Yellow Spring-Planted Bulbs

Gladiola, Dahlia and Lilies are all bulb-like plants that can be planted in the spring to provide summer flowers. These yellow-flowering selections are perfect to add to a gold-bloom themed garden!

Yellow Flowering Gladiolus

• ‘Carolina Primrose’ Heirloom Gladiolus – Zones 6-10. A rare, heirloom gladiolus, this spring planted bulb is less flashy than many other gladiolus but has been reported to have a much hardier winter survival rate. Creamy yellow flowers grow on stalks up to 3′ tall and will naturalize in many areas without undue maintenance.
• ‘Nova Lux’ Gladiola (Gladiolus x hortulanus ‘Nova Lux’) – Zones 8-10. Another compact gladiola, the ‘Nova Lux’ is a brighter yellow, showier gladiolua. Like most of the hybrid glads, it is not winter hardy and would need to be dug up and overwintered in a warmer, sheltered place in cold gardening zones. At 3′ tall this gladiolus makes a fantastic cut flower for indoor flower arrangements, or to add a vertical accent to the yellow flowering garden through the summer weeks.

Dahlia ‘Clair de Lune’ – A Collerette Dahlia, the ‘Clair de Lune’ has soft yellow petals on the outside, and lighter, near-white petals in the middle. This spring-planted bulb grows up to 4′ in height and provides a tall perennial presence in the yellow flowering garden. Since most dahlias are not winter hardy, gardeners will need to dig them up and overwinter them in a sheltered spot. The ‘Clair de Lune’ dahlia makes a nice cut flower and also attracts butterflies to the golden themed garden.

Some other yellow-flowering dahlias suitable for a yellow themed garden include:

• ‘Camano Pet’ Dahlia – A beautiful flower form and yellow petals with pinkish-red tints on the tips.
• ‘Encore’ – A fringed or “fimbriated” dahlia with bright yellow flowers and almost-fuzzy looking petals.
• ‘Yellow Happiness’ – A chrysanthemum form dahlia with golden yellow petals.

Golden Trumpet Lily (Lilium ‘Golden Splendor’ ) – Zones 4-8. A tall lily plant, the ‘Golden Splendor’ lily grows 4-6′ tall and provides a great back-of-the-border plant for yellow flowering gardens. Plant lilies in medium fertile soil with good drainage and provide full sun to part shade. According to the Missouri Botanical Garden, the ‘Golden Splendor’ lilies tolerate drought conditions better than most other lilies so gardeners in hotter climates might choose this lily over other hybrid varieties available. The yellow, trumpet shaped flowers are fragrant and the lily plant is low maintenance so it’s a good choice for beginning gardeners.

A few other yellow-flowering lily cultivars include:

• Asiatic Lily ‘Gironde’ – Hardy to zone 3. Bright yellow flowers with darker yellow stamens on upturned flowers.
• ‘Lemon Pixie’ Lily – Zone 4-8. A dwarf asiatic lily with creamy-yellow flowers on a plant that grows only 18″ tall.
• ‘Golden Rayed’ Lily (Lilium auratum) – Zones 5-8. This creamy-white lily with golden ribs grows 2-5′ tall depending on plant maturity.

See more resources for Yellow Themed Garden Plants.