10 Yellow Perennials For Shade You’ll Fall In Love With

Looking for a pop of color in your shady garden? These 10 yellow perennials for shade are not only beautiful, but also low maintenance and easy to grow. Get ready to fall in love with their bright and cheerful blooms that will brighten up any dull corner.

Of all the plants out there, perennials, or plants that grow for more than a single year or growing season, are among the most popular. However, as a general rule, the more color there is on a plant, the more sun it needs. This is why most people think about shady areas of the garden as spots relegated to ferns, hosta, ivy, and foliage plants rather than bright and colorful blossoms. However, this is not always the case, and you can find brilliant perennials that can survive in both shade and partial shade conditions.

The Best Yellow Perennials for Shade

Bright and vibrant yellow perennials are a great way to add beauty and energy to your garden without requiring yearly planting or maintenance. But make sure the perennial you choose is best suited for your space. So, if you are looking for yellow shade-loving perennial flowers, here are some options for you.

1. Yellow bleeding heart (Corydalis lutea)

A beautiful example of a blooming shade perennial that produces brilliant yellow flowers for months at a time is the yellow variety of the famous plant bleeding heart. Hardy in zones 5 to 7, this variety can grow and flourish even in fairly dense shade.

The bluish-green mounds of fern-like foliage reach a minimum height or around a foot, and are covered with yellow flower brackets. There is no deadheading required and this plant will come back from year to year from the roots, as well as through sometimes prolific self-seeding.

2. Green and gold (Chrysogonum virginianum)

Another example of stunning yellow perennials for shade, green and gold is a unique plant you will want to check out. It is easily grown as a ground cover or in the foreground of taller flowers and planters.

The low, medium green leaves give rise to canary yellow, daisy-like blooms that reach their peak around early spring. This is a North American native plant that spreads easily without being invasive or too much to handle for smaller garden areas. At only 6 inches tall, the plant thrives in zones 5 to 9 and is a prime example of stunning yellow perennials for shade.

3. Barrenwort (Epimedium spp.)

This is a very unique plant that you might not expect to see on a list of yellow perennials for shade. It is a small ground cover plant and actually blooms for only about a week or two.

However, it is a great plant for shady areas as it is very hardy and low maintenance. And the lighter green leaves have a yellow tinge to them at times that can help keep that yellow highlight present in your garden. Reaching a maximum height of 12 inches with a hardiness rating for zones 5 to 9, barrenwort is a great option for anyone in need of yellow perennials that thrive in the shade.

4. Hardy begonia (Begonia grandis)

Yes, hardy begonia species do exist and they can be a wonderful addition to a tropical outdoor garden or container garden setup.

This winter-hardy, shade-loving perennial can reach a mature height of 18-24 inches and produce clusters of blooms even in the fall. Red and pink are the most common versions of this plant, but some nurseries have started to stock cream and yellow varieties.

5. Corydalis (Corydalis Fumariaceae)

Brilliant yellow, fern-like leaves contrast starkly against the darker green streaks and lines on the Corydalis plant. Above these brilliant leaves rise fragrant clusters of flowers.

Corydalis (Blackberry Wine’) also comes in stunning purple blooms and is one of the few Corydalis that is not dormant in the heat of summer.

The cascading growth of this plant is perfect in windows, baskets, rock gardens, or as a ground cover. At less than a foot in height when mature and zoned for regions 5 to 9 it is the perfect addition to a shade garden.

6. Leopard plant (Ligularia spp.)

Few perennials can match the beauty of the leopard plant when it comes to shade gardening. The leopard plant is an eye-catching perennial for shady spaces, with its vibrant yellow cheery flowers standing atop heart-shaped leaves in the summertime.

With a possible height of over 4 feet, Ligularia is perfect for shady areas as it can tolerate damp and moist conditions and actually thrives perfectly in these areas. Hardy in zones 4 to 8, there are few plants that will form such a stunning backdrop for the rest of your gardens and landscaping. This is one perennial you don’t want to miss out on.

7. Yellow bells (Tecoma stans)

These delightful bell-shaped flowers are a beautiful addition to any garden. Incorporate their cheerful yellow blooms in your woodland garden: they are a great grass alternative under any old shade tree.

A native plant in Missouri, yellow bells can tolerate both drought and dry soil, and love well-draining sill, making them ideal for planting in even the most difficult areas, such as dry shade.

8. Coral bells blondie (Heuchera Blondie)

The LITTLE CUTIE™ Series’ petite hybrid coral bells plant is an excellent option for adding a hint of color along the edge of shady gardens. Caramel-colored leaves and creamy-yellow flower spikes bloom for a long time and are perfect for cutting.

Shield from the hot afternoon sun to avoid leaf scorch. In the spring, it is important to clear away any winter-damaged leaves, but no pruning is necessary beyond that.

9. Basket of gold (Aurinia saxatilis)

Basket of gold is a plant with lush, golden flowers that bloom in zones 3 to 9 from mid-spring to the beginning of summertime and reach between 8 and 12 inches. While the basket of gold plant loves a sunny location, it also does well in dappled shade.

10. Golden columbine (Aquilegia chrysantha)

The yellow columbine, a southwestern U.S. native growing in zones 3 through 8,  is a vigorous grower with 3-inch yellow flowers that bloom from spring to summer and can reach almost 3 feet tall, making it an ideal plant for a colorful southern garden.

As you can see, many colorful choices are available if you are searching for yellow perennials for shade areas in your garden. I hope you have found this list helpful and informative. If you have successfully added yellow perennials to your sunless gardens, please share some pictures of your flowers.

Need more ideas for your shade garden? Check out my other pages about flowers that love shade:

• 11 orange perennials for shade
• 10 purple perennials for shade
• 9 pink perennials for shade
• Kathy’s beautiful shade garden
• Vegetables that grow in the shade
• 5 red flowering shade perennials
• 11 shade-loving plants
• 9 blue shade perennials
• 10 yellow perennials for shade

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