Adding pond plants with yellow flowers is a great way to bring cheer and vibrancy to your garden landscape. The bright pops of yellow create an inviting environment while also serving practical purposes like oxygenating the water providing shade, or deterring algae growth.
In this article, we’ll highlight 6 of the best yellow flower pond plants to consider:
1. Yellow Floating Heart (Nymphoides peltata)
This aptly named plant has sunny yellow flowers with fringed petals that resemble little floating hearts Each flower is about 1 inch wide The rounded floating leaves are 2-3 inches wide with distinct purplish-red undersides,
Yellow floating heart is hardy in zones 5-11 and spreads rapidly, making it a great surface coverage option for ponds. It can tolerate depths of 1-5 feet. This plant helps shade and cool the water while deterring algae growth.
2. Spatterdock (Nuphar advena)
Also known as yellow pond lily, spatterdock has heart-shaped leaves and globular yellow flowers that bloom from May to September. The leaves float on the surface while the roots anchor in the sediment below.
Spatterdock thrives in full sun and spreads extensively, providing excellent habitat and shade for fish It can tolerate depths of 1-7 feet. These hardy plants are ideal for naturalizing ponds and require minimal care.
3. Yellow Pond Lily (Nuphar lutea)
Closely related to spatterdock, the yellow pond lily also produces floating heart-shaped leaves and cup-shaped yellow blossoms. The flower color ranges from bright lemon yellow to darker amber. Yellow pond lilies bloom from June to August and some varieties are fragrant.
They spread less aggressively than spatterdock and are well-suited to medium-sized ponds in full sun. Yellow pond lilies grow in zones 4-10 and depths of 1-6 feet.
4. Yellow Loosestrife (Lysimachia vulgaris)
This moisture-loving perennial has vibrant yellow flower spikes that bloom from mid to late summer. The long, pointed leaves have a dark green color. Yellow loosestrife grows 2-4 feet tall on sturdy stalks.
It thrives in marshes, pond margins, and boggy areas. Providing part shade is recommended in hot sunny climates. Yellow loosestrife is hardy in zones 3-8 and attracts butterflies and hummingbirds.
5. Golden Club (Orontium aquaticum)
Native to eastern North America, golden club is an unusual aquatic plant that produces a fleshy spike covered in tiny golden yellow flowers in spring. The flowers are nestled between long, slender leaves that emerge directly from the roots in shallow water.
Golden club grows best in part sun with wet mud or peaty soil. It spreads slowly by rhizomes to form colonies and provides early season color. Zones 4-10.
6. Copper Iris (Iris fulva)
Also called red iris or copper lily, this moisture-loving iris produces showy bright copper-red flowers with yellow marks in late spring. The sword-like leaves grow up to 4 feet tall with shorter flower stalks.
Copper iris thrives in wet soil or shallow water up to 6 inches deep. It is native to swamps and ditches in the eastern United States. Providing dappled sunlight is recommended. Zones 5-10.
When choosing yellow pond plants, be sure to select varieties suited to your specific climate and pond depths. Proper placement will help the plants flourish. With their bright floral displays, yellow water plants are sure to infuse your landscape with cheerful, summertime charm.
Nuphar variegata (Yellow Pond-lily)
Plant Info| Also known as: | Bullhead Lily, Variegated Yellow Pond-lily |
|---|---|
| Genus: | Nuphar |
| Family: | Nymphaeaceae (Water-lily) |
| Life cycle: | perennial |
| Origin: | native |
| Habitat: | part shade, sun; mucky soil, ponds, slow moving water |
| Bloom season: | June – August |
| Plant height: | to 7 feet deep water |
| Wetland Indicator Status: | GP: OBL MW: OBL NCNE: OBL |
| MN county distribution (click map to enlarge): | |
| National distribution (click map to enlarge): |
Pick an for a larger view. See the glossary for icon descriptions.
A single flower 1 to 2½ inches across on a stout stalk rising above the water. The flowers are round and have six round, bright yellow petals. The petals may be green near the base on the outside and dark red near the base on the inside. There are many yellow petals in the middle and dozens of stamens with the same shape arranged in a spiral around a yellow central column. At the tip of the column is a yellow to greenish disk that has 7 to 28 rays.
The oval to heart-shaped leaves are 4 to 10 inches long and about 2/3 as wide. They have a rounded tip and a deep cleft at the base. The lobes at the base are round and about half as long as the midrib of the blades. The leaf stalks are flattened on one side, and are narrowly “winged”. In low water, leaves rise above the water and can get wavy around the edges. Leaves are flat and float on the surface.
Fruit is an oval capsule up to about 1½ inches long, strongly ribbed and purplish.
Yellow Pond-lily, known in older references as Nuphar lutea spp. one of the more common aquatic plants in Minnesota. It can be found in most counties, but strangely, there are no herbarium records from places like Sherburne and Rice counties where it should be doing well. It often co-habitates with White Water-lily (Nymphaea odorata). Yellow Pond-lily is readily identifiable by the large, yellow, globe-shaped flowers and large, oval, floating leaves. It is related to the hybrid Nuphar ×rubrodisca, which has flowers that are a little smaller and have a red disk on top of them.
Top 10 Pond Plants
FAQ
What are the yellow flowers around ponds?
Are yellow pond lilies invasive?
What are the yellow flowers in the lakes?
What flowers grow in a pond?
Cardinal Flower – Cardinal Flower produces deep burgundy leaves along with vibrant red flowers. Pickerel Pond Plants – these plants are an ideal choice for pond flowers because of their lavender, pink, white, and blue spiked flowers. Its shiny, green heart-shaped leaves will also add beauty to your pond.
Are aquatic flowers good for a pond?
Aquatic flowers turn water gardens and ponds into vibrant, flowering spaces. Aside from beautifying the area, plants add healthy foliage to the water. From small, dainty flowers to large, eye-catching specimens, there are water-loving plants for every pond size and flower preference.
What do pond plants look like?
These beautiful pond plants are characterized by amazing flowers representing all colors in the light spectrum from red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet (including the collective white), and a number of shades in between. The flowers range from a mere two inches in diameter to some blooms measuring 12″ or more.
Are Iris a good flower for a pond?
Irises may not be the first flower you think of when talking about aquatic flowers, but the water iris is a splendid addition to any pond edge. This type of iris sports the iconic three-petaled flower these plants are known for, along with long, grass-like foliage. They are best grown in shallow water up to 8 inches deep.
What do mosaic flowers look like in a pond?
Mosaic flowers add a unique flair to any pond with their small, diamond-shaped leaves that float on the surface, giving the water a mosaic pattern. When grown in full sun, the leaves turn red, adding to this plant’s unique, artistic look. Small, yellow, four-petaled flowers appear in the summer.
What plants float in a pond?
Lotuses, rushes, and cattails are common marginal plants out there. Meanwhile, floating pond plants float on top of the open water (hence the name ‘floating’). This type of pond plant doesn’t need soil for its roots. Floating pond plants give habitat, shade, and absorb excess nutrients that otherwise can encourage algae overgrowth.