The sunny faces of yellow roses can brighten and warm any corner of a garden. Yellow roses signify joy, gladness and friendship, and have traditionally been given to new mothers, newlyweds and graduates to celebrate new beginnings. Here are five favorites to try in your own garden.
The New York Botanical Garden
1. Best climber. 'Climbing Gold Badge' is a great little climber, growing up to 8 feet tall, making it an ideal addition to a small trellis. Although it has no fragrance, it's a showy double bloomer that starts flowering in late spring and then repeat blooms throughout the season. It grows well in gardens in USDA zones 6 to 9. Find your zone
Other yellow climbers include 'Piñata','Scent from Above' and 'Golden Showers'.
The New York Botanical Garden
2. Best scent. 'Charlotte' is a smaller English rose, growing only to 3 feet tall, so it's perfect for the front or middle of a perennial border or for planting in containers. It's a repeat bloomer with a strong tea rose fragrance, a wonderful addition to gardens in zones 5 to 10.
The New York Botanical Garden
Other nicely scented yellow roses include 'Golden Celebration', 'Julia Child','The Pilgrim' and 'Teasing Georgia'.
Shown: 'Julia Child'
The New York Botanical Garden
3. Easy-care favorite. 'Carefree Sunshine' offers lemon-yellow blooms from June until the fall and grows only to about 3 to 4 feet tall in zones 4 to 7. It boasts great disease resistance, heat tolerance and cold tolerance, making it a low-maintenance option for an ornamental garden. It even has a moderate fragrance and attracts butterflies.
More low-maintenance yellow roses include 'Yellow Submarine','Grandma's Yellow' and 'Sunny Knock Out'.
The New York Botanical Garden
4. Best cut flower. 'Midas Touch' is another one of those roses that shine in many categories — it's easy to grow, is heat tolerant and fragrant, and offers intensely yellow flowers from early summer to midfall in zones 7 to 10. It grows to about 3 1/2 feet tall, and the long stems make it perfect for cutting and displaying indoors.
Other good cut roses are 'Carefree Sunshine','Charlotte' and 'Graham Thomas'.
The New York Botanical Garden
5. Unusual-color favorite: 'Peace' was named to mark the end of World War II, making it a beloved rose for several generations. Its unusual coloring features sunset tones of soft yellow edged with pink, and each bloom can be an astounding 5 to 6 inches across. It grows up to 6 feet tall in zones 4 to 9, and its heavy, strong stems make it a wonderful cut flower.
Other unusual-color yellow roses are 'Jude the Obscure','Chris Evert' and 'Chihuly'.
Urban Oasis
Combining yellow roses in the garden is easy — yellow seems to be one of those colors that play well with other hues. To keep a hot-hued garden going, combine yellow roses with other flowering perennials in shades of red and orange. Bring in some higher contrast by adding purples or blues, or go classic with yellow and white.
The New York Botanical Garden
1. Best climber. 'Climbing Gold Badge' is a great little climber, growing up to 8 feet tall, making it an ideal addition to a small trellis. Although it has no fragrance, it's a showy double bloomer that starts flowering in late spring and then repeat blooms throughout the season. It grows well in gardens in USDA zones 6 to 9. Find your zone
The New York Botanical Garden
2. Best scent. 'Charlotte' is a smaller English rose, growing only to 3 feet tall, so it's perfect for the front or middle of a perennial border or for planting in containers. It's a repeat bloomer with a strong tea rose fragrance, a wonderful addition to gardens in zones 5 to 10.
The New York Botanical Garden
Other nicely scented yellow roses include 'Golden Celebration', 'Julia Child', 'The Pilgrim' and 'Teasing Georgia'.
The New York Botanical Garden
3. Easy-care favorite. 'Carefree Sunshine' offers lemon-yellow blooms from June until the fall and grows only to about 3 to 4 feet tall in zones 4 to 7. It boasts great disease resistance, heat tolerance and cold tolerance, making it a low-maintenance option for an ornamental garden. It even has a moderate fragrance and attracts butterflies.
The New York Botanical Garden
4. Best cut flower. 'Midas Touch' is another one of those roses that shine in many categories — it's easy to grow, is heat tolerant and fragrant, and offers intensely yellow flowers from early summer to midfall in zones 7 to 10. It grows to about 3 1/2 feet tall, and the long stems make it perfect for cutting and displaying indoors.
The New York Botanical Garden
5. Unusual-color favorite: 'Peace' was named to mark the end of World War II, making it a beloved rose for several generations. Its unusual coloring features sunset tones of soft yellow edged with pink, and each bloom can be an astounding 5 to 6 inches across. It grows up to 6 feet tall in zones 4 to 9, and its heavy, strong stems make it a wonderful cut flower.
Urban Oasis
Combining yellow roses in the garden is easy — yellow seems to be one of those colors that play well with other hues. To keep a hot-hued garden going, combine yellow roses with other flowering perennials in shades of red and orange. Bring in some higher contrast by adding purples or blues, or go classic with yellow and white.