Those of us gardening in the Pacific Northwest are used to winters that include more than our fair share of gray and stormy days.
But take heart, I have an antidote for dingy winter days that we can all use: plants with evergreen foliage in yellow and gold tones. Plants with leaves in light-reflecting colors will bounce light into the dark corners of your landscape.
Evergreen plants with colorful foliage are an excellent way to add winter interest and steady structure. There are lots of evergreen shrubs in shades of blue, silver and gold—and most all of them do a good job of bringing light into the garden. But there's nothing like a burst of cheery, yellow foliage. It's a sure way to brighten your garden, lift your spirits, and bring radiance and warmth to a cold day. In this post, I'll single out some of my favorite shrubs, conifers, and other evergreen plants with gold foliage.
YELLOW FOLIAGE IS LIKE A RAY OF SUNSHINE
Here are some tips for using evergreen plants with yellow foliage in your garden:
- Check its sun tolerance — Some plants with yellow foliage will burn in sun, while other plants lose their golden color in too much shade. So pay close attention and make sure to give these plants their preferred exposure. Typically, even the sun-lovers prefer some protection from the hottest part of the afternoon blast.
- Jazz it up or cool it down — When paired with red or burgundy, yellow foliage makes for a zippy scene. If you desire a more subdued vignette, combine yellow evergreen shrubs with plants with blue, silver, or green leaves.
- Easy does it — Yellow can be an insistent color in the landscape. It's easy to end up with too much of a good thing. But how much is too much? Well, you get to decide about that. You might want to start by using it as an accent plant vs. planting big, sweeping blocks of gold. Start small, see how you like it, and then adjust from there.
Below, you'll find some of my top picks for yellow evergreen plants that'll add a touch of glitter to your winter landscape. And because these shrubs are all evergreen, they'll be on duty during the darkest days of winter, when you'll appreciate a colorful pick-me-up.
These are just a few to get you started—search the eGardenGo database for even more ideas. And of course, when you spot one that catches your eye, click through for plant combination ideas to help you figure out how to bring light into your winter garden.
advertisement
YELLOW EVERGREEN SHRUBS
Abelia x grandiflora 'Kaleidoscope'
Kaleidoscope Abelia
Type:
Shrub
Exposure:
Filtered Sun, Full Sun, Morning Sun, Part Shade, Part Sun
Zone:
6, 7, 8, 9
Abies nordmanniana 'Golden Spreader'
Golden Spreading Nordman Fir
Type:
Conifer, Shrub
Exposure:
Full Sun, Part Shade, Morning Sun, Filtered Sun, Open Shade, Open Shade
Zone:
4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9
Acanthus mollis 'Hollard's Gold'
Hollard's Gold Bear's Breeches
Type:
Perennial
Exposure:
Full Shade, Morning Sun, Filtered Sun, Open Shade, Open Shade
Zone:
7, 8, 9, 10
Acorus gramineus 'Minimus Aureus'
Dwarf Golden Japanese Sweet Flag
Type:
Grass / Grass-Like, Groundcover
Exposure:
Morning Sun, Filtered Sun, Open Shade
Zone:
5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10
Acorus gramineus 'Ogon'
Golden Variegated Sweetflag
Type:
Grass / Grass-Like, Groundcover
Exposure:
Afternoon Sun, Morning Sun, Filtered Sun, Open Shade, Open Shade
Zone:
6, 7, 8, 9, 10
Carex oshimensis 'Everillo'
Evercolor™ Everillo Sedge
Type:
Grass / Grass-Like, Groundcover, Perennial
Exposure:
Filtered Sun, Full Sun, Morning Sun, Open Shade, Part Sun
Zone:
5, 6, 7, 8, 9
Chamaecyparis lawsoniana 'Treasure Island'
Dwarf Port Orford Cedar
Type:
Conifer, Shrub
Exposure:
Full Sun, Part Sun, Part Shade, Morning Sun, Filtered Sun
Zone:
5, 6, 7, 8
Chamaecyparis pisifera 'Vintage Gold'
Vintage Gold Threadleaf False Cypress
Type:
Conifer, Shrub
Exposure:
Full Sun, Part Sun, Part Shade, Morning Sun, Filtered Sun, Open Shade, Open Shade
Zone:
5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10
Choisya ternata 'Sundance'
Sundance Mexican Orange
Type:
Shrub
Exposure:
Full Sun, Part Sun, Part Shade, Afternoon Sun, Morning Sun, Filtered Sun, Open Shade, Open Shade
Zone:
7, 8, 9, 10
Choisya x 'Gold Fingers'
Gold Fingers Mexican Orange
Choisya x dewitteana 'Limo'
CHOISYA ARIZONICA X TERNATA 'LIMO'
Type:
Shrub
Exposure:
Afternoon Sun, Filtered Sun, Full Sun, Morning Sun, Open Shade, Part Shade, Part Sun
Zone:
10, 8, 9
Cryptomeria japonica 'Sekkan Sugi'
Golden Japanese Cedar
Type:
Conifer, Shrub, Tree
Exposure:
Morning Sun, Filtered Sun, Open Shade
Zone:
6, 7, 8, 9
Cupressus macrocarpa 'Wilma Goldcrest'
Wilma Goldcrest Cypress
Type:
Conifer, Shrub
Exposure:
Full Sun, Part Sun, Part Shade, Full Shade
Zone:
7, 8, 9, 10
Cupressus sempervirens 'Swane's Golden'
Swane's Golden Italian Cypress
Type:
Shrub
Exposure:
Full Sun, Full Sun, Afternoon Sun, Reflected Heat
Zone:
7, 8, 9
Fatsia japonica 'Variegata' Camouflage
Camouflage™ Variegated Japanese Aralia, Japanese Fatsia
Type:
Shrub
Exposure:
Part Shade, Full Shade, Morning Sun, Filtered Sun, Open Shade, Open Shade
Zone:
7, 8, 9, 10
Juniperus chinensis 'Daub's Frosted'
Daub's Frosted Juniper
Type:
Shrub
Exposure:
Afternoon Sun, Filtered Sun, Full Sun, Morning Sun, Open Shade, Part Sun, Reflected Heat
Zone:
4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9
Lonicera nitida 'Briloni'
Edmee Gold™ boxleaf honeysuckle
Type:
Shrub
Exposure:
Filtered Sun, Morning Sun, Open Shade, Part Shade
Zone:
5, 6, 7, 8, 9
Lonicera nitida 'Twiggy'
Twiggy Box Honeysuckle
Type:
Shrub
Exposure:
Filtered Sun, Morning Sun, Open Shade, Part Shade, Part Sun
Zone:
7, 8, 9
Tsuga canadensis 'MonKinn'
Golden Duchess® Eastern Hemlock
Type:
Conifer, Shrub
Exposure:
Part Shade, Morning Sun, Filtered Sun, Open Shade, Open Shade
Zone:
4, 5, 6, 7
Yucca filamentosa 'Bright Edge'
Bright Edge Variegated Yucca
Type:
Shrub, Succulent
Exposure:
Full Sun, Full Sun, Afternoon Sun, Reflected Heat
Zone:
5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10
Yucca filamentosa 'Color Guard'
Color Guard Adam's Needle
Type:
Shrub, Perennial
Exposure:
Full Sun, Full Sun, Afternoon Sun, Reflected Heat
Zone:
4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10
Yucca filamentosa 'Golden Sword'
Golden Sword Variegated Yucca
Type:
Shrub
Exposure:
Full Sun, Full Shade, Afternoon Sun, Reflected Heat
Zone:
5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10
advertisement
