11 Stunning Yellow Foliage Plants to Brighten Your Garden

If green is soothing, silver is elegant, and orange is fiery—yellow is pure sunshine! Whether you’re looking to light up a shady corner, create dazzling contrast, or add year-round vibrance, yellow foliage plants bring cheerful energy to any garden. Their golden hues range from soft buttery tones to intense chartreuse, making them versatile for both subtle elegance and bold statements.

Let’s explore the most stunning yellow foliage plants that will make your garden glow!

Japanese Maple ‘Aureum’ (Acer shirasawanum ‘Aureum’)

The golden-leaved Japanese Maple, Aureum, is an absolute showstopper. In spring, its bright yellow foliage emerges with hints of red on the edges, transitioning to warm golden hues in summer before deepening to rich orange-red in fall. This slow-growing beauty thrives in partial shade, offering brilliance without fading under strong sunlight.

Heuchera ‘Lime Marmalade’ (Heuchera ‘Lime Marmalade’)

If you’re after chartreuse magic, Lime Marmalade is unmissable. This coral bells variety boasts ruffled, neon-yellow foliage that stays vivid throughout the seasons. It’s perfect for shade gardens, adding light where darker plants dominate. Plus, its low-maintenance nature makes it ideal for container gardens and borders.

Spirea ‘Goldflame’ (Spiraea japonica ‘Goldflame’)

This compact, easy-care shrub produces golden-yellow foliage in spring before shifting to coppery-orange in fall. It also offers bursts of pink blooms, making it one of the most colorful shrubs year-round. Whether in borders or containers, Goldflame lives up to its fiery name!

Golden Japanese Forest Grass (Hakonechloa macra ‘Aureola’)

Few grasses rival the flowing golden beauty of Golden Japanese Forest Grass. With soft, cascading yellow-green blades, it creates movement and texture in gardens. This shade-tolerant ornamental grass thrives in woodland landscapes, gently swaying with the breeze.

Sunshine Ligustrum (Ligustrum sinense ‘Sunshine’)

Need golden hedges? Sunshine Ligustrum is an evergreen wonder with bright golden-yellow foliage that stays bold and bushy year-round. Perfect for low-maintenance hedges, it requires no flowers to shine—just its pure golden brilliance.

Aurea Barberry (Berberis thunbergii ‘Aurea’)

Barberries are famous for rich hues, but Aurea delivers eye-catching yellow foliage that brightens any landscape. Its small, golden leaves create glowing contrast, especially when planted alongside darker greens or purple-leaved plants.

Golden Feverfew (Tanacetum parthenium ‘Aureum’)

This herbal treasure produces yellow-green foliage topped with delicate white daisy-like flowers. Besides its beautiful appearance, it’s also a medicinal plant, historically used for headaches and herbal remedies. It self-seeds easily, adding effortless brightness to gardens.

Creeping Jenny ‘Golden’ (Lysimachia nummularia ‘Aurea’)

For a flowing, golden ground cover, Golden Creeping Jenny is unstoppable. Its small, round yellow leaves spread quickly, cascading over walls, pots, or garden edges. Its chartreuse foliage glows in moist soils and thrives in partial shade.

Gold Hostas

Hostas aren’t always green! Golden Hostas offer striking yellow foliage, bringing life to shady spaces. ‘Gold Standard’ has a soft buttery tone, while ‘Fire Island’ features bold golden leaves with red stems, adding warmth and contrast.

Golden-leaved Sedum

For low-maintenance yellow ground covers, Angelina and Lemon Ball sedums are standouts. Their golden foliage intensifies in full sun, creating year-round brightness in rock gardens, edging, or container arrangements.

Golden Mop Cypress (Chamaecyparis pisifera ‘Golden Mop’)

This evergreen shrub features thread-like golden foliage that forms a soft, cascading mound. It thrives in full sun, bringing year-round brightness to rock gardens and borders.

Golden Euonymus (Euonymus japonicus ‘Aureo-marginatus’)

A bold, upright-growing shrub with green leaves edged in bright yellow, this low-maintenance beauty adds contrast to hedges and foundation plantings.

Gold Dust Croton (Codiaeum variegatum ‘Gold Dust’)

This tropical stunner boasts deep green leaves speckled with golden-yellow spots, creating a vibrant, exotic look. It thrives in warm, humid conditions and makes a striking indoor plant.

Golden Sedum (Sedum nussbaumerianum ‘Coppertone’)

This low-growing succulent boasts golden-yellow foliage that intensifies in bright sunlight, creating a warm, sun-kissed effect in rock gardens and containers.

Tokyo Sun Sedum (Sedum japonicum ‘Tokyo Sun’)

A tiny, ground-cover succulent with bright yellow foliage, this variety spreads quickly and thrives in full sun, making it perfect for adding golden accents to succulent arrangements.

Golden Haworthia (Haworthia cymbiformis ‘Gold’)

This compact succulent features light green leaves kissed with golden tones, adding a subtle glow to indoor collections.

Yellow Variegated Snake Plant (Sansevieria trifasciata ‘Gold Hahnii’)

A compact snake plant variety, Gold Hahnii features short, upright leaves edged in golden-yellow, making it a striking addition to desks or shelves. Like all Sansevierias, it’s extremely hardy and thrives on neglect.