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How to Identify Yellow Flowering Shrubs

A close-up of a Coronation Triumph shrubby cinquefoil (Potentilla fruticosa 'Coronation Triumph') bursting with yellow flowers.
F. D. Richards, CC-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

There are many different species of shrubs with yellow flowers that add cheer to the landscape. These species bloom at different times, making it possible to enjoy yellow flowering bushes year round.

Knowing which yellow-flowering shrubs are in bloom during the current season can help identify these plants.

Yellow Spring-Flowering Bushes

Some types of shrubs produce yellow spring flowers. Let’s take a look at some examples.

A close-up of some Chinese golden bell (Forsythia viridissima) flowers.
Enrico Blasutto, CC-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Forsythia

Native to Asia, forsythia shrubs (‌Forsythia‌ spp., USDA hardiness zones 3 to 8) produce clusters of bell-shaped, bright yellow flowers in early spring, before the plants' foliage emerges. These rapidly growing shrubs can reach heights between 8 and 10 feet.

A close-up of a few small Japanese mahonia (Mahonia japonica) flowers.
KENPEI, CC-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Japanese Mahonia

Cultivated in Japan but native to China, the Japanese mahonia (‌Mahonia japonica‌, zones 6 to 8) blooms in late winter and early spring. Also known as the Oregon grape-holly, this species produces yellow flowers on racemes that may be between 4 and 8 inches long.

Japanese mahonia shrubs have heights between 5 and 7 feet. The leaves of this drought-tolerant shrub resemble those of holly.

A top-down shot of a Lydia broom (Genista lydia) shrub with lots of yellow flowers.
A. Barra, CC 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Lydia Broom

Lydia broom (‌Genista lydia‌, zones 5 to 9) is a yellow flowering shrub native to the Balkans, Turkey and Syria. This plant blooms in late spring and early summer. A member of the legume family, it produces yellow pea-like flowers.

Lydia broom is a drought-tolerant shrub with heights under 2 feet. Because it is a legume, it can fix nitrogen and therefore grow in poor soils.

Summer-Blooming Shrubs

Some yellow flowering shrubs are summer bloomers. Here are a few species in this category.

shrubby cinquefoil (Potentilla fruticosa)
NPS / Jacob W. Frank, CC 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Shrubby Cinquefoil

Shrubs with yellow flowers that bloom in the spring include the shrubby cinquefoil (‌Potentilla fruticosa‌, zones 3 to 7), which is native to the northern hemisphere and has heights between 2 and 4 feet.

This species produces saucer-shaped flowers that are 1.5 inches in length and have five petals each. The compound leaves are blue-green in color.

Though this species can handle partial shade, its flowers look best when it is grown in full sun.

A close-up of some delicate shrubby St. John's wort (Hypericum pyramidatum) flowers.
Joshua Mayer, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Flickr

Shrubby St. John's Wort

Another shrub with yellow flowers that blooms in the summer is the shrubby St. John's wort (‌Hypericum pyramidatum‌, zones 4 to 8). Its 1-inch-wide yellow flowers with five petals appear in July and August. The flowers have many eye-catching yellow stamens in the center.

This species is native to North America.

Tip

Shrubby St. John's wort can be identified by its numerous showy yellow stamens.

Fall- and Winter-Blooming Shrubs

Shrubs with yellow flowers can brighten up the landscape in the fall and winter when most other flowering plants are dormant. Here are some options.

A close-up of the curious-looking yellow flowers of a common witch hazel (Hamamelis virginiana) plant.
Judy Gallagher, CC 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Common Witch Hazel

Common witch hazel (‌Hamamelis virginiana‌, zones 3 to 9) is a deciduous shrub that blooms in the fall and winter. Native to eastern North America, this species produces spider-like yellow flowers, each with four thin petals that can be compared to ribbons.

The common witch hazel may have heights between 15 and 20 feet. The leaves of this plant turn an attractive yellow color in the fall.

Tip

The common witch hazel has spidery yellow flowers with four ribbon-like petals each.

Some yellow butterfly bush (Senna bicapsularis) flowers set against a backdrop of blue skies.
三猎, CC-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Butterfly Bush

The butterfly bush (‌Senna bicapsularis‌, zones 9 to 11) gets its name from its golden yellow flowers, which bloom in the fall and winter and resemble butterflies. This species is also known as winter cassia and Christmas bush.

This low-maintenance, semi-evergreen shrub has heights between 8 and 12 feet and is native to South America.

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