Filling your garden with color all year round is a guaranteed way to keep things looking bright and alive no matter what the weather has in store. Out of the plethora of colors that you can plant into your outdoor space, there’s no doubt that yellow flowering shrubs are the one that shines the brightest.
Glowing with an almost aureole light when placed in full sun and injecting much-needed brightness into shadier spaces, yellow is an absolute must-have color for any planting scheme. One of the best ways you can incorporate this dazzling shade into your garden is by using yellow flowering shrubs.
But just which yellow flowering shrubs are the right choice for your garden and the different areas around your property?
To help you find the perfect choice, we’ve put together a list of some of the most amazing yellow flowering shrubs you could ever wish to find, each of which is certain to bring a bright glow into your outdoor area.
Love yellow flowers? Plant some spring blooming yellow flowers.
11 Beautiful Yellow Flowering Shrubs For Bright Landscapes
1. Forsythia
An early flowering shrub that is happiest when planted in full sun, the bare branches of Forsythia are covered in tiny yellow flowers right at the beginning of spring, injecting some much-needed life into your garden when most other shrubs and perennial plants are yet to come out of their dormant period and loudly, brightly announcing that winter has finally come to an end.
2. Azaleas (Rhododendron)
Pale yellow flowers adorn the branches of Azaleas in mid-spring, which are set beautifully against the dark, evergreen leaves.
The blooms on this yellow flowering shrub are also mildly scented, so it would make a great choice for planting near a doorway or seating area where it won’t only help to brighten the space up and make it look more welcoming, but will also fill the air with its fragrance.
Plant in part-sun or part-shade for a guaranteed dazzling display.
3. Yellow Roses
Roses are one of the most popular flowering shrubs in the world, and there are absolutely loads of varieties that produce yellow flowers. Take a peek at these stunning rose pictures!
One of the most popular varieties is ‘Lady Banks’, which is a climbing variety that puts on a showy display of yellow blooms from late spring right through to the end of summer.
Planted in full sun, this yellow flowering shrub can reach a total height of 4-6ft and will produce seemingly endless flowers when regularly deadheaded.
4. Witch Hazel (Arnold Promise)
Although Forsythia is one of the earliest flowering shrubs you can find its blooms are succeeded by those of Witch Hazel, which produces a display of some of the most interesting yellow flowers you’ll ever see.
Almost spider-like in appearance, these architectural flowers appear on bare branches and are followed by dark green foliage.
Planted in full sun or part shade, this is also a fantastic choice for fall interest as the foliage turns scarlet red before eventually dropping off in winter.
5. Spanish Broom (Spartium Junceum)
If you’ve got a garden that is particularly drought tolerant, then Spanish Broom is the yellow flowering shrub you need!
Able to cope with full sun, extreme heat, and drier soil conditions, this shrub has tiny leaves that are almost totally drowned out during early summer by the massive coating of bright yellow, pea-shaped flowers.
Capable of growing up to 4ft wide and up to 2ft in height, this is also a perfect choice for creating a ground cover.
6. Japanese Rose (Kerria japonica)
Available in varieties that produce either single or double blooms, Japanese Roses are a great addition to shady areas where their bright flowers will inject some much-needed color from early spring all the way through to the middle of summer.
You’ll also be provided with winter interest thanks to its evergreen stems.
7. Mahonia Japonica
Another spring flowering shrub, Mahonia is happiest when planted in full shade where its pale yellow blooms are guaranteed to add vibrancy to even the darkest areas. It also produces holly-like, spiked leaves that will provide evergreen structure and interest.
Reaching a mature spread of between 7ft-10ft, and an ultimate height of 5ft-7ft, Mahonia is a wonderful choice for creating a ground cover or even for using as natural fencing.
8. St John’s Wort ‘Hidcote’
Although St John’s Wort is usually considered to be an invasive plant. Hidcote is a variety that has been carefully cultivated to only reach a maximum height and width of 4ft.
When planted in full sun or part shade it will reward you with eye-catching, vibrant yellow flowers that bloom all summer long which are set perfectly against its dark green foliage.
9. Magnolia ‘Yellow Bird’
Pale yellow flowers appear in abundance on the bare branches of Magnolia ‘Yellow Bird’ during late spring in an interesting upright pose where they fill the spring air with their sweet fragrance.
These blooms can also reach a massive 15cm in size once your Magnolia has reached full maturity, and it’s happy being planted in almost any position.
Its late spring blooming habit also means that you don’t have to worry about any frost damage ruining these showy yellow flowers.
10. Cotton Lavender
Providing you with a burst of the most vibrant yellow flowers you’ll ever see, Cotton Lavender produces its blooms in late spring and keeps on flowering right through summer.
It’s also really drought tolerant and it’s Mediterranean roots mean that it can handle the full sun beating down on it all day long. Take a peek at this gorgeous Mediterranean style garden: so pretty!
Not only will Cotton Lavender give you a gorgeous display of super bright yellow flowers, but the silvery-green foliage is also evergreen, so you’ll be provided with year-round interest. Its ultimate height of only 90cm makes it a perfect choice for smaller gardens or for planting in containers.
11. Goldstar Potentilla
Gorgeous bright blooms that start in the spring the keep on blooming through the fall. If you want a truly carefree yellow shrub, get a Goldstar potentilla.
Conclusion
As you can see, there is a wide variety of yellow flowering shrubs that will help you add color and vibrancy to your garden. However, one of the most important things you need to bear in mind when you’re looking for a yellow shrub to add to your landscape is the natural conditions of your outdoor space. Do you have full sun or is it mostly covered with shade? And what are your soil conditions like?
Once you’ve answered these crucial questions, you’ll be ready to start the fun task of finding and planting your favorite yellow flowering shrub!
And why just stop at one? With so many options available it only makes sense to plant a variety of different shrubs that can work together to set your garden alight with their dazzling color.
Plan it cleverly enough and you’ll even be able to have a display of yellow flowers for most of the year, right from early spring with Witch Hazel all the way through to late summer with the prolific blooms of Yellow Roses.
Adriana Copaceanu is a passionate nature lover living in the country on her dream property where she grows vegetables, lavender, and wildflowers that she shares with the wildlife they attract. When she's not in the garden, she loves spending time with her chickens and planning her next nature project. Check out her books below:
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