11 Yellow Flowering Trees to Plant This Year + Growing Guides

Brock Ingham

This post follows our research editorial guidelines.

Brock Ingham

Yellow is associated with light and positive energy. Growing one of the yellow trees I’ll be sharing brightens the landscape and sets a positive tone in your yard. 

Golden Yellow Rain Tree
Golden Yellow Flowering RainTree

Without further ado, let’s explore these yellow flowering trees that complement orange flowers and green foliage, creating a blooming and vibrant floral display. 


“The glory of gardening: hands in the dirt, head in the sun, heart with nature. To nurture a garden is to feed not just on the body, but the soul.”

Alfred Austin – “The Garden that I Love”

1. Cootamundra Wattle (Acacia baileyana ‘Purpurea’)

Cootamundra Wattle
Cootamundra Wattle

If you have a Mediterranean garden, the cootamundra wattle is an excellent pick. It’s a small tree filled with evergreen blue-grey leaves on branches and a widespread canopy. 

The blue-green foliage on the tree remains throughout the year, but the real magic happens in late winter or early spring when the tree starts flowering. It produces rounded, golden-yellow flowers that cover the branches, creating a mesmerizing and cheerful display. 

Botanical Name: Acacia baileyana ‘Purpurea’
Growth Rate: Fast-growing
Native Range: Australia (New South Wales)
Hardiness Zones:10 to 11
Soil Needs: Loan or sand-based fertile soil with a slightly acidic pH
Exposure:Requires full sun to grow optimally
Blooming Period:Winter-Spring
Cootamundra Wattle Growing Guide Chart

2. Cornelian Cherry (Cornus mas)

Cornelian Cherry
Cornelian Cherry

This pest-resistant and winter-ready ornamental tree can be planted on beds and borders or be shaped as hedges or screens. It can be the centerpiece of your traditional garden, producing dark green leaves that turn purple during fall. 

In early spring, the tree blooms with round, clustered flowers on a dark-brown bark with minimum foliage. 

Botanical Name: Cornus mas
Growth Rate: Fast-growing
Native Range: Southern Europe and Western Asia
Hardiness Zones:5 to 8
Soil Needs: Sand, loam, clay, and chalk soil with adequate drainage is crucial
Exposure:Can be planted in full or partial sun
Blooming Period:Winter-Spring
Cornelian Cherry Growing Guide Chart

3. Yellow Twig Dogwood (Cornus sericea)

Yellow Twig Dogwood 1
Yellow Twig Dogwood

The yellow twig dogwood is an easy-to-grow and care-for tree. Its striking appearance makes it the preferred choice for shrub borders, ponds, and meadows. This shrub makes your winter landscape shine bright with its luminous yellow-colored shrubs. 

Although the stems are yellow, the plant produces green leaves in the summer and spring seasons. The yellow twig dogwood grows white flowers that later turn into white berries that attract birds and squirrels. 

Botanical Name: Cornus sericea
Growth Rate: Fast
Native Range: North America
Hardiness Zones:5 to 8
Soil Needs: Rich well-draining soil
Exposure:Plant in partial shade or under the full sun
Blooming Period:Long
Yellow Twig Dogwood Growing Guide Chart

4. Yellow Oleander (Cascabelathevetia)

Yellow Oleander
Yellow Oleander

It’s a wide-spreading shrub with funnel-shaped flowers produced in clusters during their blooming season. The strap-like leaves further elevate the striking visuals. The flowers on the yellow oleander are sweet-smelling and are a yellow-orange color.

Botanical Name: Cascabelathevetia
Growth Rate: Moderate
Native Range: Mexico and Central America
Hardiness Zones:8b to 10
Soil Needs: Rich in nutrients, sandy soil
Exposure:Partial or full sun
Blooming Period:Short (Summer to fall)
Yellow Oleander Growing Guide Chart

5. Yellow Azaleas (Rhododendron luteum)

Yellow azalea
Yellow Azalea

Filling up your garden space with its sweet and fragrant smell, the yellow azaleas produce massive flower clusters as spring starts. The leaves are mild green in the summer and slowly turn to an orange-red shade in the fall. 

It’s ideal if you have an outdoor patio, along the borders, or for the front of your house. Besides increasing a garden’s appearance, the plant attracts bees, butterflies, and birds, giving off a more natural outlook, especially during the day.

Botanical Name: Rhododendron luteum
Growth Rate: Fast growth
Native Range: Eastern Europe, Southern Russia
Hardiness Zones:6 to 9
Soil Needs: A well-drained clay, sand, or loam-based soil with acidic pH
Exposure:Can be planted under full or partial sun
Blooming Period:Winter-Spring
Yellow Azalea Growing Guide Chart

6. Golden Chain (Laburnum anagyroides)

Golden Chain
Golden Chain

In full bloom, this deciduous plant produces clusters of pea-like yellow flowers that droop down from the branches. The tree creates a mesh of hanging flowers emitting a fragrance that keeps the garden space smelling fresh. 

Botanical Name: Laburnum anagyroides
Growth Rate: Vigorous growth
Native Range: Central and Southern Europe
Hardiness Zones:5 to 7
Soil Needs: Moist and well-drained soil
Exposure:Full or partial sun
Blooming Period:Winter-Spring
Golden Chain Growing Guide Chart

7. Golden Trumpet Tree (Allamanda cathartica)

Golden Trumpet Tree
Golden Trumpet Tree

Producing trumpet-shaped blooms, this exotic flowering tree thrives in temperate regions without an issue. The variety is not very popular in nurseries but it is becoming available as more gardeners and nature lovers plant this unusual tree. 

When fully grown, the tree forms a magnificent crown that generates clusters of bright yellow bell-shaped flowers and silvery-gray leaves that enhance its appearance. 

Botanical Name: Allamanda cathartica
Growth Rate: Fast
Native Range: Brazil and South America
Hardiness Zones:8b to 11
Soil Needs: Loan, clay, or sand-based soil with adequate nutrients
Exposure:Requires full sun exposure
Blooming Period:Winter-Spring
Golden Trumpet Tree Growing Guide Chart

8. Yellow Tabebuia (Handroanthuschrysotrichus)

Yellow Tabebuia
Yellow Tabebuia

The tree has trumpet or bell-like flowers, is perfect for outdoor environments, and can tolerate drought-like conditions when fully grown. Although the blooming period is short, it makes the garden space highly appealing to the eye.

Botanical Name: Handroanthus Chrysotrichus
Growth Rate: Moderate
Native Range: Mexico and Argentina
Hardiness Zones:9 to 11
Soil Needs: Moisture-retaining and fertile soil
Exposure:Full or partial sun
Blooming Period:Short (March and April)
Yellow Tabebuia Growing Guide Chart

9.   Yellow Jacaranda Tipu Tree (Tipuana tip)

Yellow Jacaranda Tipu Tree
Yellow Jacaranda Tipu Tree

The Yellow Jacaranda is a fast-growing tree that can grow up to 30 meters in height. It’s a close relative of the Purple flowering Jacaranda. Besides providing a splash of vibrant yellow during its blooming period, this tree can be used for shade in your garden, near the patio, or on the streets. 

Botanical Name: Tipuana tip
Growth Rate: Fast
Native Range: South Brazil, Bolivia, and Argentina
Hardiness Zones:9 to 11
Soil Needs: Dry to moist soil wth acidic pH
Exposure:Full sun
Blooming Period:Medium
Yellow Jacaranda Tipu Tree Growing Guide Chart

10.   Golden Rain Tree (Koelreuteriapaniculata)

Golden Rain Tree
Golden Rain Tree

If you are looking for a small, deciduous tree that changes color as seasons change, the golden rain tree is the right choice. The leaves of this beautiful tree emerge as pink or purple during spring, change to apple-green in the summer, and turn bright yellow in the fall. 

The tree’s yellow flowers accent the leaves during their blooming period in summer, creating a spectacular floral display. 

Botanical Name: Koelreuteriapaniculata
Growth Rate: Moderate
Native Range: China and Korea
Hardiness Zones:6 to 9
Soil Needs: Moist and well-drained soil with varying pH
Exposure:Full sun exposure is required for optimum growth and foliage
Blooming Period:Winter-Spring
Golden Rain Tree Growing Guide Chart

11. Tulip Tree (Liriodendron tulipiferah)

Tulip Tree
Tulip Tree

The tree grows magnificent tulip-shaped flowers with a yellowish-green color and an orange base. You might not notice intricate color distribution at first, but looking at the flowers when in close range will catch anyone’s attention. 

Besides adding a pop of color to the landscape, the tree has a great spread and provides effective shade outdoors. 

Botanical Name: Liriodendron tulipiferah
Growth Rate: Moderate
Native Range: North America
Hardiness Zones:4 to 9
Soil Needs: Well drained but moist soil with a slightly acidic pH
Exposure:Full sun exposure required
Blooming Period:Short (April to June)
Tulip Tree Growing Guide Chart

Final Thoughts

The bright yellow color of the trees I mentioned here accents the colors of any garden. My personal preference for my yard garden was the flowering Dogwood tree, it grows well in my climate and adds a pop of color to an otherwise bleak-looking early spring.

Before you plant any flowering tree, don’t forget to check the tree’s height, whether the conditions are feasible to grow trees, and the USDA zone to ensure the tree thrives in the best possible environment. 

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