Nothing quite beats the excitement of the arrival of spring after a long winter.
The snow melts away, green grass returns, and some of the most gorgeous flowers of the entire growing season start to bloom.
If one color is synonymous with spring, it’s yellow, and we will explore below 20 of the prettiest yellow spring flowers that can sprinkle a little extra sunshine in your yard.
1. Yellow Tulips
Tulips do not come in one color.
In fact, tulips come in every color of the rainbow. However, there is no color that captures the feeling of spring better than the yellow tulip.
These bell-shaped beauties are as ancient as they come. Tulips were cultivated in Constantinople in 1055 and have been loved flowers ever since.
Tulips are part of the lily family and have been hybridized over time to have everything from multicolored pedals to lacy edges on the leaves, which makes them versatile and beautiful.
Tulips are also loved because they are beautiful and low maintenance, which is perfect for new gardeners who want a little color.
2. Witch Hazel
You may recognize the name from your medicine cabinet, but witch-hazel is more than just a socially-responsible skin care product.
Witch-hazel is also a lovely yellow flower that can brighten any yard.
There are 5 species of witch hazel, and the most common is the Hamamelis virginiana (American witch hazel).
Not all witch-hazels bloom in the spring.
Many of the native and cultivated species will bloom in the fall and winter, so if you want witch hazel flowers in your garden during spring, choose one of the two varieties native to Asia.
These will bloom in March, with some varieties blooming in April.
3. Yellow Iris
The flowers of the iris are like beautiful birds, spreading their wings and soaking up the warmth of springtime.
The long green leaves and crinkled and curling petals make iris flowers one of the easiest yellow flowering spring plants to grow.
While many look nearly identical, there are over 300 species of iris worldwide, of which most are incredibly adaptable and can be grown in nearly every region of the US.
So, whether you have a shady garden with sandy soil or a full-sun area with peaty wet soil, there is a native iris for you.
4. Yellow Archangel
You’ve probably never heard of yellow archangel before, but you’ve probably heard it called by one of its less-than-flattering other names: aluminum plant or yellow-weasel snout.
Regardless of its mildly offensive names, the yellow archangel remains a common part of wildflower fields and gardens in Europe.
This tall perennial can grow to be up to approximately 31 inches tall and is in the mint family of plants.
It is indigenous to parts of Europe, but it isn’t too fond of the US.
It is considered invasive in parts of North America, and is classified as a noxious weed in Washington, where the sale of it is prohibited.
5. Winter Aconite
If you’re envisioning a spring meadow with wildflowers bursting forth from the soil you’re imagining something along the lines of winter aconite.
These little yellow blooms are nice as ground cover and they take full advantage of the late – winter and early – spring sun to burst forth into life.
Winter Aconite can bloom anywhere from February to April, depending on how much sunlight it gets, even with the word “winter” in its name.
Winter Aconite will soak up as much sun as possible, and will die off to its tuberous root system, waiting for more spring sunshine.
Don’t be fooled by these lovely yellow flowers.
Toxic: Winter Aconite is toxic to humans and most mammals, it contains a toxic component called cardiac glycoside.
6. Yarrow
Yellow yarrow, native to Europe and Asia, has increased in popularity as an attractive addition to springtime gardens.
Before it became an ornamental flowering plant, Yarrow had a useful role, in humans medicine. It was used to stop nosebleeds, staunch wounds on the battle field of civil war America.
Yarrow is made up of small flowers held in tightly grouped clusters, sold commercially as:
- Yellow
- White
- Pink and Other cultivated colors
In Europe and the US, they are ornamental plants, but in Australia and New Zealand, they are uncommon and often considered a problematic weed.
The yarrow flower was introduced into Australian on purpose as a cheap and hearty feed for cattle.
7. Yellow Alyssum
During the months of April and May, yellow alyssum bloom in droves, wherever they are planted.
Sometimes known as basket-of-gold, yellow alyssum certainly holds its own when it comes to bursting forth with bright yellow blooms, attracting a flock of wildlife.
If you want a plant to feed your local bee or butterfly populations, look no further than yellow alyssum.
You’d think a flower well-visited by bees would smell nice, but strangely, this ground-cover flower is a little pungent.
Having been compared to cat pee, of all smells, we would suggest steering clear of planting yellow alyssum close to footpaths.
8. Hellebores
With heavy, cup-shaped flowers, hellebores are often assumed to be part of the rose family.
Common names for the spring flower include:
- Winter Rose
- Christmas Rose
- Lenten Rose
Though the plant has a few nicknames, hellebores are not closely related to the rose, but they would be a beautiful plant in any spring garden.
Hellebores started in Europe and Asia, and they have become a gardener’s hobby worldwide, previously, they have also been recently hybridized, which has produced some new and amazing colours, but the good old yellow is still coming through as the perfect sunshine flower to flaunt amongst other spring blooms.
9. Marigold
From fiery orange to buttery yellow, marigold is one of the easiest flowers to grow and is found in almost every garden centre in the spring and summer.
Marigolds are a very short-lived flower, but a forgiving flower, and will provide a quick pop of colour version where you need it most.
Part of the daisy family, marigolds differ from their floral cousins with their massive amounts of smell, delicate petals.
Marigolds grow and tolerate many types of soil. They will also grow poorly in semi-sunny locations, but they are perfect for full-sun areas.
Most of the marigold plants will be an annual, but a few types can also be perennial if you take care of them and provide their preferred growing conditions.
10. Yellow Rose
If you are surprised that there are dozens and dozens of varieties of yellow roses, you shouldn’t be. While the varieties have dozens of names and shades, yellow roses symbolize the same thing- friendship.
While the thorny yellow roses look perfect on the vine, they are equally stunning as yellow spring flowers sitting in a vase.
Roses can be very temperamental while they get established after being planted, but once they are established, roses will offer you some of the best yellow flowers available in the gardening hobby as they return year after year!
11. Japanese Rose
Despite the similar name, yellow Japanese rose is a totally different flower than the pretty rose plants you’d think of in modern North American gardening culture.
Japanese rose is a summer-deciduous perennial shrub. No, they do not have the heavy blooms we associate roses with! Instead, the flowers are tiny and delicate.
Despite their flowers being tiny, the Japanese rose is a tough plant that will grow in thickets on mountainsides and is not bothered by rocky ground or competing vegetation.
Few People Know: The name Japanese rose is also the name used for the multiflora rose and beach rose but the true yellow Japanese rose is called Kerria japonica.
12. Stella d’Oro Daylily
You might not have heard of Stella d’Oro Daylily, but you might know it better as the daylily.
Daylilies come from Asia but now are grown all over the world, they are loved for their cheerful yellow color and their simple care.
And ironically, daylilies are not even lilies. They are their own type of flower!
Daylilies tolerate drought, tolerate frost, and are considered the perfect perennial by gardening enthusiasts.
Daylilies are fantastic cut flowers and will last much longer than any other yellow spring flowers in a bouquet or vase.
13. Azaleas
Azaleas have been enjoyed by gardeners for hundreds of years, with their long last blooms and ability to live for decades and decades.
Although there are no naturally occurring yellow azaleas, hundreds of years and a great deal of cultivation has produced hybridized yellow azaleas which are every bit as wonderful as yellow azaleas.
Azaleas belong to the genus rhododendron and certain colors or hybridizations may be sold under that name instead of the name azalea.
These yellow flowers are more common in spring and are very happy in partial shade, typically doing their best underneath trees.
14. Yellow Mimosa
Unlike other plants on the list, the yellow mimosa is not a flower or shrub, but a tree.
The yellow mimosa flowers are fluffy and grow in great abundance! They bloom from late winter into early spring.
Some of the most gorgeous yellow flowers are the yellow mimosa, growing feathery foliage that resembles clouds or plumes of yellow.
They grow in great clusters of flowers, making the whole tree look yellow, and give off a sweet aroma.
Good to Know: One of the things to know about the yellow mimosa tree is that if it is not trimmed they can grow from 20-40 ft tall!
15. Yellow Pansies
Originally growing on the slopes of California, the yellow pansy, or Johnny jump up, is the cutest little violet for any spring garden.
Yellow pansies are low growing and are grown as flowers but can also be groundcover.
They are drought resistant and come back year after year to shine in your garden.
Just don’t overwater them when they are dormant in the summer.
16. Yellow Daffodils
The Narcissus, or yellow daffodil, is a perennial flower in the spring that grows from a bulb with tepals on the outside and a corona in the shape of a bell on the inside.
Daffodils began in Europe and North Africa, yet are now highly favored ornamental plants in North America.
Maybe Narcissus sounds familiar, its other name.
This name stems from a youth in ancient Greece who fell so deeply in love with his reflection in the river, that he became a flower, so that he could gaze upon himself eternally.
17. Yellow Crocus
Yellow crocus is another perennial spring flower that returns each year from a bulb.
Originating in Greece with low-to-the-ground yellow flowers, the crocus thrived on the mountain slopes.
Originally bred from a scraggly-looking ground cover plant, now the crocus has been bred into a beautiful ornament plant, that does quite well in pots or the ground and is growing well in all parts of the world.
18. Forsythia Shrubs
Forsythia is a flowering yellow shrub that can grow incredibly large, but with proper maintenance, stays small enough to be a welcome complement to any garden.
Although they are in the olive family, these shrubs produce no fruit, just golden yellow flowers that turn the whole bush a wonderful yellow hue.
The forsythia shrub blooms in early spring and the flowers persist for a few weeks.
At their garden size, forsythia remains about 3 feet tall but left unchecked, they can reach nearly 20 feet in height!
19. Yellow Hyacinth
Yellow hyacinth is arguably, the least impressive of all yellow spring flowers, yet in the proper context, it is stunning, with a flower cluster that envelops almost all of the stalk.
Once thought a member of the lily family, hyacinth is now recognized as its own flower.
Traditionally purple or blue, with cultivation and hybrid development, there are now white, pink and buttery yellow hyacinths.
20. Golden Chain Tree
The second tree on this list, is the golden chain tree, who is finicky about its planting location, however, if you have the appropriate combination of temperatures and sun, it makes a fabulous addition to a spring garden.
The golden chain tree in full bloom is truly magnificent.
In full bloom, the golden chain is 20 inches long, and full of many tiny flowers that hang down from the branches in bunches.