To brighten up the corners of this flower bed, you can’t fail with yellow and orange flowers. Although a lot of scientific names of plants do not offer any clues about the physical features, common and cultivar names can provide clues to locate bright, sunny plants. Look for names which invoke warm colours when studying varieties.
Perennials
Orange and yellow perennials give bright colours year after year, appearing during the warmer months. “Shades of Orange” hummingbird mint (Agastache aurantiaca “Shades of Orange”) produces spikes of tubular-shaped orange flowers from summer until autumn in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 6 through 10. This mass of aromatic gray-green leaves forms a mound 30 inches tall and spreading 18 inches wide, attracting hummingbirds to the garden. “Sunray” tickseed (Coreopsis grandiflora “Sunray”) is named after its yellow double blossoms, which appear in late spring until the end of the summer. This perennial reaches 1 to 3 feet tall and wide in USDA zones 4 through 9.
Vines
Flowering vines cover their long stems with brightly colored blooms throughout the summer. One bright-yellow blossoming vine is “Golden Tiara” Russian virgin’s bower (Clematis tangutica “Golden Tiara”), which grows in USDA plant hardiness zones 5 through 11. The yellow petals extend fully above a purple bell-like middle from summer through autumn. This late-flowering vine reaches 15 to 20 feet tall, spreading 6 to 10 feet wide. “Tangerine Beauty” crossvines (Bignonia capreolata “Tangerine Beauty”) climb 30 to 50 feet high in USDA zones 6 through 9, creating orange flowers from spring through autumn and attracting hummingbirds to its hot-colored blossoms.
Shrubs
Many long-lived shrubs are available in bright yellow and orange colours. “Golden Flare” azalea (Azalea x “Golden Flare”) reaches 6 feet tall and 4 feet wide in USDA zones 5 through 9, with yellow late-spring blossoms which have a reddish-orange blotch inside each blossom. This azalea is one of these deciduous varieties. “Yellow Submarine” hibiscus (Hibiscus rosa-sinensis “Yellow Submarine”) grows within an evergreen bush in USDA zones 10 and 11, reaching 6 to 8 ft tall and spreading 3 to 4 ft wide. The yellow flowers with creamy-pink throats attract hummingbirds into the lawn.
Trees
Flowering trees fill in huge regions and live for many years. The “Butterflies” magnolia tree (Magnolia “Butterflies”) is named after its delicate yellow flowers resembling butterfly wings. This tree grows well in USDA zones 5 through 9 with blossoms reaching 3 to 4 inches wide. The fragrant flowers appear before the leaves in the spring with this 15- to 30-foot-high tree. The name Mexican passion bush (Hamelia patens) produces visions of hot colours. This tropical tree grows best in USDA zones 8 through 11, reaching 5 feet tall in one summer. The upright woody stems die back to the ground when exposed to freezing temperatures. In full sun, this tree covers itself with coppery orange flowers from summer to autumn.