9 sunshine yellow flower plants for the garden

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From the tiny feathery spheres of mimosa in late winter to the pointed petals of the wild tulip (Tulipa sylvestris) in early spring, yellow flowers carry a garden through its dullest weeks. Trees, shrubs and bulbs all offer them, and matching each one to sun or shade keeps the gold coming from late summer right round to mid-spring.

Trees, shrubs and perennials, here is our selection of yellow-blooming flowers that pack a punch of gold!

Read also:

• A garden of red flowers
• 9 orange flowers for the garden
• Original black flowers
• Top 8 blue flowers

Nine yellow-flowering plants at a glance

Trees, shrubs and bulbs each bring their own shade of gold, but they flower at different moments and ask for different spots. Use this table to see which one fits your garden before reading the detail below.

Combine an early tree or shrub with a few bulbs and the garden keeps its gold going for months.

3 trees with yellow blooming

Mimosa (acacia)

• Variety: Acacia dealbata, also called florist’s mimosa.
• Blooming: in late winter to early spring, with tiny feathery spheres that make drab days feel like Spring already.
• Leafage: delicate evergreen leaves that are very ornamental.
• Planting: in mid-spring to late spring or early autumn to mid-autumn.
• Location: Mimosa loves sun (hardy down to 10°F or -12°C). Since this tallish tree can reach 30 to 60 feet (10 to 20 meters) tall, it’s best to plant it as a standalone.

Scotch laburnum

• Variety: Laburnum (the type species)
• Blooming: flowers form long bunches and are even slightly fragrant.
• Foliage: 3 soft green oval folioles per leaf. Deciduous.
• Planting: in early spring to mid-spring or in mid-autumn to late autumn.
• Location: sun or part sun, resists freezing down to -5°F (-20°C). This elegant, small tree is excellent as part of a shrub bed, a standalone, and can also make for a good hedge.

Magnolia

• Variety: Magnolia x brooklynensis ‘Yellow Bord’
• Blooming: large bowl-shaped flowers that are pale yellow in color. Blooms appear late spring, and sometimes a repeat blooming occurs during summertime.
• Foliage: large elliptical deciduous leaves, shiny dark green in color with a soft underside.
• Planting: from early spring to late spring or from early autumn to late autumn.
• Location: sun or part sun, can take on cold temperatures down to 5°F (-15°C). At 25 feet tall and 15 wide (8 by 4.5 meters), this fellow deserves to grow as a standalone.

3 yellow-blooming shrubs

Forsythia

• Variety: Forsythia x intermedia
• Blooming: striking golden flowers appear before leaves do in late winter, similar in shape to those of star jasmine.
• Foliage: normal green leaves, deciduous and oval in shape.
• Planting: from early spring to late spring or in early autumn to mid-autumn.
• Location: in the sun or in part shade. Hardiness ranges from -13 to only 5°F (-25°C to -15°C) depending on the variety. Often grown in rows to form hedges, it will also look appealing at the back of a shrub bed, as a standalone, or in large-ish container.

Saint John’s wort

• Variety: Hypericum calycinum
• Blooming: countless clusters of star or bowl-shaped flowers form continuously from early summer to mid-autumn.
• Foliage: evergreen oval deep green leaves.
• Planting: in mid-spring to late spring or mid-autumn to late autumn.
• Location: make the most of its low, bushy bearing and powerful root system to secure the top of a mound. It’s also possible to include it in a shrub bed composition, use it a a knee-high ground cover, or plant it in rocky terrain. Containers and pots are also possible.

Mahonia

• Variety: Common mahonia (Mahonia aquifolium)
• Blooming: flashy yellow flowers form nectar-rich clusters that smell delicious, too. Depending on the variety, these would bloom anytime from late summer to mid-spring. Perfect for shaded portions of the garden.
• Foliage: look uncannily similar to those of holly! Deep green, they’re a lovely bronze-orange hue while still young.
• Planting: Between late winter and early spring.
• Location: part shade or full shade, in flower beds, as a hedge, standalone or garden box.

3 bulb perennials that bear yellow flowers

Crocus

• Variety: Crocus ancyrensis ‘Golden Bunch’
• Blooming: between late winter and early spring, small cup-like yellow flowers open when the weather is bright.
• Foliage: long, thin leaves clumped together sprout from the base of the plant.
• Planting: plant the bulb from midsummer to late autumn.
• Location: in flower beds, along edges, in rocky terrain, forest underbrush, and pots. Exposure should be sun or part sun.

Daffodil

• Variety: Narcissus jonquilla
• Blooming: golden yellow flowers from early spring to early summer, 6 petals forming cute trumpets with a central crown.
• Foliage: long, thin leaves clumped together sprout from the base of the plant.
• Planting: plant the bulb between early autumn and late autumn.
• Location: in flower beds, along edges, in rocky terrain, and pots. Exposure should be sun or part sun.

Forest tulip

• Variety: Tulipa sylvestris
• Blooming: wild tulip bestows us with beautiful pointy-petaled corollas early spring, blazing yellow in color.
• Foliage: linear blue-green leaves clumped together sprout at the base of the plant.
• Planting: plant the bulb between early autumn and late autumn.
• Location: prairie, rocky terrain, forest undergrowth (in a sunnier spot, preferably) or in part shade