Hello gardening friend! I‘m Lillie Gabler, your home improvement expert here to provide you with the ultimate guide to selecting and growing beautiful low growing yellow perennial flowers. With their bright, cheerful blooms, these compact plants are the perfect way to inject vibrant pops of color in your garden beds, borders, and containers.
In this guide, we‘ll dive into:
Benefits of Low Growing Yellow Perennials
- Brighten up front of borders
- Provide vivid edging
- Perfect for rock gardens
- Thrive in containers
- Attract pollinators
Top 10 Low Growing Yellow Perennial Flower Picks
1. Creeping Jenny (Lysimachia nummularia)
2. Alpine Alyssum (Aurinia saxatilis)
3. Yellow Stonecrop (Sedum)
4. Creeping Zinnia (Sanvitalia procumbens)
5. Golden Moneywort (Lysimachia nummularia ‘Aurea‘)
6. Yellow Corydalis (Pseudofumaria lutea)
7. Creeping Phlox (Phlox subulata)
8. Golden Ragwort (Packera aurea)
9. Yellow Goat‘s Beard (Aruncus aethusifolius)
10. Golden Meadow Rue (Thalictrum flavum subsp. glaucum)
11. Yellow Woodland Poppy (Stylophorum diphyllum)
Key Tips for Growing Low Yellow Perennials
Overcoming Common Problems
Best Uses in the Landscape
Let‘s get started exploring the joys and rewards of adding low growing yellow perennials to your garden!
Why Pick Low Growing Yellow Perennial Flowers?
Before we get into specific plant varieties, let‘s look at why low growing yellow perennials are such a versatile choice:
Brighten Up Front of Borders
Low growing perennials under 1-2 feet tall are the perfect size to brighten up the front of garden beds and borders. Taller plants behind them won‘t hide their cheerful blooms.
Vivid Edging
Use these compact yellow perennials to edge pathways, fences, foundation plantings, or lines of taller plants. They create beautiful visual interest and definition.
Perfect for Rock Gardens
Rock gardens and alpine gardens benefit from the addition of low growing, dwarf perennials that won‘t overtake the space. Yellow varieties add punchy color.
Thrive in Containers
The compact size of low growing perennials makes them a smart choice for containers and window boxes where space is limited. Yellow blooms look stunning against foliage.
Attract Pollinators
Many perennial flowers rely on visits from butterflies, bees, and other pollinators for reproduction. Low growing varieties provide easily accessible nectar.
Weather Resilient
Once established, perennial plants are hardy and weather resilient. They save the work of replanting annuals every year for recurring color.
With so many benefits, it‘s easy to see why low growing yellow perennials deserve a spot in your landscape!
Top 10 Low Growing Yellow Perennial Flowers
Ready to add a pop of yellow to your garden? Here are my top recommendations for low growing yellow perennial flowers:
1. Creeping Jenny (Lysimachia nummularia)
Creeping Jenny is a fast spreading groundcover that reaches just 2-4 inches tall. From June to August, bright yellow cup-shaped blooms appear. I love how it cascades beautifully over walls or planters!
This versatile plant thrives in moist areas with partial sun to full shade. Space plants 12 inches apart for a dense carpet of foliage and flowers. Creeping Jenny grows well in zones 3-9.
2. Alpine Alyssum (Aurinia saxatilis)
For gorgeous spring color, look no further than Alpine alyssum! This compact perennial forms a mound 6-12 inches tall and explodes with masses of tiny fragrant yellow flowers starting in April.
Alpine alyssum is perfect for rock gardens, edging pathways, and cascading over slopes and walls. It grows well in zones 4-9 in average, well-drained soil and full sun. Deadheading spent blooms prolongs flowering.
3. Yellow Stonecrop (Sedum)
If you‘re seeking durable, low maintenance perennials, sedums are an excellent choice. These succulents form carpets of colorful foliage and flowers, thriving with little care.
Two yellow-flowered stonecrop varieties that stay under 6 inches tall are ‘Lemon Ball‘ and ‘Angelina.‘ They produce bright clusters of blooms in summer and their trailing stems look beautiful spilling over pots. Sedums grow in zones 3-11.
4. Creeping Zinnia (Sanvitalia procumbens)
For non-stop color in hot, dry areas, add the creeping zinnia! This heat and drought tolerant spreader reaches just 6 inches tall but produces abundant miniature yellow daisy-like blooms continuously from spring to frost.
Creeping zinnia thrives in zones 9-11 in average to poor soil with full sun exposure. It‘s popular in containers, rock gardens, and xeriscapes. Give it space to spread or prune to contain.
5. Golden Moneywort (Lysimachia nummularia ‘Aurea‘)
This low growing perennial has rounded leaves colored a vivid golden yellow depending on light levels. It spreads rapidly to form a mat just 3 inches tall. Little yellow flowers appear in summer.
Golden moneywort does best in part shade and moist, rich soil. Its brilliant foliage looks beautiful cascading over walls and containers. Cold hardy in zones 3-8, it makes a great colorful groundcover.
6. Yellow Corydalis (Pseudofumaria lutea)
Welcome shy woodland wildflowers like Yellow corydalis into shady corners of your garden! This clump forming plant reaches 8 inches tall with lacy blue-green foliage. Loose clusters of tubular yellow flowers bloom above in spring and early summer.
Yellow corydalis thrives in zone 5-9 in the dappled sunlight and moist soil of woodland gardens. Self-seeding keeps lovely drifts coming back each year. Great for naturalizing!
7. Creeping Phlox (Phlox subulata)
For stunning spring carpets of color, creeping phlox is a classic choice. This popular evergreen perennial forms a dense mat just 6 inches tall. Varieties with yellow flowers include ‘Yellow Delight‘ and ‘Golden Spring.‘
Creeping phlox blooms in mid to late spring with a long flowering period. It needs full sun and well-drained soil to thrive. Cold hardy and drought tolerant, it grows well across a wide region (zones 3-9).
8. Golden Ragwort (Packera aurea)
Here‘s a native woodland perennial that every shade garden needs! Golden ragwort forms clumps of foliage less than 1 foot tall from which golden daisy-like blooms rise on single stems in early spring.
Golden ragwort thrives in zones 3-8 with partial to full shade and moist, rich soil. Bonus – its lush foliage stays evergreen in winter! Perfect for naturalizing and groundcover.
9. Yellow Goat‘s Beard (Aruncus aethusifolius)
Looking for something similar to Astilbe but more compact? Yellow goat‘s beard is a dwarf variety that reaches just 10 inches tall. In late spring, it blooms with feathery plumes of tiny yellow flowers.
Yellow goat‘s beard does best in zones 4-9 with partial shade and evenly moist soil. Makes a gorgeous flowering groundcover! Cut back foliage after blooming to encourage density.
10. Golden Meadow Rue (Thalictrum flavum subsp. glaucum)
Here‘s an exceptionally airy, delicate perennial! Golden meadow rue has finely divided blue-green foliage and airy sprays of soft yellow flowers held high above the foliage in summer. It grows 12-18 inches tall.
This meadow rue variety thrives in zones 4-8 in moist, well-drained soil and partial sun. It adds beautiful texture and movement to gardens and blends beautifully with grasses and other perennials.
11. Yellow Woodland Poppy (Stylophorum diphyllum)
If you want to welcome bright beauty to a shady corner, add the yellow woodland poppy! This perennial reaches 18 inches tall and produces golden cup-shaped blooms with yellow centers from late spring into summer.
The poppy does best in zones 4-9 in partial to full shade and moist, rich soil that retains some moisture. Be sure to give it room to spread – it happily self-sows!
Growing Tips for Low Yellow Perennials
To keep your low growing yellow perennials looking their best, follow these key care tips:
-
Sun: Most varieties thrive in full sun to part shade. Avoid hot reflected sunlight. Morning sun with afternoon shade is ideal.
-
Water: Check specific needs, but most require average watering. Soil should not completely dry out. Established plants are quite drought tolerant.
-
Soil: Well-drained, average soils amended with compost or organic matter is suitable for most.
-
Fertilizer: Applying a balanced fertilizer or compost in early spring will support good growth. Avoid high nitrogen blends.
-
Pruning: Deadheading spent blooms regularly encourages reblooming. Cutting plants back after main bloom extends foliage growth.
-
Division: Dividing overcrowded clumps every 3-5 years in fall or spring will help rejuvenate growth.
-
Pests & diseases: Low growing perennials are not prone to many issues. Watch for slug/snail damage. Improve air circulation and water in AM to prevent mildew.
Avoiding Problems with Low Yellow Perennials
While generally hardy and trouble-free, here are some potential issues to keep an eye out for:
-
Poor flowering: Ensure the plant gets adequate sunlight. Fertilize regularly. Deadhead to prolong bloom. Divide overcrowded plants.
-
Leggy growth: This indicates insufficient sunlight. Prune back leggy stems and relocate or provide supplemental lighting if possible.
-
Yellowing leaves: This can indicate overwatering. Allow soil to partially dry out between waterings. Improve drainage if soil stays soggy.
-
Invasive self-seeding: Some perennials like Yellow Corydalis spread rapidly by seed. Control unwanted seedlings by removing spent flowers before they go to seed.
-
Slugs & snails: These pests love munching on young foliage and flowers. Pick them off by hand or use organic baits to protect plants.
-
Powdery mildew: Avoid wetting foliage when watering and improve air circulation to prevent this fungal disease. It appears as white powdery coating on leaves.
Best Uses for Low Yellow Perennials
Let‘s explore some of the best ways to showcase low growing yellow perennials in your landscape:
-
Edging – Use along walkways, borders, and driveways for vivid definition. Alpine alyssum and creeping phlox are perfect edging plants.
-
Rock Gardens – Yellow stonecrop, creeping zinnia, and other dwarfs thrive cascading over rocks and crevices.
-
Containers – For nonstop color in pots and window boxes, try combines like creeping Jenny, sedums, and Sanvitalia.
-
Borders & Beds – Low growers like coreopsis, black-eyed Susans, and goldenrod make excellent front of border plants.
-
Groundcovers – Yellow creeping Jenny, moneywort, and perennial alyssum spread nicely to form dense, weed-suppressing carpets.
-
Pollinator Gardens – Many daisy-like perennials attract bees, butterflies, and other beneficial pollinators.
-
Dry Gardens – Drought tolerant varieties like Sedums, creeping zinnia, and yarrow help gardens thrive with less watering.
With their versatility and lasting power, it‘s easy to find the perfect spot for low growing yellow perennials in your landscape!
Time to Add Low Growing Yellow Perennials to Your Garden
As you can see, low growing yellow perennials offer so many benefits in the garden! I hope I‘ve provided you with plenty of inspiration and key growing tips to help you select, plant, and care for these compact, colorful plants.
When chosen and cared for properly, low growing yellow perennials will reward you for years to come with their cheerful flowers and easygoing nature. It‘s time to add a burst of sunshine to your garden!
As your resident home and garden expert, please feel free to reach out if you need any advice bringing more vibrant color to your beds, borders, and containers. I‘m always happy to help fellow gardening friends get the most out of these rewarding plants.
Here‘s to a beautiful garden filled with joyful yellow blooms this year!
