Flowers by colour

Yellow flowers, and which yellow you are actually getting

Yellow is the one colour a garden can have too much of, because there is more than one yellow and they do not agree with each other. Deep gold and lemon fight; cream calms both. Here is which is which, before you plant them together.

Rudbeckia centre Sunflower Marigold Coreopsis Daffodil Primrose yellow Butter Cream
The flowers

Every yellow flower in the library

41 of the 82 flowers here carry this colour, ordered by how much of it the photograph actually shows. The library keeps one picture per flower and most of these come in several colours.

YarrowLemon and acid yellow YarrowAchillea millefoliumSummer bloomer
8 photos of Yarrow
Yellow yarrow Achillea Flower Yarrow Yellow yarrow Achillea Flower Yellow yarrow Achillea Flower Yarrow Yellow yarrow Achillea Flower Yellow yarrow Achillea Flower Yellow yarrow Achillea Flower
GoldenrodDeep gold GoldenrodSolidago canadensis (Canada goldenrod); genus SolidagoSummer bloomer
8 photos of Goldenrod
Goldenrod Yellow goldenrod Yellow goldenrod Yellow goldenrod Yellow goldenrod Yellow goldenrod Yellow goldenrod Yellow goldenrod
Lily (true lily)Butter and cream Lily (true lily)Lilium spp. (genus Lilium; includes Oriental hybrids, Asiatic hybrids, L. longiflorum, L. orientalis 'Stargazer')Summer bloomer
DaffodilsLemon and acid yellow DaffodilsNarcissus spp.Cool-season bloomer
8 photos of Daffodils
Bright yellow daffodil in sunlight. Single yellow daffodil by stream Single yellow daffodil in sunlight Daffodil blooming amidst melting snow Yellow daffodil against urban backdrop. Vibrant yellow daffodil with raindrops Single yellow daffodil in bloom Bright yellow daffodil against blue background
HibiscusDeep gold HibiscusHibiscus rosa-sinensisSummer bloomer
Calla LilyButter and cream Calla LilyZantedeschia aethiopicaSummer bloomer
Dancing Lady OrchidDeep gold Dancing Lady OrchidOncidiumFall bloomer
GentianLemon and acid yellow GentianGentiana acaulis (Stemless/Trumpet Gentian); genus GentianaSpring bloomer
ChrysanthemumOpens one yellow ChrysanthemumChrysanthemum × morifoliumFall bloomer
8 photos of Chrysanthemum
Chrysanthemum Chrysanthemum Chrysanthemum Chrysanthemum Chrysanthemum Chrysanthemum Chrysanthemum Chrysanthemum
LantanaOpens one yellow LantanaLantana camaraSummer bloomer
SunflowerDeep gold SunflowerHelianthus annuusSummer bloomer
8 photos of Sunflower
Bright yellow sunflower against soft background Bright sunflower against a blurred background Bright yellow sunflower with dark center Bright sunflower beside smooth pebbles. Single sunflower in vibrant field Vibrant sunflower in golden field Bright sunflower in golden grass Bright sunflower against blue background
AlstroemeriaButter and cream AlstroemeriaAlstroemeria aureaSpring bloomer
RanunculusButter and cream RanunculusRanunculus asiaticusSpring bloomer
8 photos of Ranunculus
Yellow ranunculus flower Ranunculus Ranunculus Yellow ranunculus flower Yellow ranunculus flower Yellow ranunculus flower Yellow ranunculus flower Ranunculus
Shasta DaisyButter and cream Shasta DaisyLeucanthemum x superbumSummer bloomer
Coreopsis (Tickseed)Deep gold Coreopsis (Tickseed)Coreopsis grandiflora / C. lanceolata / C. verticillataSpring bloomer
8 photos of Coreopsis (Tickseed)
Yellow coreopsis Yellow coreopsis Yellow coreopsis Yellow coreopsis Yellow coreopsis Yellow coreopsis Yellow coreopsis Yellow coreopsis
Black-Eyed SusanDeep gold Black-Eyed SusanRudbeckia hirtaSummer bloomer
8 photos of Black-Eyed Susan
Black-Eyed Susan Yellow black-eyed Susan Flower Black-Eyed Susan Black-Eyed Susan Yellow black-eyed Susan Flower Black-Eyed Susan Yellow black-eyed Susan Flower Black-Eyed Susan
CosmosLemon and acid yellow CosmosCosmos bipinnatusSummer bloomer
DaylilyDeep gold DaylilyHemerocallisSummer bloomer
8 photos of Daylily
Daylily Yellow Daylily flower Hemerocallis Daylily Yellow Daylily flower Hemerocallis Daylily Yellow Daylily flower Hemerocallis Yellow Daylily flower Hemerocallis Yellow Daylily flower Hemerocallis
Lenten Rose (Hellebore)Butter and cream Lenten Rose (Hellebore)Helleborus × hybridus (syn. H. orientalis hybrids)Cool-season bloomer
SnapdragonLemon and acid yellow SnapdragonAntirrhinum majusSpring bloomer
RoseOpens one yellow RoseRosaSummer bloomer
PeonyButter and cream PeonyPaeonia lactifloraSpring bloomer
Border ForsythiaLemon and acid yellow Border ForsythiaForsythia × intermediaSpring bloomer
Bearded IrisOpens one yellow Bearded IrisIris germanicaSpring bloomer
PetuniaButter and cream PetuniaPetunia x hybridaSpring bloomer
Garden VerbenaButter and cream Garden VerbenaVerbena x hybridaSpring bloomer
TulipOpens one yellow TulipTulipa spp. (incl. Tulipa gesneriana hybrids)Spring bloomer
Moth OrchidButter and cream Moth OrchidPhalaenopsisCool-season bloomer
CarnationButter and cream CarnationDianthus caryophyllusSummer bloomer
ConeflowerLemon and acid yellow ConeflowerEchinacea purpureaSummer bloomer
BegoniaButter and cream BegoniaBegonia x semperflorensSpring bloomer
8 photos of Begonia
Yellow tuberous begonia (1) Yellow tuberous begonia (1) Yellow tuberous begonia (1) Yellow tuberous begonia (1) Yellow tuberous begonia (1) Yellow tuberous begonia (1) Begonia Begonia
Canna LilyDeep gold Canna LilyCanna x generalisSummer bloomer
Mexican SunflowerDeep gold Mexican SunflowerTithonia diversifoliaSummer bloomer
ZinniaLemon and acid yellow ZinniaZinnia elegansSummer bloomer
8 photos of Zinnia
Zinnia Zinnia Yellow zinnia flower Zinnia Yellow zinnia flower Zinnia Yellow zinnia flower Yellow zinnia flower
IrisLemon and acid yellow IrisIrisSpring bloomer
Gerbera DaisyOpens one yellow Gerbera DaisyGerbera jamesoniiSpring bloomer
DahliaLemon and acid yellow DahliaDahlia pinnataSummer bloomer
PoppyLemon and acid yellow PoppyPapaverSpring bloomer
LupineButter and cream LupineLupinus polyphyllus (and Russell hybrids, Lupinus × hybridus)Spring bloomer
CrocosmiaDeep gold CrocosmiaCrocosmia × crocosmiiflora / Crocosmia 'Lucifer'Summer bloomer
MarigoldDeep gold MarigoldTagetes erectaSummer bloomer
8 photos of Marigold
Yellow marigold flower Yellow marigold flower Yellow marigold flower Marigold Yellow marigold flower Marigold Yellow marigold flower Marigold
Yellow forsythia flower Forsythia
7 photos of Forsythia
Forsythia Yellow forsythia flower Forsythia Yellow forsythia flower Yellow forsythia flower Forsythia Yellow forsythia flower
Yellow calendula flower CalendulaCalendula officinalis
7 photos of Calendula
Yellow calendula flower Calendula Yellow calendula flower Calendula Calendula Calendula Yellow calendula flower
Oncidium Orchid Oncidium OrchidDancing lady
7 photos of Oncidium Orchid
Oncidium Orchid Oncidium Orchid Oncidium Orchid Oncidium branch with dewy yellow blossoms, ruffled lips, buds. Oncidium Orchid Oncidium Orchid Yellow and brown oncidium orchid sprays arranged in a stone vase on a wooden table
Why

Why yellow is the colour it is

Yellow is cheap for a plant to make, which is why there is so much of it. Most yellow flowers use carotenoids, the same pigments already at work in every leaf for photosynthesis, so the plant is repurposing chemistry it has to build anyway. That route gives the warm, saturated golds of sunflower and marigold. A second, separate route uses flavonoids, and produces the cooler, paler lemons and creams. The two yellows sit differently in a bed because they genuinely are different pigments. Bees, meanwhile, see something we do not: many plain yellow petals carry ultraviolet bullseye patterns that read as targets to a pollinator and as nothing at all to us.

Where the two yellows clash

Carotenoid gold has orange in it and flavonoid lemon has green in it. Put a deep gold rudbeckia straight against a lemon coreopsis and both look dirty. Separate them with cream, white or grey foliage and both look correct.

The honest sort

How yellow each one really is

The same flowers again, this time grouped by how much of the colour is actually there in ordinary daylight rather than on a label.

Deep gold11Carotenoid yellow, warm and orange-leaning. Reads across a whole garden.
Bright yellow sunflower against soft backgroundSunflower Yellow marigold flowerMarigold Black-Eyed SusanBlack-Eyed Susan GoldenrodGoldenrod Yellow coreopsisCoreopsis (Tickseed) DaylilyDaylily Dancing Lady OrchidDancing Lady Orchid HibiscusHibiscus
Also here Crocosmia Mexican Sunflower Canna Lily
Lemon and acid yellow11Cool and green-leaning. The yellow that works next to blue.
Bright yellow daffodil in sunlight.Daffodils Yellow yarrow Achillea FlowerYarrow CosmosCosmos ZinniaZinnia GentianGentian
Also here Border Forsythia Coneflower Snapdragon Dahlia Poppy Iris
Butter and cream13Pale enough to read almost white at dusk, and to calm anything.
Yellow ranunculus flowerRanunculus Calla LilyCalla Lily AlstroemeriaAlstroemeria Shasta DaisyShasta Daisy Yellow tuberous begonia (1)Begonia Lily (true lily)Lily (true lily)
Also here Peony Lenten Rose (Hellebore) Moth Orchid Carnation Petunia Garden Verbena Lupine
Opens one yellow, ends another6Colour shifts as the flower ages. Plan for both.
LantanaLantana ChrysanthemumChrysanthemum
Also here Rose Tulip Gerbera Daisy Bearded Iris
Putting it together

What yellow sits well with

Yellow and deep blueThe oldest contrast there is; each makes the other louder.
Cream and burgundyGrown-up and quiet where bright yellow would shout.
Gold and rustLate-season warmth. Nothing cool anywhere near it.
Meaning

What yellow says

Yellow carries friendship, welcome and plain good cheer, and it is the colour most often sent for no occasion at all. The Victorian reading of yellow roses as jealousy has all but vanished; a yellow bouquet now reads as warmth.

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