16 Yellow Perennial Flowers to Fill Your Garden With Color

Black-eyed Susans — Credit:
Dorte Fjalland/Getty Images

Few colors have more of an impact on the garden than yellow. The cheerful hue brightens landscapes and complements a range of garden styles, from English cottage to xeriscape. By adding perennial plants with yellow flowers to your landscape, you can watch them bring life to your garden year after year. When choosing yellow perennials, you'll find the selection is vast. To help you narrow down your search, we're sharing some of the most visually impressive yellow flowers around.

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Yellow Dwarf Iris

A woodland perennial with petite golden-yellow flowers, the yellow dwarf iris (Iris danfordiae) brings charm to any garden. "Each of the petals has a darker yellow center and is sometimes spotted," says Peggy Anne Montgomery, horticulturist for Flowerbulbs.com. "Its adaptability to partial shade makes it an excellent choice for naturalizing and adding a touch of sunshine to woodland settings."

Zone: 5 to 8
Size: 6 inches tall x 6 inches wide
Growing conditions: Part shade; well-drained soil

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02 of 16

Yellow Parrot Tulip

Yellow parrot tulips (Tulipa × gesneriana Parrot Group) have unique, full, ruffled petals with intricate fringed edges, says Montgomery. No two are exactly alike, giving you plenty of visual interest in the garden. "Their sunny, cheerful color makes them a symbol of happiness and positivity," she says.

Zone: 3 to 8
Size: 16 to 18 inches tall x 6 inches wide
Growing conditions: Full sun to light shade; moist, well-drained soil

03 of 16

Goldenrod

Solidago nemoralis — Credit:
Getty Images

Perfect for a meadow garden, goldenrod (Solidago) has mustard yellow flowers that form plume-like clusters at the top of each stem. "They are a sign of fall, adding that golden hue when many gardens are dull and brown," says Mary Phillips, head of Garden for Wildlife and Certified Wildlife Habitat programs at the National Wildlife Federation. The native plant is considered a keystone plant, meaning it supports many species of wildlife, including birds, butterflies, moths, and bees, says Phillips.

Zone: 2 to 8
Size: 1 to 6 feet tall x 1 to 3 feet wide
Growing conditions: Full sun; well-drained soil

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Yellow Canna Lily

Despite the name, yellow canna lilies aren't true lilies. In the family of Cannaceae, this perennial has large, frilly flowers that have a tropical feel. "The color is clear, illuminating yellow," says Montgomery. "The background of deep green foliage magnifies the color effect. Best of all, they bloom from mid-summer to frost."

Zone: 8 to 11
Size: 30 to 48 inches tall x 14 to 20 inches wide
Growing conditions: Part shade; organically rich, well-drained soil with medium moisture

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Daffodil

One of the most well-known perennials, daffodils (Narcissus) boast trumpet-shaped flowers with a central cup surrounded by various petals. "Its large, yellow flowers are bright, cheerful, and provide early spring color," says Montgomery. Beyond how beautiful they are, daffodils are very low maintenance. "Once planted, they naturalize and multiply on their own," she says.

Zone: 3 to 8
Size: 6 to 24 inches tall x 4 to 6 inches wide
Growing conditions: Full to part sun; well-drained soil

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Tickseed

Close up of coreopsis flowers — Credit:
wellsie82/Getty Images

Native to most of the United States, Tickseed (Coreopsis) is known for its long-lasting, bright daisy-like blooms. "Golden yellow flowers create a glorious early summer display attracting numerous butterflies, while birds eat the late summer seeds," says Phillips. "The foliage is typically delicate and fern-like, adding a unique texture to the garden."

Zone: 2 to 8
Size: 12 to 24 inches tall x 1 to 18 inches wide
Growing conditions: Full to part sun; sandy or rocky well-drained soil

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Perennial Sunflower

Native perennial sunflowers, which are in the Helianthus genus, are known for their late-season showy blooms. The perennial resembles smaller versions of the classic annual sunflower, but they come back year after year. "They have an abundance of cheery, bright yellow or orange petals surrounding a central disc that last for weeks," says Phillips. "Sunflowers attract butterflies in early to mid-summer. Leave later flowers for songbirds to feast on the seeds."

Zone: 3 to 9
Size: 3 to 8 feet tall x 1 to 3 feet wide
Growing conditions: Full sun; loam, clay, or sandy soil that is fertile and well-drained

08 of 16

Black-Eyed Susans

Rudbeckia Black Eyed Susan — Credit:
Sharon Talson / GETTY IMAGES

Black-eyed Susans (Rudbeckia) have black centers that perfectly contrast the plant's yellow flowers. Keep in mind that black-eyed Susans (Rudbeckia) can be perennial, biennial, or annual depending on the variety. "A couple of perennial varieties are ‘Indian Summer’ and ‘Cheyenne Sunset," says Linda Langelo, horticulture specialist at Colorado State University.

Zone: 3 to 9
Size: 2 to 3 feet tall x 2 to 3 feet wide
Growing conditions: Full sun; moist, organically rich soils

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Yarrow

A perennial plant recognized for its flat-topped clusters of tightly packed flowers, yarrow (achillea) is a low-maintenance bloom that's easy to grow. "Feathery, fragrant, gray-green foliage adds to its ornamental and pollinator value, making it irresistible to butterflies and bees," says Kelly Funk, president of Jackson & Perkins.

Zone: 4 to 9
Size: 9 to 12 inches tall x 10 to 12 inches wide
Growing conditions: Full sun to part shade; well-drained soil

10 of 16

Daylily

Daylilies (Hemerocallis) produce new blooms every single day. "Daylilies are perennial flowering plants known for their vibrant and showy blooms from summer until the first frost," says Funk. "These flowers have six petals that form a trumpet-shaped blossom. The foliage is long and grass-like, adding an attractive contrast to the bright yellow flowers." Deadhead spent flowers and foliage to encourage additional blooming.

Zone: 3 to 10
Size: 1 to 2 feet tall x 1 to 2 feet wide
Growing conditions: Full sun; average soil

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Sneezeweed

Helenium flowers — Credit:
Eve Livesey/Getty Images

Sneezeweed's showy flowers have yellow rays and yellow disk centers with two different yellow hues. "It does equally well as a fall blooming flower, which blooms from August to October," says Langelo. "The flowers attract pollinators, as they produce abundant nectar." Avoid over-fertilization with Sneezeweed, which causes the plant to grow too tall.

Zone: 3 to 8
Size: 3 to 5 feet tall x 2 to 3 feet wide
Growing conditions: Full sun; average soil

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Evening Primrose

Fill your garden with the scent of fresh lemons by planting evening primrose (Oenothera biennis). The delicate flower blooms later in the afternoon and evening to attract night pollinators. "Bats and moths find their way to these flowers," says Langelo. "These are long flowering plants because of the number of buds they produce."

Zone: 4 to 9
Size: 3 to 5 feet tall x 2 to 3 feet wide
Growing conditions: Full sun; neutral or acidic soils that are well-drained

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Blanket Flower

With its globe-shaped seed heads and yellow flowers, the blanket flower (Gaillardia) is a show-stopper in the garden. The pollinator-friendly perennial attracts bees and butterflies. "Dividing plants in spring or early fall every two to three years will keep them vigorous," says Langelo.

Zone: 5 to 10
Size: 14 to 16 inches tall x 20 to 22 inches wide
Growing conditions: Full sun; rocky, sandy, or loamy well-drained soil

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Peony

Yellow peonies — Credit:
CazG Photography/Getty Images

Peonies are known for their lovely fragrance and showy blooms. For a particularly gorgeous option, try Paeonia ‘Garden Treasure,' which is a large golden yellow, semi-double flower with 20 to 50 petals, says Langelo. The flower is relatively low maintenance, but note that it doesn't transplant well and can take up to two years to bloom.

Zone: 4 to 9
Size: 30 inches tall x 60 inches wide
Growing conditions: Full sun to part shade; moist but well-drained soil

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Graham Thomas (Ausmas)

English Rose Graham Thomas. Credit: Photo courtesy of Takashi .M

Ideal for an English cottage-style garden or any romantic landscape, the Graham Thomas is a deeply hued, golden-yellow climbing shrub rose. Plant along a fence, trellis, or arch to give the showy blooms space to climb. The pollinator-attracting English rose features dark green, thick foliage and is in bloom from spring to fall.

Zone: 5 to 9
Size: 5 to 8 feet tall x 5 to 8 feet wide
Growing conditions: Full sun to part shade; moist but well-drained soil

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False Sunflowers

Also known as an oxeye sunflower or smooth oxeye, false sunflowers (Heliopsis helianthoides) are bright yellow daisy-like flowers that have a brown cone center. The flower is a close relative to the true sunflower (Helianthus) but is not classified in the same family due to its persistent rays and center cone. These cheery blooms can tolerate thick, clay soil and are fairly low-maintenance, easy growers.