12 Types Of Yellow Wildflowers Found In The United States

Chances are that if you’ve been traveling around the US recently, you’ll have noticed that it’s home to some of the most beautiful wildflowers in the entire world.

12 Types Of Yellow Wildflowers Found In The United States

These grow ubiquitously in the region, and span across a whole host of different colors and varieties. In our article today, we’re going to be taking a look at one of the most popular colors in terms of wildflowers, and that is yellow. 

With so many different yellow wildflowers out there, it can be incredibly difficult to differentiate them from one another. But don’t worry, because that’s where we come in.

Below, we’ve compiled this handy guide that takes a look at some of the most common yellow wildflowers in the whole of the US for your convenience. 

You can refer back  to this guide whenever you need to, as we’ve compiled some images to accompany the species discussed. You’ll also find some interesting information beneath each of the different flowers, including when they tend to bloom. 

To find out more, simply keep reading below, as we take a closer look. 

1. Coreopsis

These wildflowers are incredibly happy growing underneath moist soil, where they tend to thrive. They can be found all over the US, and are incredibly tolerant in terms of drought.

This makes them incredibly low maintenance, and if you’re new to gardening, you might even consider planting some of these wildflowers in your own space. 

They’re incredibly vibrant, and come in a bright yellow color that makes up the whole of the petals, and the center of the flower itself.

They tend to grow quite tall, so we’d recommend that if you were considering planting these in your own garden, that you place them alongside some marigolds, which are similar in terms of height. 

They don’t need to be replanted the following year, and the seeds are incredibly hardy. This means that once you plant them once, you’ll have beautiful Coreopsis growing in your flower beds each year. 

2. Yellow Wood Sorrel 

If you’ve come across a Yellow Wood Sorrel before, then you’ll likely have been besotted with these delicate little petals. They form in small flowers that are grouped together on large stems.

Despite the appearance of these flowers that look very much like unassuming clovers, they can actually be quite aggressive. 

When placed with other plants in your garden, they do tend to take over somewhat. You’ll find it growing ubiquitously in open fields and meadows, where it has plenty of space to stretch out.

It’s great for bees and various creatures, but nevertheless, if you find this growing next to your property, we’d recommend removing it. 

This is because it’s not only a pest in terms of other flowers and plants in your garden, but it’s actually poisonous. Dogs and cats have been known to ingest this plant, and it can prove to be fatal for them.

It’s also toxic to human beings too, so if you have young children, make sure to keep an eye on them whilst approaching this wildflower. 

3. Birds Foot Trefoil 

You may have noticed the Birds Foot Trefoil before, but thought that you were in fact, looking at another planet entirely. That’s because it can sometimes present itself as being either red or orange too.

If you’ve witnessed these little yellow flowers, you’ll notice some red veins if you take a close enough look. 

They like growing on roadsides, in rivers, and in parks, and can survive a whole host of different weather conditions. Because their stems are so strong, they can be harmful to other plants and flowers in the region, and tend to suffocate them.

That’s why if you find them growing in a patch within your garden, you remove them right away, as they can be a massive pest if left unattended. 

4. St. John’s Wort 

We can guarantee that most of you reading this list will have already heard of St. John’s Wort, as it’s highly regarded for its medicinal properties.

But, we bet that many of you didn’t actually know what this plant looked like in its raw form. It’s a very bright yellow flower, and has lots of flat top clusters bursting out from the center. 

It’s known for being particularly great for bees, because it’s loaded with pollen. Despite this, it’s actually considered to be a toxic plant. This means that if ingested, it can be fatal to livestock, and human beings too. 

If ingested in its purest form, it can cause nausea, diarrhea, and vomiting. When it’s harvested in order to make supplements however, it can be incredibly beneficial in terms of its medicinal properties.

Many people will take St. John’s wort is a form of medication for mental health conditions such as anxiety and depression, which is renowned for being great at treating. 

5. Yellow Trout Lily

As you may have already guessed from the name of this wildflower, this species enjoys growing in wet weather conditions. It likes being in the damp woodland, where it can soak up enough moisture to thrive. 

The Yellow Trout Lily is known as being one of the most beneficial wildflowers for wildlife in the whole of the United States. It helps ants to distribute seeds, and it provides an excellent source of pollen for bees, blowflies, and butterflies. 

You’ll most commonly find these growing beneath the shade of larger trees. 

6. Gumweed 

Gumweed is a flower that blooms anywhere from spring to summer, and likes full sun exposure in order to thrive. It has vibrant yellow petals, and a deeper yellow colored center.

It grows in dry areas such as prairies, where these flowers can be found in abundance. 

In terms of wildlife, these flowers are known for being particularly good in terms of pollen and as a food source, but most creatures stay away because it has a particularly bitter taste. It’s an incredibly abundant flower all across the United States. 

7. Yellow Marsh Marigold 

If you haven’t already guessed, this delicate little flower tends to grow in marshes, and areas that have plenty of damp surrounding them.

It’s also known as a ‘water buttercup’, because of its similarities to the traditional buttercup which grows in meadows. 

You’ll find them primarily in Washington, so be sure to look out for these if you’re planning on taking a woodland walk. An interesting fact about the Yellow Marsh Marigold is that they are one of the first flowers of the season to bloom.

This means that they’re responsible for taking care of the surrounding wildlife until other wildflowers and plants begin to make an appearance. 

A great thing about the Yellow Marsh Marigold is that it’s completely disease resistant, so if you’re thinking of planting these in your own garden, they’re incredibly easy to take care of, and just like lots of water. 

8. Dandelion 

Most of you reading this list will have already come across a dandelion plant before. They’re well known for their medicinal properties, with many people making dandelion tea from this flower.

They’re bright yellow in color, and have a cluster of yellow petals sprouting out from the center. They can be found in rivers, shores, lakes, and basically anywhere that’s suitably wet enough for them to grow.

These flowers also have an interesting life cycle, as once they’ve flowered, and they’re ready to decay, they transform into white tufts, which blow the seeds all over the ground, and are responsible for growing more in the future. 

An interesting fact about the dandelion flower is that the entire plant can be eaten, not just the head of the flower. You can eat the stem, and the leaves too.

They’re well known for their delicious yet unusual taste, which many have described as sweet but bitter. They’re often used within baking, and a lot of people actually make wine from dandelion plants too. 

9. Prairie Coneflower 

This flower is distinctive in appearance because of the way in which the petals grow. They have a dark brown center, and as the petals are formed, they droop downwards.

This is an incredibly tall flower, so if you’re thinking of planting it in your own garden, make sure that you can accommodate the height, as they grow up to 4 feet tall, this is why we’d recommend planting them alongside marigolds, which grow to a similar height. 

They’re also great for supporting wildlife, and attract a number of different species, including an array of bees, and hummingbirds. So, if you want to plant a flower that’s helpful for the environment, we’d recommend planting some of these seeds. 

10. Sneezeweed 

This unusually named flower is very much like a daisy in terms of appearance. You’ll find the Sneezeweed in incredibly damp locations all across the US.

They’re incredibly pretty to look at, and many people will choose to plant these wildflowers in their own gardens. 

But where does its unusual name come from? Is it because the flower is likely to make you sneeze if you get too close? No, it’s simply because of its archaic use, where people would grind the flower petals down in order to make a substance called snuff. 

The most interesting thing about this process is that people would then sniff the snuff if they believed that they were being possessed by a poltergeist or harmful spirit. It was believed that smelling dried Sneezeweed could rid your body of ghosts. 

11. Yellow Lady’s Slipper

If you’re wondering why this flower is called a Yellow Lady’s Slipper, all you need to do is take a look at its appearance. It’s been named this because of its delicate shoe-like appearance. 

You can find these growing in rivers, lakes, and on shores, and they love weather conditions which are damp, in order to provide them with sustenance.

It’s found ubiquitously in Washington, and if you’ve approached this flower before, you’ll probably have noticed that it attracts a whole lot of insects. 

It’s a part of the orchid family, and in fact, is one of the first orchids of the seasons to bloom. You can plant this one in your own garden, and make sure that it has plenty of water in order to thrive. 

12. Wild Parsnip 

If the mere name of this flower prompts you to think of one of your very favorite roasted vegetables, don’t worry, you’re not alone.

We would however, like to urge caution when it comes to this plant, because unlike its delicious cousin, this one is actually poisonous. 

If you’ve ever had the misfortune of touching this plant before, then chances are that your hands have been covered with blisters afterward. These can be incredibly painful, and take a while to dissipate.

Depending on how much contact your skin made with the Wild Parsnip flower, it can sometimes even trigger burn marks on your skin. 

This flower is also very harmful toward surrounding wildlife, including cattle and woodland animals. Make sure to practice caution when you witness these little yellow clusters. 

Final Thoughts 

To sum up, there are a whole host of different species of yellow wildflowers spanning across the US. With so many different varieties out there, however, it can be difficult to identify them.

We hope that this handy guide will aid you in your journey to identifying the various wildflowers across the US. 

Diane Peirce
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