orange, pink and white
- Daylily 2½ ft · late June to early August · also in orange and red
- Daylily 'Hyperion' 3½ ft · mid July to mid August
- Dutch iris 22 in · mid May to early June · also in blue, purple and white
- False indigo 'Lemon Meringue' 3 ft · mid May to mid June
- False sunflower 'Summer Sun' 3½ ft · late June to early September
- Fernleaf yarrow 'Coronation Gold' 3 ft · late June to late August
- Floribunda rose 3 ft · early June to early October · also in red, pink, white and orange
- Fragrant sumac 'Gro-Low' 24 in · mid April to early May
- Garden chrysanthemum 24 in · mid September to late October · also in orange, red, pink, purple and white
- Globeflower 2½ ft · mid May to late June · also in orange
- Gloriosa daisy 2½ ft · late June to mid September · also in orange and red · host plant
- Gloriosa daisy 'Indian Summer' 3 ft · early July to early October · host plant
- Golden Alexanders 2½ ft · early May to mid June · host plant
- Golden columbine 3 ft · late May to mid July
- Golden marguerite 24 in · mid June to late August
- Golden ragwort 20 in · mid April to late May · host plant
- Golden St John's wort 'Sunburst' 3 ft · late June to late July
- Indian pink 20 in · early June to early July · with red
- Itoh peony 'Bartzella' 3 ft · late May to mid June
- Jerusalem sage 3 ft · mid June to late July
- Kalm's St John's wort 3 ft · early July to early August
- King's spear 3½ ft · late May to late June
- Lanceleaf coreopsis 20 in · late May to mid July
- Large-flowered bellwort 20 in · late April to mid May
- Lemon daylily 2½ ft · late May to mid June
- Leopard plant 24 in · early October to early November
- Ligularia 'Bottle Rocket' 2½ ft · early July to early August
- Ligularia 'Desdemona' 3½ ft · late July to early September · with orange
- Louisiana iris 3 ft · mid May to early June · also in purple, blue, red and white
- Mexican hat 24 in · late June to early September · also in red
- Montbretia 2½ ft · mid July to late August · also in orange and red
- Nettle-leaved mullein 3 ft · mid June to early August · also in white
- Northern bush honeysuckle 3 ft · late June to late July
- Prairie coreopsis 2½ ft · mid June to mid July
- Red hot poker 'Flamenco' 3 ft · late June to late August · with red and orange
- Rose 'Julia Child' 3 ft · mid June to early October
- Shrubby cinquefoil 3 ft · early June to mid September · also in white, pink and orange
- Shrubby cinquefoil 'Goldfinger' 3 ft · early June to mid September
- Sneezeweed 'Mardi Gras' 3 ft · early July to early September · with orange and red
- Sneezeweed 'Sahin's Early Flowerer' 3 ft · late June to early October · with orange and red
- Spotted bee balm 24 in · mid July to early September · with pink · host plant
- Straw foxglove 2½ ft · mid June to late July · with cream
- Tickseed 'Sunray' 20 in · early June to late August
- Tufted hair grass 'Goldtau' 24 in · mid June to late August · with brown
- Wild columbine 24 in · early May to early June · with red
- Yarrow 24 in · mid June to late August · also in pink, red and white
- Yarrow 'Moonshine' 24 in · mid June to early August
- Yarrow 'Paprika' 24 in · mid June to late August · with red
- Yarrow 'Terracotta' 2½ ft · late June to late August · with orange
- Yellow coneflower 3 ft · mid June to mid July · host plant
- Yellow false indigo 3 ft · late May to late June
- Yellow foxglove 2½ ft · early June to mid July
- Yellow loosestrife 3 ft · mid June to late July
- Zigzag goldenrod 3 ft · mid August to late September
Back of a bed 72
- Brown-eyed Susan 4 ft · late July to early October · host plant
- Buttercup winter hazel 5 ft · late March to mid April
- Canada lily 5 ft · late June to mid July · also in orange and red
- Canna 5 ft · early July to early October · also in red, orange and pink · host plant
- Carolina lupine 4 ft · late May to late June
- Citron daylily 3½ ft · mid July to late August
- Common witch hazel 15 ft · mid October to late November · host plant
- Compass plant 8 ft · mid July to early September
- Coneflower 'Herbstsonne' 6½ ft · late July to mid September
- Corkscrew hazel 8 ft · late February to late March
- Cornelian cherry 16½ ft · early March to late March
- Crown imperial 3½ ft · late April to early May · also in orange and red
- Cutleaf coneflower 6½ ft · late July to mid September · host plant
- Dahlia 3½ ft · mid July to mid October · also in red, pink, orange, purple and white
- Double Japanese kerria 6½ ft · mid April to mid May
- Double perennial sunflower 5 ft · late July to mid September
- English rose 4 ft · early June to early October · also in pink, white, red and orange
- English rose 'Graham Thomas' 5 ft · mid June to early October
- False indigo 'Carolina Moonlight' 4 ft · mid May to mid June
- False sunflower 4 ft · late June to early September
- False sunflower 'Summer Nights' 3½ ft · late June to early September · with orange
- Fernleaf yarrow 'Cloth of Gold' 4½ ft · late June to late August
- Flame azalea 8 ft · mid May to mid June · also in orange and red
- Forsythia 8 ft · late March to mid April
- Forsythia 'Lynwood' 8 ft · late March to mid April
- Forsythia 'Northern Gold' 7 ft · early April to late April
- Foxtail lily 6 ft · early June to early July · also in orange, pink and white
- Fragrant sumac 5 ft · mid April to late April
- Giant coneflower 6 ft · late June to early August · host plant
- Giant scabious 6½ ft · late June to early August · with cream
- Gladiolus 4 ft · mid July to early September · also in red, pink, orange, purple and white
- Golden lace 5 ft · late July to mid September
- Goldenrod 'Fireworks' 3½ ft · late August to mid October · host plant
- Grey-headed coneflower 4 ft · early July to late August · host plant
- Hollyhock 6 ft · early July to late August · also in pink, red, white and purple
- Hybrid tea rose 4 ft · early June to early October · also in red, pink, white and orange
- Hybrid tea rose 'Peace' 5 ft · mid June to early October · with pink
- Indian grass 'Sioux Blue' 6 ft · late August to mid October · with brown
- Japanese kerria 5 ft · mid April to mid May
- Ligularia 'The Rocket' 5 ft · early July to early August
- Lupine 3½ ft · late May to early July · also in blue, purple, pink, red and white
- Mahonia 'Charity' 10 ft · early November to late December
- Mahonia 'Soft Caress' 4 ft · early November to late December
- Maximilian sunflower 8 ft · early September to mid October · host plant
- Mediterranean spurge 4 ft · late March to late May · with green
- Narrow-leaved foxtail lily 3½ ft · mid June to mid July · with orange
- Northern Lights azalea 5 ft · mid May to early June · also in pink, orange and white
- Oregon grape 5 ft · early April to early May
- Orienpet lily 6 ft · mid July to early August · also in pink, white and red
- Paperbush 6 ft · early February to late March · with cream
- Red hot poker 3½ ft · late June to early August · also in orange and red
- Red hot poker 'Percy's Pride' 3½ ft · late July to mid September · with green and cream
- Russian hollyhock 6 ft · late June to early September
- Showy goldenrod 4 ft · late August to mid October · host plant
- Sneezeweed 4 ft · early August to late September · also in orange and red
- Spicebush 10 ft · late March to mid April · host plant
- St John's wort 'Hidcote' 3½ ft · late June to mid September
- Stiff goldenrod 4 ft · mid August to late September
- Sunflower 'Lemon Queen' 6½ ft · early August to late September
- Swamp sunflower 6½ ft · late September to late October · host plant
- Sweet coneflower 'Henry Eilers' 4½ ft · late July to mid September · host plant
- Tall coreopsis 6 ft · early August to mid September
- Tree peony 5 ft · early May to late May · also in pink, red, white and purple
- Trumpet lily 5 ft · mid July to early August · also in white, pink and orange
- Vernal witch hazel 8 ft · mid January to early March · with orange and red
- Willowleaf sunflower 'First Light' 4 ft · mid September to mid October
- Winged sumac 11½ ft · late July to late August · with green · host plant
- Winter jasmine 4 ft · early January to late March
- Witch hazel 'Arnold Promise' 13 ft · early February to mid March
- Woodland sunflower 4 ft · mid July to early September · host plant
- Yellow meadow rue 5 ft · late June to mid July
- Yellow waxbells 3½ ft · late August to late September