Yellow is a color that will uplift your mood, no matter what you’re currently feeling. It’s the color of positivity and hope, brightening up any space. It attracts a range of pollinators, and provides a good contrast against other colors in your garden.
Begonia
There are many types of begonia, from standard, trailing types, indoor varieties, those grown for their leaves, and those grown for their flowers.
Yellow begonias add warmth and color, and if you go for something like begonia obliqua, the plant behaves like a bush, and produces double blooms.
If you want a greater contrast, consider going for yellow begonias with dark leaves, as this will add another dimension to your planting scheme.
Some types don’t have a great tolerance for hot, dry weather, so be careful to pick a variety that’s right for your garden.
Bird of Paradise
One of the most dramatic flowers you can get, the bird of paradise plant (see also Bird Of Paradise Types) is a wonderful choice for adding a theatrical flair to your garden.
These plants need warm temperatures and very sunny spots. If that doesn’t sound like your garden, you can also grow them in pots and move them inside during winter, or even grow them indoors all year round.
It’s worth mentioning that it can be difficult to get this plant to flower if it’s not in a warm location outside.
Flowers are only produced on mature plants around 4-5 years old. That’s not to say it’s impossible, so there’s no harm in trying!
Black-Eyed Susan
Also referred to as Rudbeckia. If you pick the right type, this plant self-seeds, and will spread, but it’s not invasive like some plants on this list.
One of the most popular varieties is “Goldsturm”, which doesn’t need staking, and flowers late into the year.
Bulbous Buttercup
If you’re after a truly bright yellow, ranunculus bulbosus, the bulbous buttercup is a good choice which will add a little height to your garden.
It does self seed, and you can find it growing naturally as a wildflower, so it does pretty much take care of itself.
Busy Lizzie
Busy Lizzie, balsam sultana, or Impatiens walleriana is a lovely plant, and depending on where you live and the winter you get, it’s a perennial or an annual.
One particular striking variety is ‘Fusion Glow Yellow’, growing yellow flowers with orange centers in mid-spring until late summer.
Bear’s Ear
Primula auricula, or the bear’s ear flower, prefers rocky terrain, and produces clusters of bright yellow flowers on top of stems which reach up to 8 inches in height.
Bulbine
If you’re after a yellow flower which will thrive in full sun, Bulbine frutescens, or the bulbine flower, is a good choice. It’s a perennial, so it will flower year after year, and can grow up to 2 feet in height.
Craspedia
As a rule, the more unusual a plant looks, the warmer weather the plant needs, and this is true of Craspedia globosa, but you’ll be hard-pressed to find such an exotic looking flower in hardier plants.
Craspedia flowers need full sun for as long as you can give them, and require freely-draining soil.
Calendulas
Often confused with marigolds, calendulas encompass roughly 20 varieties of edible flowers, while marigolds are poisonous.
The biggest difference is in the seeds – calendulas produce u-shaped, brown seeds that have small bumps on the surface.
Like marigolds, they’re used as companion plants to deter pests away from crops. They add wonderful color to any garden, and are often used in cosmetics and for their health benefits.
Chrysanthemum
Celebrated with festivals around the world, chrysanthemums are widely admired for their blooms, which vary in shape and color.
Yellow chrysanthemums are particularly uplifting, and need full sun in order to produce the most flowers possible.
Canna Lily
Canna Lilies are related to banana plants, and you can see the resemblance in the leaves. They produce gorgeous flowers, which often contrasts darker foliage.
Carnation
Part of the dianthus family, and while carnations (see also Carnation Flower Meaning and Symbolism) are widely known for their pink, white, or red flowers, some varieties produce yellow blooms. They’re often used as ground-cover, or at the front of borders, as they don’t grow very tall.
Coreopsis
Also referred to as a pot of gold, these flowers will add a wealth of buttery shades of color into your garden, so long as you provide them with full sun.
They require a lot of water, but don’t require much maintenance, making them perfect for people who want less on their garden’s to-do list.
Carolina Jasmine
Although this plant resembles Jasmine, it’s part of the Gelsemiaceae family, which is where the name “false jasmine”, another name for this plant, comes from. To see Jasmine at its best, head over to our 14 Different Types Of Jasmine post.
It’s a climber valued for its fragrance, and large, yellow, funnel-shaped flowers. This plant is poisonous, so keep that in mind if you have pets or children.
Corydalis
If you want a splash of yellow in a shaded garden, Corydalis is the plant for you. It features tropical-looking, stacked tubular flowers, and it’s a very low-maintenance plant.
Daffodil
Ah, daffodils. They were probably your first thought when you considered yellow flowers for your garden, and with good reason. They come up year after year in our gardens. New cultivars are being created every year, making this humble plant more and more striking.
You can get both spring-flowering and autumn-flowering varieties.
Dahlias
Dahlias are very beautiful, very popular plants which produce yellow flowers. You can get them in all shapes and sizes, but if you want a deeper contrast, go for a variety with dark foliage. Options include “Moonfire”, and “Mystic Illusion”.
Dutch Hyacinth
Yellow hyacinths are rarer than other colors, but the oldest still in cultivation is “City of Haarlem”, and produces a primrose yellow flower, as well as the hyacinth’s signature scent.
Freesia
Freesias (see also Freesia Flower Symbolism) are also greatly valued for their scent, so they’re commonly grown near seating areas in gardens to fully appreciate the blooms these plants produce.
Gerbera Daisy
One of the most recognizable daisies around, Gerberas are often used in bouquets as they’re a long-lasting bloom, and feature tiny petals which ring round the center of the flower, and larger petals at the edges.
Goldenrod
Solidago, or goldenrods, are often grown in vegetable gardens for their tiny clusters of yellow flowers that appear in “rod” shapes.
These plants attract beneficial insects, which prey on pests that would otherwise decimate your crops.
They’ve often been blamed for hayfever, but that’s due to ragweed, which blooms at the same time in late summer and early fall.
Hellebores
Yellow hellebores are particularly beautiful, and prefer semi-shady, woodland areas. If the conditions are right, hellebores can bloom for more than eight weeks at a time (see also Helleborus Grow Guide).
Hibiscus
While beautiful and tropical-looking flowers, some varieties of hibiscus are very hardy. If you have a particularly bare patch in your garden, it won’t take long for a hibiscus to fill it with striking flowers.
Iris
Depending on the variety, Irises can flower both at the beginning of spring and late summer.
Some require almost boggy soil, while others prefer well-drained areas, but you’ll be able to find the perfect type for your garden, as there are so many varieties to choose from.
Lesser Celandine
If you’re after a low-growing flower, the lesser celandine, or Ficaria Verna is a good choice. It’s part of the Ranunculaceae family, otherwise known as the buttercup family.
Leontodon
Naturally found in meadows, the leontonodon has a particularly vibrant shade of yellow, if you’re going for the brightest shade you can find, this is a good option. Each long petal is serrated at the tip.
Marigold
Marigolds give off a wonderfully summery scent, and not only do humans admire it, but pests hate it.
The scent can mask the smell of tempting crops, so it’s often planted next to tomatoes or other plants vulnerable to pests such as aphids.
Pansy
Pansies (See also Pansy Flower Meaning) come in many varieties, and there’s lots of different types to choose from, which will give you a rainbow of yellow hues to suit your garden.
They prefer direct sunlight, and are bedding plants, so while they’ll self-seed a little, you’ll need to sow more seeds in order to see another display of them next year.
Portulaca
Portulaca thrive in warm climates, and most types are low-growing, so they tend to do best at the front of a border. They also attract a lot of pollinators, which is beneficial for all of the plants growing in your garden.
Prickly Pear
A type of cacti, prickly pears produce lovely yellow flowers, though you should be careful of the spikes beneath (see also How To Grow The Spineless Prickly Pear Cactus)! Plant this cactus somewhere you won’t be expecting a lot of foot traffic, or you may get a lot of complaints!
Primrose
There’s a plethora of types of primrose, varying in height, shape, and color. Yellow flowering primroses are particularly beautiful, and some prefer moist soil and a shady position.
Snapdragons
Snapdragons are instantly recognizable for their unique blooms, which “snap” open if pinched at the throat of the flower. Also known as Antirrhinum, these flowers prefer full sun and well-drained soil.
Sunflower
Perhaps one of the most recognizable, and popular yellow flowers of all, sunflowers are very beautiful, and while they’re grown for their seeds and height, you can get them in smaller varieties which spread outward rather than upward.
They do need full sun in order to get the best out of them.
Ranunculus
Ranunculuses are unusual flowers which look too perfect to be real. Their circular shape, delicately stacked petals, and vivid colors look as though someone has designed them and made them out of paper!
They are part of the buttercup family. The name of this flower translates from late Latin to “little frog”, referring to many flowers which are found near water.
Most ranunculuses need bright light and well-draining soil.
Waterlilies
If you’re wanting a particularly vivid yellow, and all your borders, pots, and trellises are full, why not turn to planting in water? Waterlilies are widely admired for their beauty, they’re hardy, and relatively fuss free.
Yellow Lily
There are lots of different types of lily – so if you’re after a certain hue of yellow, or different colors together, or different shapes of blooms, lilies are a good choice.
They’re relatively easy to care for, but it’s worth planting them in pots, as some are susceptible to lily beetles, and once this pest is in the ground, you’ll never get rid of them.
Yarrow
A favorite of pollinators, yarrow is a good choice for somewhere that you want height as well as color. Though most commonly known for its white flowers, yarrow (see also Yarrow Plant Guide) also comes in yellows and pinks.
Yellow Rose
If you’re wanting a real show-stopper of a yellow bloom, roses are the flowers for you. They come in many shapes and sizes, they’re easy to care for, and more often than not, smell fantastic.
Yellow Cestrum
This gorgeous and unusual plant is sure to turn your garden into a tropical paradise. They have tubular yellow flowers, and attract night pollinators with a lovely fragrance.
Plant them near seating areas where you don’t mind sitting after dark, in order to get the best out of them.
Yellow Butterfly Bush
When you think of a butterfly bush, you probably think of the pink or purple varieties. Yellow butterfly bushes are striking, and can withstand more drought than some plants on this list.
They need to be in full sun in order to produce the most flowers.
Yellow Oleander
Oleanders are beautiful, tropical-looking plants with vibrant flowers. They’re fuss-free, but they’re also poisonous.
Yellow Tulip
Tulips will come back year after year, and yellow tulips are very vivid and eye-catching. They’ll bloom in early to mid-spring, and prefer full sun.
Zinnia
Zinnias are known for their nearly-fluorescent hues, and yellow zinnias are one of the most eye-catching! They are annuals, so you’ll need to sow more of them if you want them again the year after.
Frequently Asked Questions
What type of Yellow Flowers Appear in Spring?
Most of the types listed in this article grow at the beginning of the season, though some do explode into color a little later, providing your garden with interest all year round.
When do Yellow Flowers Bloom?
Of course, this is governed by the species and variety of the flower in question. Generally, it’s believed that yellow flowers do bloom faster than other colors.
What do Yellow Flowers Mean?
Like their color, yellow flowers embody positivity, optimism. They also symbolize non-romantic affection, and tell the recipient that they brighten your life.
