Plants with yellow flowers
We pick 40 of the best yellow flowers to grow.
From pale lemon to deep gold, yellow flowers come in many different shades. Yellow is a cheerful, sunny colour, and versatile, too – it can be combined with flowers in shades of red or orange (including rudbeckias, dahlias and heleniums) to create a 'hot' border, or contrasted with blue or purple for a vibrant look.
Choose a few yellow plants for a splash of colour at key times of the year or weave plants into your border. For a softer look go for pale yellows, such as foxglove 'Primrose Carousel' or Weigela middendorffiana, while for a bold yellow try mahonia or rudbeckia.
There's a yellow flower for every season, including highlights such as tiny aconites and scented mahonia in winter, bright daffodils and tulips in spring through to scented roses in summer and potentilla in autumn. Whether you're looking for bulbs, annuals, shrubs or perennials, browse our list for inspiration.
Pansies
Pansies are a useful seasonal plant for filling containers and window boxes. They are long flowering, available to bring colour to summer schemes or to brighten winter displays. Most nurseries stocking pansies will have a yellow-flowered variety, whether that's a pale yellow like Cool Wave 'Lemon' or featuring black stripes like the aptly named 'Tiger Eyes'.
Height x Spread: 15cm x 20cm
Flowers: Autumn to spring in mild weather or through the summer
Alchemilla mollis
This hardy perennial makes a good ground cover plant for the front of borders with clouds of acid yellow flowers, often described as chartreuse (a mix of yellow and green). The scalloped leaves are as much of an attraction as the tiny flowers that last right through the summer.
H x S: 50cm x 50cm
Flowers: June to September
Winter aconite
Also known as Eranthis hyemalis, this tiny flower is a cheery sight in late winter and a good plant for early bees, growing well beneath trees and shrubs. It will naturalise well in areas that don't get too dry. Plant the tubers from September to October.
H x S: 8cm x 5cm
Flowers: January to February
Daffodils
This is perhaps one of the most common yellow flowers, so why not branch out from the traditional daffodil, for a bit of variety? Using a blend of different cultivars will also extend the flowering season. Narcissus 'Rip Van Winkle' is a great pick for its multi-petalled blooms. Its compact making it a good choice for containers. For early flowers try 'Rijnveld's Early Sensation' which flowers December to February and for later flowers, 'Hawera' which flowers March to April. Plant daffodil bulbs in October.
H x S: 14cm x 8cm
Flowers: March to April
- Buy Narcissus 'Rijnvelds Sensation' from Crocus
- Buy Narcissus 'Rip Van Winkle' from Thompson & Morgan
Forsythia
Forsythias are easy shrubs that provide early spring flowers in a vibrant yellow. The flowers appear on bare branches, a welcome sight on a grey day. This is a good plant for borders but best in a large garden, as it only has only season of interest.
H x S: 3m x 3m
Flowers: February to April
Bidens 'Spotlight'
Fill your containers with a long-flowering, half hardy perennial that will flower for months and attracts pollinating insects. This cheery flower is bicoloured, with two shades of yellow.
H x S: 25cm x 30cm
Flowers: July to October
Daylily
Hemerocallis are prolific in the amount of flowers they produce, but each bloom lasts for just one day. Deadhead regularly to ensure a succession of flowers in early summer. Plant in a sunny spot, in moist well draining soil for the best display.
H x S: 1m x 40cm
Flowers: June
Clematis tangutica
Brighten up a fence or trellis with a vibrant clematis that has sunshine yellow, pendant flowerheads. This clematis will cover a boundary in blooms all through summer. The flowers are followed by attractive fluffy seedheads. Prune in February.
H x S: 4.5m x 3m
Flowers: July to October
Dahlias
For late summer colour, look for yellow dahlias like 'Charlie Two', which is a decorative dahlia and will add impact to borders from July until the first frosts. Other striking yellow varieties include 'Yellow Star' and 'Oakwood Goldcrest'.
H x S: 1.2m x 60cm
Flowers: July to November
Kniphofia
There are many yellow kniphofias, also known as red hot pokers. These perennials have vibrant flower spikes that are perfect for hot borders or exotic planting schemes, or simply to make an impact in a sunny border. Yellow varieties include 'Limelight', Poco Yellow and 'Sunningdale Yellow'.
H x S: 80cm x 60cm
Flowers: July to October
Amaryllis
The perfect plant for Christmas, but does it always need to be red? Try yellow varieties such as the pale yellow 'Luna' or 'Lemon Star' with large, creamy yellow flowers. Plant bulbs indoors for flowers in six to eight weeks.
H x S: 45cm x 30cm
Flowers: December to February
Potentilla fruticosa 'Katherine Dykes'
This shrubby cinquefoil is a long-flowering deciduous shrub, with masses of yellow blooms from early summer through to autumn. This variety is slightly taller than some and can be used as an informal hedge. For a pale yellow variety, try 'Primrose Beauty'.
H x S: 1.2m x 1m
Flowers: May to October
- Buy Potentilla fruticosa 'Katherine Dykes' from Ashwood Nurseries
- Buy Potentilla fruticosa 'Primrose Beauty' from Crocus
Sunflowers
Take your pick of a huge range of sunflowers – there's something to suit everyone, whether you're growing in the ground or a container. For those short on space there are dwarf sunflowers such as 'Little Leo', which reaches just 45cm or 'Little Dorrit', which is 60cm tall. For something a bit taller, try the bright faced 'Soleo' at 1m.
H x S: 1m x 45cm
Flowers: June to September
African marigold
These large-flowered marigolds not only provide bright colour but are useful too, particularly as companion plants. They are often planted alongside tomatoes to help deter pests. Plant these annuals in a sunny spot and they will flower for months throughout summer.
H x S: 30cm x 30cm
Flowers: June to October
Witch hazel
Hammamelis, known as witch hazel, is a deciduous shrub that has sweet scented flowers in the depths of winter. These can be red, orange or yellow. Some yellow varieties include 'Arnold Promise', 'Savill Starlight' and 'Pallida'. This striking plant also looks good in autumn, when its leaves turn shades of orange and red.
H x S: 3m x 3m
Flowers: December to February
Tulips
Planting tulips in November is an easy way to add yellow shades to your garden in the spring. There are plenty of varieties to choose from whether it's the bold double tulip 'Monsella' with flame red streaks or a paler tulip like the lily flowered 'Sapporo'.
H x S: 50cm x 10cm
Flowers: April to May
Viola 'Dawn'
This compact viola is an evergreen perennial with lemon yellow flowers from spring right through into autumn. Its neat habit makes it the perfect plant for containers.
H x S: 15cm x 25cm
Flowers: April to October
Zinnia
Zinnias are popular for their long-flowering nature and being easy to grow. They are also inexpensive as they can be grown from seed. As well as 'Pop Art' with its double flowers and red streaked yellow flowers, you could try 'Benary's Giant Golden Yellow' or 'Envy' which is a yellowish green.
H x S: 60cm x 30cm
Flowers: July to September
Hypericum 'Hidcote'
Also known as 'St John's Wort', hypericums are a good choice for a long lasting display and their reliable nature. 'Hidcote' is a popular variety with masses of cup-shaped, yellow flowers that will attract bees to your garden.
H x S: 1.5m x 1.5m
Flowers: June to September
Sophora
Sophora microphylla 'Sun King' is a large, evergreen shrub or small tree with attractive glossy, dark green leaves and bright yellow, drooping flowers that have distinctive, long anthers. It lights up the garden in late winter and early spring. Grow Sophora in full sun in well-drained soil.
H x S: 3m x 3m
Flowers: February to March
Canna 'Tropical Yellow'
Cannas have lush green foliage and bright flowers, making them perfect for exotic or jungle-style planting schemes. For yellow flowers, try Canna 'Tropical Yellow', which looks good with crocosmia and agapanthus. It's ideal for a pot, but keep it well watered.
H x S: 80cm x 35cm
Flowers: July to October
Buddleja x weyeriana 'Sungold'
Most buddleias come in shades of purple, white or pink, but Buddleja x weyeriana 'Sungold' has unusual, golden yellow flowers with a strong fragrance. For best results, cut plants back to their base in March. It's very popular with butterflies.
H x S: 2m x 3m
Flowers: July to October
Fennel
Fennel, Foeniculum vulgare, looks great at the back of an ornamental border – it has airy, finely divided foliage and attractive, plate-like yellow flowers, followed by aniseed-flavoured seeds. The flowers are attractive to insects, especially hoverflies, and the seeds are eaten by birds.
H x S: 1.8m x 45cm
Flowers: July to August
Geum 'Custard Tart'
Geum 'Custard Tart' has beautiful custard-yellow flowers throughout summer on tall, green stems. For the best display grow it in a cool part of the garden at the front of the border. It makes a good cut flower. Other yellow geums include 'Sunrise' and 'Banana Daiquiri'.
H x S: 25cm x 40cm
Flowers: June to August
Peony 'Bartzella'
Paeonia 'Bartzella' has large, frilled, lemon-yellow flowers, with a dash of pink at the centre. They have a delicate, citrus fragrance and make good cut flowers. It flowers in early summer but may produce a second flush of flowers in September.
H x S: 75cm x 75cm
Flowers: June to July
Rudbeckia
Rudbeckia 'Goldsturm', also known as black-eyed Susan, has glowing yellow, daisy flowers with distinctive black-brown centres in August when many other perennials are beginning to fade. It's ideal for creating a splash of late-summer colour and works well in prairie-style schemes, with ornamental grasses.
H x S: 60cm x 45cm
Flowers: August to October
Rosa 'Mountbatten'
Rosa 'Mountbatten' is a repeat-flowering floribunda rose with fragrant flowers throughout summer. This is a strong, tall shrub rose with deep yellow flowers that will light up a border. Other yellow roses you could try include 'Lutea' or 'Gold Spice'.
H x S: 1.2m x 75cm
Flowers: June to September
Yarrow
Achillea 'Cloth of Gold' has gold, flat flower heads that contrast beautifully with other flower shapes and make perfect landing pads for insects, especially hoverflies. It's perfect for growing towards the middle of border or in a wildlife or gravel garden.
H x S: 1.2m x 45cm
Flowers: June to September
Kerria japonica
Kerria japonica is deciduous, spring-flowering shrub that's easy to grow with bright double flowers. This reliable plant is perfect for a north-facing wall as too much direct sunlight will bleach the flowers. Try 'Pleniflora' or 'Golden Guinea' for a mass of yellow blooms.
H x S: 4m x 2.5m
Flowers: March to May
Foxglove 'Primrose Carousel'
This dwarf foxglove is a good pick for pots or for growing at the front of borders as it's shorter than most varieties. Its flowers are a pale yellow with purple freckles. This is a good plant for attracting bees and other pollinating insects.
H x S: 75cm x 45cm
Flowers: May to July
Weigela middendorffiana
This early summer-flowering shrub is deciduous, with pale yellow flowers that have deeper yellow markings within. Weigela are reliable, easy to grow shrubs that are relatively low maintenance – simply prune each year after flowering.
H x S: 1.5m x 1.5m
Flowers: May to August
Mahonia
For bright yellow flowers in winter, look no further than mahonia. It's has dark green, prickly leaves and is evergreen, providing interest year round. Plant in a partially shady spot and enjoy the winter scented flowers.
H x S: 5m x 4m
Flowers: November to March
Crocosmia 'Paul's Best Yellow'
Yellow crocosmias include 'Paul's Best Yellow', which has bright sunshine yellow flowers that face outwards. It's a good pick for adding late summer colour to borders and also makes an excellent flower for cutting to bring indoors. Other yellow varieties include 'Suzanne' and the rich yellow to light orange 'George Davison'.
H x S: 1.5m x 1m
Flowers: August to September
Phlomis russeliana
This is a popular plant for its long-flowering nature. The hooded flowers are attractive to bees, held on tall stems which are great for adding height in a border. Even after the flowers have faded in early autumn, its worth leaving the seedheads on throughout winter as they look attractive covered in frost. Plant in a spot that gets full sun for the best display. This plant can tolerate drought.
H x S: 90cm x 75cm
Flowers: May to September
Cornus mas
Cornelian cherry is a pretty shrub that has something to see in almost every season: bright winter flowers, red glossy fruits in the summer and vibrant autumn colour. It's hardy and will thrive in most soils. Plant it in sun or partial shade.
H x S: 4m x 4m
Flowers: January to February
Echinacea
Echinaceas, known as coneflowers, come in shades including white, pink, red, orange and yellow. The daisy shaped flowers are attractive to bees and make good cut flowers. For a compact, early flowering variety try Shiny, from the Mooodz series or for a bolder yellow, there are cultivars such as 'Now Cheesier' or 'Paradoxa'.
H x S: 60cm x 50cm
Flowers: July to September
Yellow flag iris
Perfect for the edge of a sunny pond, the yellow flag iris, Iris pseduacorus, is a striking flower that will attract bees. It has sword shaped leaves and is a marginal pond plant, happy with up to 30cm of water over its crown.
H x S: 1.2m x 1m
Flowers: June to August
Verbascum
Add height to your border with upright verbascums. These short lived perennials have a long summer flowering season and there are several yellow varieties including 'Cotswold Queen', which has rich golden flowers with a purple eye. To keep your plants flowering for as long as possible, cut any old flowers stems down to ground level.
H x S: 1.2m x 30cm
Flowers: July to September
Winter jasmine
Bring colour to your garden in the depths of winter with Jasmine nudiflorum. Its small bright flowers appear as January on bright green stems, lightening borders when there is little else in flower. It can be trained as a climber against a sunny wall.
H x S: 2.5m x 2.5m
Flowers: January to March
Aquilegia longissima
This pale lemon coloured aquilegia is ideal for a partially shaded border or for planting beneath deciduous trees. It's also known as a long-spurred columbine and has a light evening scent, perfect for June evenings when the days are getting longer.
H x S: 80cm x 45m
Flowers: June to July
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