Digging for Gold

Yellow is a wonderful colour in the garden but perhaps we get a bit too much of it in spring with ‘a host of golden daffodils’ and a sea of blooming forsythia. By summer the whites and vibrant reds and blues have wiped out that golden image.

Splashes of cooling primrose, butter, gold or corn yellow make a welcome change in July and August, lighting up dark corners and calming the riot of gaudy hues. Foliage is more dramatic than flower and will last all summer or, in the case of evergreens, the four seasons.
There is no need to settle for plants with variegated leaves. There are plenty of sunny plants to choose from. Top of my list is Physocarpus opulifolius ‘ Dart’s Gold’. The three lobed leaves are a bright yellow, holding their colour even in full sun. Its white flowers appear in June. It is happy growing in most soil types. Weigela ‘Looymansii Aurea’ prefers to be planted in light shade.Its butter yellow leaves tend to scorch in full sun. The pink flowers cover the plant in late spring and early summer, contrasting well with the foliage.

Cornus alba ‘Aurea’ is similar in leaf but will tolerate wet soil conditions. The young stems are deep red and if pruned to within 9 inches of the ground each spring they will provide a good show in winter before the leaf appears.

The Elderberries offer a range of easy to grow, golden leafed deciduous shrubs. Sambucus nigra ‘Aurea’ and S.canadensis ‘Aurea’are fast growing to 10 ft high with bold yellow foliage. Sanbucus racemosa ‘Plumosa Aurea’ is a beautiful plant, slow growing with deeply cut, bright golden leaves and yellow flowers.

There are several golden spiraeas, S. ‘Gold Flame’ and S. ‘Golden Dome’ are both low growing with good colour and insignificent flowers. There is even a climber to brighten up the trellis or add a glow to a red brick wall. Humulus lupulus ‘Aureus’, the golden hop, is a rampant, deciduous, scrambler with soft yellow leaves. When it comes to golden evergreen plants there is a conifer to fill every possible gap. There are cedars, pines,junipers, yews and thujas, not forgetting the ubiquitous ‘Castlewellan Gold’ and ‘ Robinson’s Gold’. There are dozens of golden foliage forms of Chamaecyparis lawsoniana, including C.l. ‘Minima Aurea’, a dwarf conifer and C.l. ‘Stewartii’ which grows to 60 ft.

Thinking of big plants I must mention some great yellow leafed trees. If you have space, Catalpa bignonioides ‘Aurea’ makes a majestic specimen with enormous soft, yellow leaves and candles of chestnut like flowers.

Gleditisa triacanthos ‘Sunburst’ and Robinia pseudoacasia ‘Frisia’ prefer sheltered conditions where their brilliant yellow leaves stand out from all around them. Why not start another gold rush?

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