We’re big yellow lovers in this family. It’s my son’s favourite colour, and all of us have fallen under its spell. On the dreariest of winter days, it provides a much-needed hit of happiness. And there is nothing quite like creamy yellow paint on a wall! The flowers in this list are some of my favourites to grow in my flower garden for a hit of this cheerful colour.
Want a rainbow of blooms? Start with my favourite orange flowers here!
Disclaimer #1: This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you purchase something, I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. You can read more about it in my privacy policy. Thanks for supporting Shifting Roots!
Disclaimer #2: I’ve chosen photos that best represent each flower variety, but they may not always be an exact match. I apologize for any mix-ups, as I don’t always perfectly keep track of what I grow year to year.
The Best Yellow Flowers for Your Flower Garden
Calendula
Calendula is a bright and cheerful flower that’s as useful as it is beautiful. It makes a lovely cut flower, attracts beneficial insects to the vegetable garden, and can be dried for teas, tinctures, and homemade beauty products.
Dahlia
The dahlias pictured here are from Backroad Blossoms’ Flower Farm. My favourite yellow varieties to grow on my flower farm are Seattle, Karma Gold, and Platinum Blonde.
Feverfew
Feverfew is a hardy perennial in Zone 3 that can reseed itself for continuous blooms. Its cheerful yellow centers make it a lovely addition to the garden. By starting new plants each year and letting some go to seed, you can enjoy an ongoing supply of these delicate flowers.
Forsythia
Forsythia is one of the first plants to bloom in spring, bursting with bright yellow flowers before transforming into a lush green shrub. If you have a forsythia bush, you can cut a branch in winter, bring it indoors, and force it to bloom early with just a little warmth and water.
Goldenrod
Goldenrod is a hardy, drought-tolerant native plant that blooms from late summer to fall. Its bright yellow flowers add warmth to bouquets and make a low-maintenance choice for prairie gardens. Perfect for cut arrangements, goldenrod thrives with little care, bringing beauty to the garden year after year.
Hirta Rudbeckia
Marigold
I like to plant Crackerjack marigolds for a hit of yellow or orange in my cutting garden. The fluffy yellow-cream marigolds in this photo are the Vanilla variety.
Prairie Sun Rudbeckia
Rudbeckia is a cheerful, easy-to-grow flower that adds warmth to any garden or bouquet. While not all varieties are hardy to Zone 3, their bright blooms and drought tolerance make them a reliable choice. My favorite variety Prairie Sun shines in floral arrangements from summer through fall.
ProCut White Lite Sunflower
These are one of my absolute favourite sunflower varieties!
Ranunculus
Ranunculus may be tricky to grow, but their delicate, rose-like blooms are well worth the effort. The yellow ranunculus pictured below was part of a mix, so I’m not sure of the exact variety.
Strawflower
Sunrich Gold Sunflowers
The sunflowers pictured here are the ProCut Horizon variety, which is my favourite traditional sunflower. Sunrich Gold sunflowers have more of a green center, which I think is a fun point of interest for bouquets!
Teddy Bear Sunflowers
The sunflower in the centre of the bunch below is what you can expect from a Teddy Bear, but I’m fairly certain this fluffy bloom is from my Van Gogh mix from Sunflower Steve.
Tulips
Tulips are a beloved spring flower that come in nearly every color, but growing them for cutting requires some extra care. To get long stems, they need consistent watering, and as a cut flower, the bulb must be pulled and composted. In Zone 3, they must be planted in the fall for a beautiful spring display.
Yukon Sun Rose
This Yukon Sun rose is from Morden Nurseries & Garden Centre. I haven’t had a chance to grow this Zone 3-hardy rose quite yet, but I found it and just had to include it on this list because it is so so beautiful!
The One Shade of Yellow to Avoid in Your Cutting Garden
Highlighter Yellow
If you’ve been following me for a while, you know I really don’t like this shade of yellow and find it impossible to arrange with. That being said, if you really wanted, you could grow some highlighter-yellow snapdragons as your trap crop, as thrips would be all over those!
If you love highlighter yellow, go ahead and grow it, but I find it really hard to arrange with. If you hate it, it’s best to avoid statice mixes because they’re often heavy on the highlighter yellow.
Are there any yellow flowers I missed? Let me know in the comments!
If you liked this blog post, find me on Facebook, TikTok, and Instagram to follow more of my farmer florist journey and join in the cut flower conversation! I also make weekly videos on my YouTube channel. You can also sign up for bouquet-making events and buy my flowers at my sister site Shifting Blooms. I hope to see you there!
SERIOUS ABOUT STARTING A CUT FLOWER GARDEN BUT NEED MORE HELP?
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