Yellow Things: +67 Examples from Nature

This article is prepared to celebrate the beauty, vitality and diversity of yellow in nature. 

Are you ready?

Then let's explore this colorful world!

Flowers

Tulipa fosteriana

Tulipa fosteriana gives its name to the Fosteriana tulip group, which includes red, white and yellow flowers. For a yellow example, check the cultivar rather than assuming every Fosteriana tulip is yellow.

Sunflower

‍Sunflower (Helianthus annuus) is a tall plant with large flower heads. Young sunflower heads track the sun; mature heads generally face east. 

The small florets form spirals across the flower head.

Yellow coneflower

The yellow coneflower (Echinacea paradoxa) has drooping yellow rays around a raised brown center. NC State Extension places its native range in the central United States.

Yellow iris

Yellow iris (Iris pseudacorus) is a plant native to Europe, Western Asia and Northwest Africa with its striking yellow flowers. 

This plant, which is often found in wetlands, is also grown as an ornamental plant thanks to its showy flowers. 

It grows in wet ground and can spread rapidly beyond planted areas.

Marigold

Tagetes, commonly called marigolds, includes yellow, gold, orange and other flower colors. The dense flower heads make yellow cultivars easy to pick out in a garden.

Evening-primroses

Evening-primroses belong to the genus Oenothera. Many open their yellow flowers toward evening, though flowering habits vary across the genus.

Nelumbo lutea

Nelumbo lutea, also known as the American lotus, is an aquatic plant with broad leaves and white to pale yellow flowers. 

Its flowers rise above the surface of ponds and wetlands.

Freesia

Freesia is a very colorful ornamental plant originating from South Africa and famous for its fragrant flowers. 

While these stunning flowers are often used in wedding bouquets, they also appear in hand creams, shampoos and candles thanks to their impressive scent.

Yellow azalea

Yellow azalea (Rhododendron luteum) is a deciduous shrub with fragrant yellow flowers. NC State Extension lists its poisonous characteristics; its flowers are poisonous if eaten.

Chrysanthemum

Chrysanthemum flowers are known for their elegant and attractive appearance. Native to East Asia and Northeast Europe, these plants are famous for their large number of garden varieties and cultivars. Its name from Greek means "golden flower".

Narcissus

Narcissus is a beautiful and cute plant from the Amaryllidaceae family, which is the herald of spring, attracting attention with its colorful and showy flowers. 

White and yellow are familiar flower colors in this genus. 

Solidago

Solidago, commonly known as goldenrod, is a genus of flowering plants with about 100 to 120 species and belongs to the Asteraceae family. 

These plants, which grow in different parts of the world, especially in North America, open eye-catching golden yellow flowers in autumn. Goldenrods are beauties loved by insects and bees, producing abundant nectar, usually in moist soils or in sunny weather. 

Tickseed

Tickseed is the common name of the Coreopsis genus plants known for their colorful and striking flowers. 

These plants, 75-80 species of which are native to the Americas, usually have yellow flowers and create an energetic atmosphere in gardens. 

Plants

Koelreuteria paniculata

Koelreuteria paniculata is an ornamental tree from eastern Asia, with yellow flowers followed by inflated, papery seed capsules.

Laburnum anagyroides

Laburnum anagyroides, also known as Golden rain, is a dazzling ornamental tree with beautiful dangling golden yellow flowers. Originating from Central and Southern Europe, it flowers in spring.

Golden barrel cactus

The golden barrel cactus is an interesting and popular ornamental plant native to Mexico. With its round shape and bright yellow spines, it is frequently found in gardens and collections.

Witch-hazel

Witch-hazel flowers have narrow, ribbon-like petals. Yellow and orange-red forms occur; their flowering season depends on the species.

Forsythia

Forsythia is a type of shrub with bright yellow flowers belonging to the olive family, often flowering before the leaves emerge.

Ribes aureum

Ribes aureum, the golden currant, gets its yellow color from its flowers. The berries can become dark as they ripen.

Yellow Animals

Yellow warbler

Yellow Warblers have yellow plumage, with reddish streaks on the breast of adult males. They breed across much of North America, with many populations moving south for winter.

Atlantic canary

The Atlantic canary is native to Atlantic islands including the Canary Islands. Wild birds have yellow-green and streaked plumage, unlike the uniformly bright yellow of some domestic canaries.

Yellow dung fly

The yellow dung fly is an insect that attracts attention with its bright colors and interesting lifestyle. The larvae develop in dung, while adults prey on other insects.

Banana slug

Banana Slug is a common name for land slugs of the genus Ariolimax. Yellow individuals are familiar on the damp forest floors of western North America, though their color varies.

Yellow mongoose

The yellow mongoose lives in southern Africa. Its sandy to reddish-yellow coat blends with dry, open country, and it uses underground burrows. Insects form an important part of its diet.

Yellow-bellied slider

The yellow-bellied slider is a freshwater turtle of the southeastern United States. Yellow markings on its head and underside explain its name; the shell is much darker.

Yellowhammer

Yellowhammer males have a conspicuous yellow head, patterned with darker markings. This Eurasian bunting also has an introduced population in New Zealand. Its winter flocks often feed on the ground.

Yellow perch

Yellow perch is a North American freshwater fish with dark vertical bars on yellowish sides. It is related to the European perch.

Clouded yellow

Clouded yellow butterflies have yellow-orange wings with dark borders. This migratory species reaches parts of Europe from warmer regions. Some females have pale wings, so not every individual has the same yellow-orange appearance.

American goldfinch

The American goldfinch (Spinus tristis) changes noticeably with the season: breeding males have bright yellow bodies, black caps and black wings; their winter plumage is duller. Females are less vivid.

Yellow tang

The yellow tang has a flattened yellow body and a pointed snout used while grazing on algae. It is a Pacific reef fish; Smithsonian’s fish record also notes its introduction to southeastern Florida.

Yellow boxfish

The yellow boxfish is especially recognizable when young: a yellow, box-shaped body covered in dark spots. Adults can look quite different. The Mercedes-Benz bionic car concept took inspiration from its shape.

Yellow-headed blackbird

The yellow-headed Blackbird is a wetland bird. Adult males combine a yellow head and breast with a black body; females are browner and less extensively yellow.

European paper wasp

The European paper wasp (Polistes dominula) has a slender black-and-yellow body and builds open paper combs. The comb hangs from a narrow stalk.

Yellowjacket

Yellowjacket refers to social wasps in Vespula and Dolichovespula. Their compact bodies commonly carry contrasting black and yellow bands.

Colonies contain a queen and workers. In temperate regions, newly mated queens typically survive winter and start new colonies in spring.

Saffron finch

Saffron finch males are yellow with an orange forehead. These South American birds often use cavities for nesting, including old nests built by other birds.

Yellow-footed tortoise

The yellow-footed tortoise is native to South American forests. Yellow to orange scales on its legs and head contrast with its dark shell.

Prothonotary warbler

The Prothonotary warbler belongs to the wood-warbler family. Its golden head and underparts contrast with blue-gray wings.

It nests in cavities near water. Cornell’s species account connects its name with the yellow clothing of papal clerks.

Yellow anaconda

The yellow anaconda is a boa of southern South America. Dark blotches break up its yellowish body, and it lives around wetlands and slow-moving water. It is smaller than the green anaconda.

Yellow-banded poison dart frog

The yellow-banded poison dart frog has yellow bands and patches on a black body. Its range includes northern South America. Skin toxins in wild poison frogs are associated with their diet. Smithsonian research explains the diet–toxin relationship.

Golden trout

The golden trout is a native fish of California. The gold color is covered with red bands and black spots on the sides. They become about 30 cm long and live in cold mountain lakes. 

Their populations are threatened by alien species and overfishing. Since 1947, the golden trout has been California's state fish.

Golden poison frog

The golden poison frog (Phyllobates terribilis) is native to Colombia. Yellow is one of its color forms; others are orange or pale green. Its skin poison serves as a defense, so poisonous, rather than venomous, describes it.

Yellow Foods

Lemon

Lemon has a yellow rind when ripe and acidic juice used in cooking and drinks. The peel provides a second color reference: pale yellow pith beneath the brighter outer skin.

Golden Delicious

Golden Delicious is an apple cultivar with a yellow-green skin that becomes more golden as it ripens. Its sweet flesh is used fresh and in cooking.

Canary melon

Canary melon has a bright yellow rind and pale flesh. The skin can feel waxy when ripe.

Yellow kiwi

Yellow kiwi, or golden kiwifruit, refers to yellow-fleshed cultivars of Actinidia chinensis. The golden flesh is inside a brown skin.

Yellow dragon fruit

Yellow Dragon Fruit is a cactus species famous for its large flowers. This plant, which grows in northern South America, is grown commercially for its yellow fruit. Its fruits are thorny, unlike other pitahaya species. 

Pineapple

The pineapple is native to South America and develops as a multiple fruit: many flowers contribute to the single structure.

Banana

Banana is the fruit of large herbaceous plants in the genus Musa. Botanically, the fruit is a berry. Yellow is a familiar ripe peel color, but varieties also have green, red or other colored skins.

Papaya

Papaya is a fruit tree cultivated in southern Mexico and Central America. Its fruit is large, sweet and orange in color. The black seeds inside make this fruit even more interesting. 

Pear

Cultivated all over the world, the pear is a fruit harvested at the end of summer. The pear tree is medium sized and grows in coastal and temperate regions of Europe, North Africa and Asia. 

Passiflora edulis

Passiflora edulis produces passion fruit, with purple- and yellow-fruited forms. The seeds sit in juicy pulp inside the rind.

Carambola

Carambola, or star fruit, is named for its star-shaped cross section. Its waxy skin shifts from green toward yellow as it ripens. The National Kidney Foundation advises people with kidney disease to avoid it.

Cape gooseberry 

Cape gooseberry is a small fruit with a bright yellow to orange color and a sweet, tart flavor. It's native to Chile and Peru, and has been cultivated since the Inca Empire. 

The fruit is enclosed in an inflated, papery calyx, which gives it a unique appearance. 

Despite its name, it's not related to true gooseberries. It's now cultivated and grows wild in temperate and tropical regions around the world.

Pepino

Pepino is a plant species native to South America. Its fruit, which has a very delicate structure, is similar in taste to a mixture of melon and cucumber. 

It was used as a decorative motif on ancient pottery in the Moche valley. Pepino, which has become a popular fruit in Japan, Europe and North America, is also a suitable plant for greenhouse production.

Golden zucchini

Golden zucchini has a yellow skin, while its shape resembles familiar green zucchini. It is a summer squash harvested while the rind and seeds are still tender.

Summer squash

Summer squash is harvested before the rind hardens. Yellow crookneck and straightneck types belong here alongside green zucchini, so the category is not exclusively yellow.

Spaghetti squash

Spaghetti squash has flesh that separates into strands after cooking. Yellow-rinded varieties provide the color example here; their firm outer shell distinguishes them from tender summer squash.

Crookneck squash

Crookneck squash gets its name from its curved neck. Its yellow rind may be smooth or bumpy, depending on the variety. It is usually harvested young as a summer squash.

Apricot

Apricot skin ranges from pale yellow to orange, sometimes with a red blush. A single hard stone sits inside the flesh.

Fungi

These are color examples, not foraging instructions. Positive identification is essential before any wild mushroom is considered for food.

Morchella esculenta

Morchella esculenta is a morel with a pitted, honeycomb-like cap that can become yellowish or tan.

Chanterelle

Chanterelle is a common name covering several fungi. Yellow or orange forms often have a funnel-like cap and blunt ridges underneath.

Yellow Rocks

Orpiment

Orpiment is an arsenic sulfide mineral and has a deep orange-yellow color. 

Its Latin name comes from the words "aurum" (gold) and "pigmentum" (dye) because it is golden in color and was formerly used by painters. 

Sulfur

Sulfur is a polyvalent nonmetal element with chemical symbol S and atomic number 16. Sulfur, a vibrant yellow crystalline solid at room temperature, is commonly found in nature as the sulfide and sulfate minerals. 

Sulfur has been known since ancient times due to its use throughout history in India, Greece, China and Egypt. Today, nearly all elemental sulfur is produced as a byproduct of removing sulfur-containing pollutants from natural gas and oil. 

Sulfur is used in the manufacture of fertilizers, pesticides, and fungicides. In addition, organic sulfur compounds found in various organic compounds are important for life.

Sea Creatures

Tubastraea

Tubastraea is a genus of sun corals. Their polyps extend tentacles to catch small animals in the water. Yellow and orange polyps can stand out against the hard skeleton.

Hippocampus kuda

Hippocampus kuda is a seahorse whose color can include yellow, brown or darker tones. Its grasping tail holds onto underwater supports while it feeds on small prey.

Eunicella cavolini

Eunicella cavolini is a yellow, branching Mediterranean coral. The branches stand across the current, helping the polyps catch food, as described by Calanques National Park.

Others

Amber

Amber is fossilized tree resin. GIA classifies it as organic material, not a mineral. Its yellow to orange-brown colors and occasional preserved inclusions make it a different kind of example from the crystals above.

Related Articles: Pink Things, Red Things, Green Things, Purple Things