"Despite the popularity of buttery hues, some individuals find yellow flowers distasteful. For a more pleasing alternative, consider these 15 pale yellow flower options that brighten borders instead."
In the heart of summer, gardens come alive with a riot of colours. But for those seeking a softer, more subtle palette, pale yellow flowers offer a charming alternative. Here are some options that can brighten a garden border from early summer to autumn.
Starting with the dahlia 'Clair de Lune', this variety boasts soft yellow 'collarette' flowers held on strong stems. It blooms from June to October and deadheads through the season, ensuring continuous flowering into the autumn.
Another standout is Achillea 'Credo'. This yarrow features tall, upright stems topped with large, plate-like flowers that age from lemon yellow to cream. It blooms from June to September, attracting pollinators, and thrives in full sun and well-drained soil.
Hemerocallis 'Ariadne', a daylily, offers luminous, scented flowers that last for a day but are produced in abundance.
Cosmos bipinnatus 'Xanthos' is a pale yellow-flowered cosmos variety. Its small, mostly single, primrose-yellow flowers, adorned with a neat, white ring around the golden eye, bloom through summer and into autumn. Deadheading keeps the flowers coming for months.
Dianthus plumarius 'Feathered Yellow' is a pink-flowered pansy with yellow feathered edges on the petals.
The globe flower Trollius x cultorum 'Taleggio' has bowl-like, double, lemon blooms that appear in early summer.
Papaver miyabeanum, also known as Oreomecon miyabeana, boasts delicate, almost tissue-like petals of the palest lemon.
Phlomis russeliana presents hooded, lemon flowers that ascend in whorls on tall, erect stems from June onwards. The large, grey-green heart-shaped leaves form a clump at the base. It thrives in full sun on well-drained soil.
Cephalaria gigantea, the giant scabious, bears primrose-coloured flowers on wiry stems, giving a see-through look in a border. It looks great in a naturalistic or prairie-style scheme.
Aquilegia chrysantha offers attractive and charming long spurred flowers that appear slightly later than those of other aquilegias.
Helianthus debilis 'Vanilla Ice' is a multi-branched sunflower that is great at the back of a border and makes a beautiful cut flower. Grow it in moist but well-drained soil in full sun.
The peony 'Bartzella' is an intersectional peony with large, cupped soft yellow flowers that are delicately scented of lemon.
Verbascum bombyciferum 'Polarsommer' bears tall and dramatic flower spikes in summer, with luminous yellow flowers. The foliage is silver and hairy. Grow it in full sun on very well-drained soil.
Oenothera stricta 'Sulphurea' flowers open pale yellow in late afternoon and turn to apricot by morning, with buds and stems flushed with purple-red. It self-seeds readily and blooms from June to September. Grow it in full sun.
Other pale yellow flowers that can brighten gardens include Trollius x cultorum, Cephalaria gigantea, Digitalis lanata, Cosmos bipinnatus 'Xanthos', and Rosa 'Tottering-by-Gently'. Primrose and some varieties of marigold also offer yellow hues that can brighten gardens through summer.
These options offer a mix of perennials and annuals suitable for different garden conditions, with many extending bloom periods well into autumn, enhancing colour beyond the usual strong yellows to softer, more versatile pale yellow tones.
- Dahlia 'Clair de Lune' and Achillea 'Credo' can be found blooming in gardens from June to October and September respectively, providing a continuous supply of soft yellow 'collarette' flowers and plate-like lemon yellow flowers throughout the summer.
- Hemerocallis 'Ariadne' produces luminous, scented flowers from June, offering a brief but vibrant display, while Cosmos bipinnatus 'Xanthos' blooms through summer and into autumn with small, mostly single, primrose-yellow flowers adorned with a neat, white ring.
- Phlomis russeiliana presents hooded, lemon flowers on tall, erect stems from June, ensuring a vibrant presence in home-and-garden landscapes that thrive in full sun on well-drained soil. Cephalaria gigantea, blooming from June, offers primrose-coloured flowers on wiry stems, great for naturalistic or prairie-style gardens.
- For those seeking a longer blooming period, Verbascum bombyciferum 'Polarsommer' and the peony 'Bartzella' provide towering, luminous yellow flower spikes and large, cupped soft yellow flowers respectively, ensuring a bright visual impact in food-and-drink and travel-themed settings from early to late summer.
