Yellow flowers are so bright and cheery, how could you NOT love them? They add vibrance to any garden area or outdoor pots. Plus, they are excellent at attracting butterflies with their bright colors and nectar-rich blooms! Take a look below at my top best yellow annual flowers to plant this year.
Who doesn’t love yellow flowers? Yellow is such a happy color, it never fails to brighten anyone’s mood, and sometimes even your day.
Plus they really stand out in any garden, and make your outdoor containers pop too. Heck, you could create an entire bed just using these flowers, and it would be fantastic – with constant blooms from early spring through fall!
There are so many different types of yellow flowers to choose from, I won’t even attempt to get close to naming them all here. But, I did wanted to compile a list of some of my favorite annuals. I hope you find one you love!
Of The Best Yellow Flowers For Your Garden
Like I said, this list of the best yellow flowers is far from comprehensive. However, there should be something here for everyone who wants to add some stunning yellow blossoms into their gardens.
Cosmos
Cosmos, aka Mexican asters, are a fantastic annual flower that makes a great backdrop for shorter plants in your garden. They’re known for their daisy-like blooms and feathery foliage. The varieties with yellow blossoms are very eye-catching against their delicate green foliage.
🪴Sunlight: Full sun
🪴Soil: Well-drained with neutral to alkaline soil
🪴Water: Prefers slightly drier soil
🪴Height: 12-48″ tall
🪴Attracts: Butterflies, bees, hoverflies
🪴 Ease of growth: Relatively easy but watch for gray mold
🪴When to plant: Early spring after last frost
🪴Zones: 2-11
Portulaca
Portulacas aka moss rose or purslanes are an annual flowers that makes for super cute ground cover with their succulent looking foliage, and bold, colorful rose-like flowers. They are capable of thriving in hotter/dryer conditions making them ideal for hot/dry climates.
🪴Sunlight: Full sun
🪴Soil: Well-drained
🪴Water: Drought-tolerant but benefits from regular watering.
🪴Height: 6-8” tall
🪴Attracts: Butterflies & bees
🪴 Ease of growth: Relatively easy
🪴When to plant: Early spring after last frost
🪴Zones: 9-11
Calendula
Calendulas, aka pot marigold, are a popular yellow ornamental flower in the daisy family, great for borders and containers. They are an aggressive reseeder with gorgeous daisy-like blooms and a strong scent that’s great for pest control. Calendulas are not only vibrant in color but also edible, and can be used in teas and other culinary recipes. They can be used to make soaps, salves, and medicinal tonics.
🪴Sunlight: Full sun to partial shade
🪴Soil: Well-drained soil
🪴Water: 1-2 inches of water each week
🪴Height: 12-24″ tall
🪴Attracts: Bees, butterflies and other pollinators
🪴 Ease of growth: Relatively easy but watch for gray mold
🪴When to plant: Early spring
🪴Zones: 9-11
Marigold
Marigolds bright and cheery annual that make an excellent border plant. With their bright yellow blossoms against the dark green leaves, they add a pop to any area, and command attention. Marigolds have a distinctive scent and come in two varieties, African (bigger blooms) and French (smaller blooms).
🪴Sunlight: Full sun
🪴Soil: Prefers well-drained soil
🪴Water: Moderate watering with consistent moisture. Drought-tolerant when established.
🪴Height: 6-12″ tall
🪴Attracts: Bees & butterflies
🪴 Ease of growth: Relatively easy
🪴When to plant: Early spring after last frost
🪴Zones: 9-11
Zinnia
Zinnias are a favorite amongst gardeners and come in a variety of colors, not just yellow. They can be single-flowered, double-flowered, or cactus-flowered depending on the variety. Zinnias are best planted from seed so plant early on in the year after the last frost. Learn how to grow Zinnias here.
🪴Sunlight: Full sun
🪴Soil: Well-drained soil with a ph between 5.5 and 7.5
🪴Water: Prefers well-draining soil
🪴Height: 36-48″ tall
🪴Attracts: Butterflies, bees & pollinators
🪴 Ease of growth: Easy to grow
🪴When to plant: Early spring
🪴Zones: 9-11
Sunflowers
Sunflowers are well known for their large, daily-like flower face and tall sturdy stems. Their flower heads can range from small to large They are heat-tolerant and resistant to pests. Sunflowers are heliotropic and have seeds that can be harvested when the heads droop and turn down.
🪴Sunlight: Full sun
🪴Soil: Well-drained
🪴Water: Drought-tolerant once established but needs regular watering
🪴Height: 3-12’ tall
🪴Attracts: Bees
🪴 Ease of growth: Easy
🪴When to plant: March-May
🪴Zones: 4-9
Snapdragon
Snapdragon is called this because it resembles the face of a dragon and open and close it’s mouth when squeezed. Their tubular shape is wonderful for adding texture and height to your beds or in mixed containers, and the bright yellow blooms especially stand out. Snapdragons are said to smell like bubblegum and come in three varieties.
🪴Sunlight: Full sun to partial sun
🪴Soil: Well-drained
🪴Water: Moderate watering
🪴Height: 6-36″ depending on the variety
🪴Attracts: Bees & butterflies
🪴 Ease of growth: Relatively easy but watch for gray mold
🪴When to plant: Indoors 10 weeks before the final frost
🪴Zones: 7-11
Celosia
Celosia also known as a “Cock’s Comb” or a woolflower, is a member of the amaranth family. Celosia comes in lots of varieties – from soft, rounded fan-shaped, puffy flowers, to tall feathery spiky plumes and is known to be long-lasting. In addition to its ornamental value, celosia is also edible. They are perennials in zones 10-12.
🪴Sunlight: Full sun
🪴Soil: Well-drained
🪴Water: Prefers slightly drier soil and is drought-tolerant
🪴Height: 12-48″ tall
🪴Attracts: Butterflies
🪴 Ease of growth: Easy
🪴When to plant: Indoors 6-8 weeks before the final frost
🪴Zones: 2-11
Bidens
Bidens are known as beggarticks or Spanish needles. Bidens can be annuals and perennials (in zones 8-11). They will bloom year round in containers or the ground making them a gardening favorite. The dainty yellow flowers have toothed petals giving them a distinctive appearance that really pop against the dark, lacy foliage. They bloom
🪴Sunlight: Full sun to partial shade
🪴Soil: Well draining
🪴Water: Prefers slightly drier soil and is drought-tolerant
🪴Height: 6-18″ tall
🪴Attracts: Butterflies, bees & other pollinators
🪴 Ease of growth: Relatively easy
🪴When to plant: Indoors 6-8 weeks before the final frost
🪴Zones: 8-11
Final Tips For Planting Yellow Annual Flowers
Most yellow annual flowers require full sun and well drained soil so keep this in mind when planning your garden. Consider the heights and bloom times of the flowers when deciding which yellow flower to plant.
Yellow flowers in the garden bring so much cheer and sunshine, even on a gloomy day. Adding some of these yellow annuals and perennial blooms to your beds or planters will really make them stand out, and give you constant color all summer long.
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I want to know! What yellow flowers would you add to this list? Add your top picks in the comments section below!
Sherry Nappa says
Love the flowers. It’s time here to start putting together a fall garden. Thanks for sharing your list!
Amy Andrychowicz says
You’re welcome!
Ivory says
I am trying to obtain pinks and yellows flowers in my garden for a big bold pop of beautiful colors.
I love the flowers you selected in your post. Thank you!
Amy Andrychowicz says
Sounds beautiful! Glad you like that post, thanks!
Vanessa says
These are beautiful. I have a thing for yellow flowers. They are just so warm and happy to me. I am so happy I found your lovely blog and would love it if you would link up your post at a link party I am co-hosting. Hope to see you. Enjoy your day.
Amy Andrychowicz says
Thanks, glad you like them! 🙂
Tom @ Raise Your Garden says
Great list of yellow flowers. When I buy my wife flowers which probably isn’t often enough, she asked for pink and yellow. And then I do and buy the grocery store flowers that are dyed with artificial colors and it doesn’t go over well. She keeps asking me to create a sunflower garden. Maybe next year.
Amy Andrychowicz says
It sounds like you need to start a pink and yellow themed annual flower garden next year! That would be amazing, and you’d get lots of bonus points. 😉
Ivory says
Thank you for sharing these beautiful flowers with us. I love them. I have a shady/sunny area the I’ve turned into my flower garden. However, I am not sure if I like my placement of some of my “sun only” flowers. Our house sit at the coner of a busy and not so busy street. My flower garden is located on the side of our house nearby those two streets.
Amy Andrychowicz says
Awesome, glad you like it! The great part about gardening is that you can always change it until you love it again. 🙂 Have fun!