Yellow is a polarizing color for flowers. Some people think it is brassy and loud and unpleasant. Others find it sunny and cheerful. The sunny warmth of yellow can cheer up a dark garden, and looks great when combined with darker colors. Today we’re sharing some favorite yellow blooms – what are yours?
Any list of yellow flowers has to include daffodils… the sunny essence of spring. But there is a lot of diversity in daffodils beyond the classic big trumpets. This is Narcissus bulbicodium (Zone 6 – 9), sometimes called the hoop petticoat daffodil. It has a particularly elegant, miniature take on the classic daffodil.
Anemone ranunculoides (Zone 4 – 8) is a bright little woodlander, spreading slowly to make a clump of sunshine.
This little yellow flower is the lakeside daisy (Tetraneuris herbacea, Zone 4 – 8). It is a wildflower native to just a handful of spots on the shores of the Great Lakes. Though quite rare in the wild, it makes a great garden plant, with masses of yellow flowers in May.
Zinnia grandiflora (Zone 5 – 9) is a miniature, hardy, perennial species of zinnia native to western North America. Unlike the familiar annual species, this spreads out to make a long-blooming ground cover, with yellow flowers that keep coming all summer long. It is very drought tolerant, but doesn’t do well in heavy, wet soils.
Japanese kerria (Kerria japonica ‘Pleniflora’, Zone 4 – 9) is a slightly sprawling shrub that blooms for a very long period with bright yellow flower. The great feature is that it is very tolerant of even quiet deep shade, still blooming in spots where most plants won’t.
Closer look at the Japanese kerria blooms. This is the double flowered form, there are also singles with just five petals to each bloom. Both are beautiful.
We usually think of azaleas (Rhododendron hybrids, hardiness varies by cultivar) as being evergreen shrubs with flowers in shades of pink. But there is a whole world of deciduous azalea species and hybrids, many of them native to North America, with flowers in shades of yellow and orange. Even better, many of them are fragrant as well!
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Comments
A favorite native in the southeast is yellow jessamine (Gelsemium sempervirens). This lovely, evergreen vine scambles up trees on the edge of woodland areas and is one of the first flowers of spring. It also performs well in garden settings.
A very inspiring post on yellow as foliage sunshine! The "hoop petticoat daffodil" is interesting! Can't wait to see you make a post on lavender shades of flowers!
Gorgeous! I have yellow jessamine on both of the side fences around my back yard/pool area. It's so pretty and has a lovely scent as well.
I agree 100% yellow in the garden makes a gloomy, rainy day seem less so. I have yellow Cypress, yellow tinted Junipers, several types of euonymus, as well as daffodils, plus my prickly pear has gorgeous yellow blooms in the spring. I made sure to plant yellow so it would be visible from each of my windows.
I absolutely love the discussion on yellow flowers! It's fascinating how colors can evoke such diverse reactions. Personally, I'm on the sunny and cheerful side of the spectrum when it comes to yellow flowers. They bring such a burst of warmth and positivity to any garden. Combining yellow with darker colors sounds like a stunning contrast – a visual treat! 3. More Like "basketball random"! This game throws out the rulebook and embraces the unpredictable. Every bounce and shot is a gamble, but that's just part of the hilarious charm. Who cares if you win or lose, when you're having this much fun?
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