34 Yellow Perennials to Add Curb Appeal to Your Yard

Want a dash of life and sunshine in your garden?

These yellow perennials will do the trick.

The warmth that these sunny yellow perennials bring will not only bring more light to your life but also good vibes into your space. 

The color yellow is always associated with cheerfulness, fun, hope, enthusiasm, and high energy.

Since it’s also the brightest visible spectrum color, many gardeners choose this hue for their spaces.

In addition to this, yellow is also the most noticeable to the human eye out of all the colors!

If you’re having difficulty choosing or identifying the right yellow or golden perennials for your garden.

These yellow perennials are grouped according to their height (from small, medium, to large).

Types of Yellow Perennials to Grow in Your Landscaping

One of the most important things to think about when landscaping is how it looks from the street.

This is especially true if you are trying to sell your home since first impressions are very important.

Adding yellow perennials to your yard is one way to make it look better from the street. Not only will they give your property color and life, but they are also easy to take care of.

Below are some ideas of some yellow flowering plants for you to think about.

1. Baptisia Sphae Rocarpa x Alba ‘Carolina Moonlight’

Quick Facts

• Common Name: False Indigo, Wild Indigo, Indigo, Carolina Moonlight 
• Watering Need: Moderate Watering 
• Height: 36 inches or taller
• Light Requirement: Full Sun
• USDA Zone: 4 to 9
• Bloom time: Late Spring to Early Summer

These easy-growing and adaptable perennial hybrids are the White Wild Indigo (Baptisia alba) and the Yellow Baptisia (Baptisia sphaerocarpa).

It has large clusters of charcoal gray stems, bluish-green leaves, and butter-yellow, pea-like flower spikes that attract butterflies and other pollinators.

Carolina Moonlight perennials live long and are drought-tolerant.

2. Echinacea x ‘Leilani’

Quick Facts

• Common Name: Coneflower, Leilani
• Watering Need: Moderate Watering to Dry
• Height: 36 inches to 40 inches
• Light Requirement: Full Sun
• USDA Zone: 4 to 9
• Bloom time: Mid Summer to Early Fall

This majestic yellow perennial has a strong upright habit that doesn’t need any stalking.

It might be the most endearing out of all the coneflowers in the Terra Nova Prairie Pillars Collection because of its bright golden yellow flowers.

Its beauty comes out, especially when in masses.

It reblooms even if you don’t deadhead it. It isn’t named “royal child of heaven” for nothing! 

3. Lonicera flava

Quick Facts

• Common Name: Yellow Honeysuckle, Honeysuckle
• Watering Need: Moderate Watering
• Height: 36 inches or taller
• Light Requirement: Full Sun to Part Shade
• USDA Zone: 5 to 8
• Bloom time: Mid Spring to Late Spring

This yellow perennial flowering vine is not invasive compared to the Japanese honeysuckle.

It is also native to the central and southeastern parts of the United States.

Yellow Honeysuckles have elliptic green leaves that are grayish-green underneath, while the blooms are slightly fragrant and bright yellow flowers that turn red over time.

Butterflies and hummingbirds love the Honeysuckle blooms.

4. Silphium terebinthinaceum

Quick Facts

• Common Name: Prairie Dock, Rosinweed
• Watering Need: Moderate Watering to Dry
• Height: 36 inches or taller
• Light Requirement: Full Sun
• USDA Zone: 4 to 8
• Bloom time: Late Summer to Early Fall

This peculiar perennial is almost leafless when you look at it, but it has wide, enormous spade-shaped basal leaves with a 3 to 10-ft.

The stalk holds bright sunflower-like blooms.

Once they are established, these tall sunshine perennials are highly drought-tolerant.

5. Thermopsis villosa

Quick Facts

• Common Name: Carolina Bushpea, Carolina lupine
• Watering Need: Moderate Watering
• Height: 36 inches or taller
• Light Requirement: Full Sun to Part Shade
• USDA Zone: 5 to 8
• Bloom time: Late Spring to Early Summer

An upright herbaceous perennial that is native to Maine, Georgia, and the Carolinas.

You can mostly see them on open meadows, road banks, and woodland clearings.

It has dark green trifoliate leaves and a foot-long terminal, dense spike-like racemes that hold deep yellow flowers and hairy pods.

Butterflies and bees love the pollen and nectar from their flowers.

Because of their showy blooms, you can use them in borders and cottage gardens.

6. Achillea ‘Moonshine’

Quick Facts

• Common Name: Yarrow, Sneezewort
• Watering Need: Moderate Watering, water more when in extreme heat
• Height: 18 to 23 inches
• Light Requirement: Full Sun
• USDA Zone: 3 to 10
• Bloom time: Late Spring to Late Summer

Another Yarrow that can tolerate dry and hot areas and thrives all summer long.

Many gardeners love getting Moonshines because of their fragrant, blue-gray foliage and lemon-yellow flowers with flat tops.

This one is drought tolerant. It is also deer and rabbit-tolerant but can attract beautiful butterflies. 

7. Achillea millefolium ‘Terra Cotta’

Quick Facts

• Common Name: Yarrow
• Watering Need: Water occasionally Once Established, Water More When In Extreme Heat
• Height: 18 to 24 inches
• Light Requirement: Full Sun
• USDA Zone: 2 to 9
• Bloom time: Early Summer to Early Fall

One of the best perennials to plant if you’re in dry and hot areas.

This one doesn’t just bloom yellow flowers. It ranges to salmon pink, terracotta orange, then creamy yellow over its silver foliage.

This semi-evergreen is also fragrant, so don’t be surprised if you see them in some floral arrangements and bouquets.

8. Anthemis tinctoria ‘Kelwayi’

Quick Facts

• Common Name: Golden Marguerite Daisy, Chamomile, Dyer’s chamomile
• Watering Need: Moderate To Low Watering
• Height: 23 to 35 inches
• Light Requirement: Full Sun to Half Shade
• USDA Zone: 3 to 8
• Bloom time: Mid Summer to Mid Fall

Kelwayi perennials bring a different joy with bright yellow flowers like daisies in clumps of fragrant ferny foliage that blooms all summer long.

They are easy to grow and are very hardy.

They need dry to medium well-draining soils.

They are great for cut flowers and can self-seed even if they are short-lived perennials.

9. Asclepias tuberosa ‘Hello Yellow’

Quick Facts

• Common Name: Hello Yellow, Butterfly Weed, Milkweed
• Watering Need: Moderate To Low Watering
• Height: 16 to 24 inches
• Light Requirement: Full Sun
• USDA Zone: 4 to 9
• Bloom time: Early to Late Summer

This long-living perennial came from a native North American flower.

Monarch butterflies love Hello Yellow since it is one of their food sources.

It has showy clumps of lemon yellow flowers above the upright and narrow green leaf clusters.

After flowering, it produces a green fruit with several seeds.

Its seedpods are usually used for dried arrangements.

Hello-Yellow perennials prefer sandy soil that drains well.

10. Echinacea x ‘Mac ‘n’ Cheese’

Quick Facts

• Common Name: Coneflower, Mac ‘n’ Cheese
• Watering Need: Moderate Watering
• Height: 20 to 25 inches
• Light Requirement: Full Sun
• USDA Zone: 4 to 9
• Bloom time: Mid Summer to Early Fall

Mac n’ Cheese is a coneflower hybrid with bright golden petals around a big orange-green button cone.

The flowers are intensely colored at first, but the hues gradually fade with time.

This plant thrives in full sun and some dry basic soil.

11. Ratibida pinnata

Quick Facts

• Common Name: Grayhead Coneflower, Grayhead Mexican Hat, Gray-headed Mexican Hat, Pinnate Prairie Coneflower, Yellow Coneflower
• Watering Need: Moderate Watering
• Height: 24 to 36 inches
• Light Requirement: Full Sun to Part Shade
• USDA Zone: 4 to 8
• Bloom time: Mid Summer to Early Fall

This yellow perennial is native to Missouri and can be found in prairies, dry woods, roads, and railroad tracks.

Its flowers are fascinating because the 6-15 yellow petals around the sombrero-like and grayish-brown cone droop downward.

As it ages, the cone becomes taller and darker, and when it is bruised, it smells like anise.

It looks better when you plant them in groups.

12. Rudbeckia hirta ‘Prairie Sun’

Quick Facts

• Common Name: Gray Gloriosa Daisy, Prairie Sun, Black-eyed Susan ,Yellow Ox-eye Daisy, Brown Betty, Golden Jerusalem, English Bull’s Eye
• Watering Need: Moderate Watering
• Height: 27 to 31 inches
• Light Requirement: Full Sun to Part Shade
• USDA Zone: 5 to 8
• Bloom time: Early Summer to Early Fall

Prairie suns are occasionally regarded as annuals, but in reality, they are just short-lived perennials.

This wildflower is also native to Missouri and can be spotted in waste areas, open woods, roadsides, and prairies.

The blooms of this plant have green centers with petals that are a bit orange but fade to yellow up to the tips.

Pollinating insects, birds, and butterflies flock around Prairie Sun’s flowers.

13. Achillea millefolium Desert Eve

Quick Facts

• Common Name: Yarrow
• Watering Need: Water Occasionally Once Established, Water More When In Extreme Heat
• Height: 12 to 18 inches
• Light Requirement: Full Sun
• USDA Zone: 4 to 9
• Bloom time: Early Summer to Early Fall

Not the red counterpart, this big, bright mustard-yellow cluster of flowers is one of the favorite landing pads of butterflies.

It has low mounds of deep green foliage that perfectly complements its bright flowers.

It’s pretty easy to take care of since they are drought-resistant.

This fast-growing perennial also attracts hummingbirds.

14. Achillea Lewisii ‘King Edward’

Quick Facts

• Common Name: Dwarf Yarrow, King Edward
• Watering Need: Keep It Well Watered
• Height: 6 to 8 inches
• Light Requirement: Full Sun to Part Sun
• USDA Zone: 3 to 8
• Bloom time: Late Spring to Mid-Summer

A small semi-evergreen perennial that is mainly used as a ground cover or in edging sunny borders.

Some gardeners love growing them in between stepping stones.

This pale-yellow perennial grows slowly but blooms long in late spring to the middle of summer.

Aside from being drought-resistant, this little one is also deer and rabbit-resistant.

15. Chrysanthemum ‘Child’s Play’

Quick Facts

• Common Name: Mum, Button Style Chrysanthemum, Button Mum
• Watering Need: Moderate Watering
• Height: 8 to 16 inches
• Light Requirement: Full Sun 
• USDA Zone: 5 to 9
• Bloom time: Early Fall to Late Fall

If you have a fall garden, then Child’s Play should be included in your collection.

Although they are not that popular, the button-sized blooms with tight petals which look like gumdrops over green foliage will surely add a burst of child-like joy to your space.

They are pretty easy to grow and are deer-resistant.

16. Chrysogonum virginianum

Quick Facts

• Common Name: Creeping Green and Gold, Golden Star Plant, Golden Knee
• Watering Need: Medium To Well Watering
• Height: 6 to 12 inches
• Light Requirement: Full Sun to Part Shade 
• USDA Zone: 5 to 9
• Bloom time: Mid Spring to Late Spring

A perennial herb that has hairy spooned leaves and cute star-shaped flowers that look like daisies.

Also known as Creeping Green and Gold, this perennial spreads quickly and is commonly used as a ground cover.

17. Coreopsis ‘Galaxy’

Quick Facts

• Common Name: Tickseed, Galaxy Tickseed
• Watering Need: Medium Watering
• Height: 10 to 12 inches
• Light Requirement: Full Sun to Part Shade 
• USDA Zone: 5 to 9
• Bloom time: Early Summer to Early Fall

If you’re a beginner and want some long-blooming, semi-double blooms that thrive all summer long, then this sunny perennial is for you.

This bright cutie makes excellent cut flowers that will attract birds and butterflies in your space.

It is also one of the Big Bang™ series by an American plant breeder, Darrell Probst.

18. Coreopsis auriculata ‘Nana’

Quick Facts

• Common Name: Dwarf Tickseed ‘Nana’, Ear-Leaved Tickseed, Lobed Tickseed ‘Nana’, Mouse Ear Coreopsis ‘Nana’
• Watering Need: Medium Watering
• Height: 6 to 10 inches
• Light Requirement: Full Sun to Part Shade 
• USDA Zone: 5 to 8
• Bloom time: Late Spring, Early Summer

Slow-spreading and compact perennial that has deep-green and bushy foliage.

They are called Mouse Ears because of the lance-shaped leaves with tiny lateral lobes. 

Deers ignore this showy perennial, but butterflies seem to love it. Dwarf Tickseeds look much better when in groups or masses.

It can tolerate dry conditions, but generally, this plant doesn’t like drying out. Perfect in meadows and borders.

19. Coreopsis Jethro Tull

Quick Facts

• Common Name: Tickseed, Jethro Tull
• Watering Need: Medium Watering
• Height: 15 to 18 inches
• Light Requirement: Full Sun to Part Shade 
• USDA Zone: 4 to 9
• Bloom time: Early Summer to Early Fall

Jethro Tull is a cross of Coreopsis auriculata ‘Zamfir’ and Coreopsis lanceolata’ Early Sunrise.’ It has compact and golden flowers with fluted petals.

This perennial is pretty easy to take care of and primarily grown in borders. It also likes dry and hot spots.

20. Coreopsis verticillata Mayo Clinic Flower of Hope

Quick Facts

• Common Name: Threadleaf Coreopsis, Tickseed
• Watering Need: Low To Moderate Watering
• Height: 18 inches
• Light Requirement: Full Sun to Part Shade 
• USDA Zone: 4 to 9
• Bloom time: Early Summer to Early Fall

The Mayo Clinic chose this little sunshine to commemorate their 150 years of service, symbolizing healing and hope by appreciating nature’s beauty.

The threadlike blue-green foliage of this perennial complements the bright yellow flowers on top of it.

This plant is tolerant to road salt and is deer-resistant. 

21. Delosperma congestum ‘Gold Nugget’

Quick Facts

• Common Name: Gold Nugget, Hardy Ice Plant, Ice Plant
• Watering Need: Low To Moderate Watering
• Height: 2 to 3 inches
• Light Requirement: Full Sun to Part Shade 
• USDA Zone: 4 to 9
• Bloom time: Late Spring to Early Fall

Gold nuggets are tiny but have a fast growth rate that spreads from 18 to 23 inches wide.

They are native to South Africa, specifically in dry areas, but are also hardy in North America as long as they’re in well-draining soil. 

It’s a true alpine succulent with big and shiny yellow flowers on top that will pique anyone’s interest.

22. Doronicum orientale ‘Little Leo’

Quick Facts

• Common Name: Leopard’s Bane
• Watering Need: Moderate Watering
• Height: 10 to 12 inches
• Light Requirement: Full Sun to Part Shade 
• USDA Zone: 2 to 9
• Bloom time: Early Summer to Late Spring

Little Leos have serrated and dark green leaves shaped like hearts, short stems, and bright yellow and semi-double flowers that look like daisies.

This early-blooming perennial is always paired with spring-blooming bulbs.

It also goes dormant in hot summers, especially in areas where summers are too humid.

23. Echinacea x ‘Now Cheesier’

Quick Facts

• Common Name: Now Cheesier, Coneflower
• Watering Need: Moderate Watering
• Height: 12 inches but can grow up to 24 inches
• Light Requirement: Full Sun to Part Shade 
• USDA Zone: 2 to 9
• Bloom time: Early Summer to Late Spring

Now Cheesier has majestic flowers that are golden and a bit orange-yellow flowers that look like melting cheddars.

After weeks in heat, the intense orange-yellow color will lighten significantly.

It doesn’t need any particular soil; an average, a bit moist, and well-draining one is more than enough.

24. Euphorbia Polychroma

Quick Facts

• Common Name: Cushion Spurge
• Watering Need: Moderate Watering
• Height: 12 to 18 inches
• Light Requirement: Full Sun to Part Shade 
• USDA Zone: 2 to 9
• Bloom time: Mid Spring to Early Summer

This perennial is related to Poinsettia. It mounds and forms clumps that make it great for borders.

The golden-yellow flowers may not be that showy, but the chrome-yellow outer bracts do the trick.

The longer it is subjected to the sun, the deeper its foliage color gets.

When cutting its stems, be aware of the toxic milky sap that can irritate your skin and eyes.

25. Helianthemum nummularium ‘Wisley Primrose’

Quick Facts

• Common Name: Wisley Primrose, Sun Rose, Rock Rose
• Watering Need: Infrequent Watering
• Height: 6 to 12 inches
• Light Requirement: Full Sun to Part Shade 
• USDA Zone: 4 to 9
• Bloom time: Late Spring to Mid Summer

This shrubby perennial’s pale and dark primrose-like blooms last only for a day, but it blooms heavily in summer and spring.

It prefers dry sand moisture and is highly drought-tolerant. In that case, you must make sure that it has good drainage in water.

26. Helianthus salicifolius ‘Table Mountain’

Quick Facts

• Common Name: Willow leaf Sunflower, Sunflower, Table Mountain
• Watering Need: Moderate Watering
• Height: 12 to 16 inches
• Light Requirement: Full Sun to Part Shade 
• USDA Zone: 5 to 9
• Bloom time: Early Fall to Late Fall

With the name Table Mountain, you’d expect this plant to tower over you.

It is very compact with prolific golden yellow sunflowers that face upwards and have brown centers.

Native to Missouri, it is a dwarf perennial sunflower with drooping quill-like foliage.

These sunflowers tend to grow taller when in part shade.

27. Hemerocallis ‘Happy Returns’

Quick Facts

• Common Name: Happy Returns, Daylily
• Watering Need: Moderate Watering
• Height: 14 to 18 inches
• Light Requirement: Full Sun, preferably Morning Sun and Afternoon Shade 
• USDA Zone: 3 to 9
• Bloom time: Early Summer to Mid Fall

One of my favorite yellow perennials is Happy Returns because of its long-blooming and fragrant blooms.

Aside from being low-maintenance, deer, rabbit, and drought-resistant, the slightly crumpled, soft yellow flowers are such a delight to blend with any plant around.

It is called Daylily since the flowers open up in the morning for about 16 hours and then wither on a forthcoming night.

It is then replaced by another on the same flower stalk the next day.

28. Heuchera Little Cutie™ ‘Blondie’

Quick Facts

• Common Name: Fancy-leaf Coral Bells, Coral Bells, Alum Root
• Watering Need: Moderate Watering
• Height: 6 to 10 inches
• Light Requirement: Partial Shade to Full Shade
• USDA Zone: 4 to 9
• Bloom time: Late Spring to Early Fall

This little head-turner has foliage like smooth caramel and creamy yellow bell-shaped flowers that are great for cutting.

Since they make such neat clumps, Blondies are great as border plants or even in containers.

29. Iris pumila ‘Cache of Gold’

Quick Facts

• Common Name: Dwarf Bearded Iris, Cache of Gold, Iris
• Watering Need: Moderate Watering
• Height: 10 to 12 inches
• Light Requirement: Full Sun to Part Shade
• USDA Zone: 4 to 9
• Bloom time: Early Spring to Mid Spring

Aside from being the earliest bloomer, this perennial is the smallest out of all Bearded Irises.

It has fragrant bright yellow flowers with a white-tipped beard that reblooms mid-fall.

This little sunshine needs minimum care and can multiply well on its own.

30. Kniphofia Popsicle Series ‘Lemon Popsicle’

Quick Facts

• Common Name: Lemon Popsicle, Flame Flower, Red Hot Poker, Torch Lily, Tritoma
• Watering Need: Moderate Watering
• Height: 12 to 16 inches
• Light Requirement: Full Sun to Partial Shade
• USDA Zone: 6 to 9
• Bloom time: Early Summer to Mid Fall

From its name, you might want to gobble up this perennial that has green buds, grassy foliage, and bright tubular lemon-yellow blooms.

If you want to attract hummingbirds and butterflies in your garden, Lemon Popsicle is a good choice.

These cute lemon drops are low-maintenance and a good partner for daylilies.

31. Lamiastrum galeobdolon

Quick Facts

• Common Name: Yellow Archangel, Golden Dead-Nettle
• Watering Need: Low To Moderate Watering
• Height: 9 to 15 inches
• Light Requirement: Partial Sun to Full Shade
• USDA Zone: 4 to 9
• Bloom time: Mid Spring to Late Spring

The Yellow Archangel is native to thickets, copses, and shaded woodlands in Western Asia and Europe, a spreading perennial of the mint family.

It has hooded, tubular, and two-lipped butter-yellow flowers with loose bright green foliage.

Since it is quick to spread, it is mainly used as a ground cover for dry and shady areas.

32. Lupine polyphyllus Mini Gallery Yellow

Quick Facts

• Common Name: Lupinus, Lupines
• Watering Need: Moderate Watering
• Height: 14 to 16 inches
• Light Requirement: Full Sun to Partial Shade
• USDA Zone: 4 to 8
• Bloom time: Late Spring to Mid Summer

The sweet, pea-shaped, sunshine-yellow blooms entice the pollinators in their spires full of nectar.

These babies look breathtaking when grown in clumps with perennials of the same variety.

They find it challenging to thrive in locations where summers are scorching, so they prefer cool climates.

Fun fact, these sweet things can enhance the fertility of the soil that they’re planted in!

33. Primula vulgaris Belarina ‘Buttercup’

Quick Facts

• Common Name: Primrose, Double Primrose
• Watering Need: Consistent Watering
• Height: 7 to 12 inches
• Light Requirement: Partial Shade
• USDA Zone: 4 to 8
• Bloom time: Early Spring to Late Spring

English cottage gardens aren’t complete without these Double Primroses.

These ethereal beauties almost went extinct but are readily available again now because of laboratory cloning.

This long-blooming perennial has leaves that look like lettuce plus clumps of aromatic, butter-yellow, double primrose.

Although they can be placed on a landscape, their beauty will be much more appreciated in windowsill gardens and containers.

34. Rudbeckia fulgida var. sullivantii ‘Little Goldstar’

Quick Facts

• Common Name: Black-Eyed Susan
• Watering Need: Average To Low Watering
• Height: 12 to 16 inches
• Light Requirement: Full Sun to Partial Shade
• USDA Zone: 4 to 9
• Bloom time: Mid Summer to Early Fall

If you’re familiar with Goldsturm, Little Goldstar is just a dwarf version of it.

It has a short cluster of green foliage with golden starburst blooms and a brown cone.

This perennial is incredibly prolific.

In just one plant, you can spot up to 80 flowers!

Since it’s pretty tiny, it looks great in containers and on front borders.

FAQ

References