This list covers 31 flowers, from “Yarrow” to “Yellow Star-of-Bethlehem,” each one starting with the letter Y. Most grow as hardy wildflowers, garden perennials, or flowering shrubs, and you’ll find them used for everything from herbal remedies and perfume to pollinator gardens and ornamental landscaping.
Flowers are the reproductive structures of flowering plants, built to attract pollinators and produce seeds through petals, color, and scent. Beyond biology, they carry deep symbolic weight, like the Yellow Jessamine, South Carolina’s official state flower, prized for its sweet fragrance and golden blooms. Across cultures, people have long used flowers to mark emotions, seasons, and milestones.
Below you’ll find the table with Flower, Scientific Name, Growing Region, Color, Meaning, and Description.
Flower: the common name you’d use in everyday conversation or when shopping at a nursery or garden center.
Scientific Name: the Latin name that identifies the plant precisely, useful if you want to search for detailed botanical information.
Growing Region: the parts of the world where this flower grows naturally, helping you know if it suits your climate.
Color: the typical petal color you’ll see, so you can picture the flower or plan a garden around it.
Meaning: the symbolic association tied to the flower, handy if you’re choosing blooms for a gift or special occasion.
Description: a short overview of what the flower looks like and any notable traits that make it stand out.
Flowers
| Flower | Scientific Name | Growing Region | Color | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yarrow | Achillea millefolium | Europe, Asia, North America | White | Healing and everlasting love |
| Ylang-Ylang | Cananga odorata | Southeast Asia, Pacific Islands | Yellow | Love and sensuality |
| Yucca Flower | Yucca filamentosa | Southeastern United States | Creamy white | Purity and protection |
| Yellow Iris | Iris pseudacorus | Europe, Western Asia, North Africa | Yellow | Passion and courage |
| Yellow Bells | Tecoma stans | Southwestern US, Mexico, South America | Yellow | Encouragement and warmth |
| Yellow Lady’s Slipper | Cypripedium parviflorum | North America | Yellow | Unpredictable or capricious love |
| Yellow Trillium | Trillium luteum | Appalachian region, eastern United States | Yellow-green | Modesty |
| Yellow Water Lily | Nuphar lutea | Europe, Asia, North Africa | Yellow | Rebirth and purity |
| Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow | Brunfelsia pauciflora | Brazil | Purple fading to white | Change and transition |
| Yellow Archangel | Lamiastrum galeobdolon | Europe | Yellow | Protection |
| Yellow Foxglove | Digitalis grandiflora | Europe, Western Asia | Pale yellow | Caution |
| Yellow Jessamine | Gelsemium sempervirens | Southeastern United States | Yellow | Elegance and sweetness |
| Yellow Gentian | Gentiana lutea | Central and Southern European mountains | Yellow | Strength and resilience |
| Yellow Columbine | Aquilegia chrysantha | Southwestern United States | Yellow | Desire to win |
| Yellow Cosmos | Cosmos sulphureus | Mexico, Central America | Orange-yellow | Joy and harmony |
| Yellow Loosestrife | Lysimachia vulgaris | Europe, Western Asia | Yellow | Peace |
| Yellow Marsh Marigold | Caltha palustris | Northern Hemisphere wetlands | Yellow | Desire for riches |
| Yellow Monkeyflower | Erythranthe guttata | Western North America | Yellow | Playfulness |
| Yellow Skunk Cabbage | Lysichiton americanus | Pacific Northwest, North America | Yellow | Resilience |
| Yellow Toadflax | Linaria vulgaris | Europe, Asia | Yellow | Deception |
| Yellow Violet | Viola pubescens | Eastern North America | Yellow | Modesty |
| Yellow Wood Sorrel | Oxalis stricta | North America | Yellow | Joy |
| Youth-on-Age | Tolmiea menziesii | Pacific Coast, North America | Purple-brown and green | Renewal |
| Yellow Hibiscus | Hibiscus brackenridgei | Hawaii | Yellow | Friendship and hospitality |
| Yellow Camellia | Camellia chrysantha | Southern China, Vietnam | Yellow | Longevity and wealth |
| Yellow Passionflower | Passiflora lutea | Eastern and Central United States | Yellow-green | Faith |
| Yampah | Perideridia gairdneri | Western North America | White | Nourishment |
| Yerba Mansa | Anemopsis californica | Southwestern United States, Mexico | White | Healing |
| Yellow Rattle | Rhinanthus minor | Europe | Yellow | Renewal of meadows |
| Yellow Adonis | Adonis vernalis | Central and Eastern Europe | Yellow | Sorrowful remembrance |
| Yellow Star-of-Bethlehem | Gagea lutea | Europe, Asia | Yellow | New beginnings |
Descriptions
Yarrow
A hardy, feathery-leaved wildflower with flat clusters of tiny blooms, long used in folk medicine to stop bleeding and ease fevers.
Ylang-Ylang
A tropical tree with drooping, star-shaped, intensely fragrant flowers prized for perfume oil and aromatherapy.
Yucca Flower
A tall, bell-shaped bloom rising from spiky, sword-like foliage, pollinated almost exclusively by a specialized yucca moth.
Yellow Iris
A striking wetland iris with bright golden petals that thrives along pond edges, ditches, and marshy shorelines.
Yellow Bells
A shrubby plant covered in trumpet-shaped golden flowers, popular in warm-climate gardens and the state flower of the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Yellow Lady’s Slipper
A rare woodland orchid named for its pouch-shaped, slipper-like bloom that lures pollinating insects inside.
Yellow Trillium
A spring wildflower with three mottled leaves and a lemon-scented, upright bloom common on shaded forest floors.
Yellow Water Lily
A floating aquatic plant with round leaves and small, cup-shaped yellow flowers that dot still ponds and slow rivers.
Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow
A flowering shrub whose blooms open deep purple, fade to lavender, and finish white, giving it its evocative name.
Yellow Archangel
A low, spreading groundcover with silvery-marked leaves and small hooded yellow flowers along its stems.
Yellow Foxglove
A tall perennial with spires of soft, tubular pale-yellow blooms, related to the more common purple foxglove.
Yellow Jessamine
A twining vine draped in fragrant, funnel-shaped yellow flowers each spring; it is South Carolina’s official state flower.
Yellow Gentian
A tall alpine herb with whorled yellow star-like flowers, historically used to make bitter herbal tonics.
Yellow Columbine
A graceful wildflower with long-spurred, nodding golden blooms that attract hummingbirds and butterflies.
Yellow Cosmos
A cheerful garden annual with daisy-like, sunny-hued blooms that flower prolifically through summer and fall.
Yellow Loosestrife
A moisture-loving perennial with upright spikes of small, star-shaped yellow flowers found near streams and damp meadows.
Yellow Marsh Marigold
A glossy-leaved wetland plant with rich golden, buttercup-like flowers that bloom early in spring near water.
Yellow Monkeyflower
A vibrant wildflower with snapdragon-shaped blooms speckled with reddish spots, often found along streambanks.
Yellow Skunk Cabbage
A bold wetland plant with a bright yellow hood surrounding its flower spike, one of the first blooms to emerge after winter.
Yellow Toadflax
A weedy but attractive wildflower with snapdragon-like yellow blooms and an orange throat, sometimes called butter-and-eggs.
Yellow Violet
A low woodland violet with heart-shaped leaves and delicate yellow flowers streaked with fine purple lines.
Yellow Wood Sorrel
A common low-growing plant with clover-like leaves and small, cheerful yellow flowers that fold up at night.
Youth-on-Age
A shade-loving woodland plant with small, unusual maroon-and-green flowers, named for the plantlets that sprout from its leaves.
Yellow Hibiscus
A large, showy tropical bloom and Hawaii’s official state flower, known for its broad golden petals and deep red center.
Yellow Camellia
A rare and prized ornamental shrub bearing waxy, golden-yellow blooms, historically reserved for Chinese royalty.
Yellow Passionflower
A small, intricate climbing vine flower with delicate greenish-yellow petals and a fringed corona, native to woodland edges.
Yampah
A slender wildflower with umbrella-like clusters of tiny white blooms, historically valued by Indigenous peoples for its edible roots.
Yerba Mansa
A wetland herb with cone-shaped white flower heads surrounded by petal-like bracts, long used in traditional medicine.
Yellow Rattle
A meadow wildflower with small yellow hooded blooms and papery seed pods that rattle when shaken, a sign of healthy grassland.
Yellow Adonis
An early-spring perennial with large, glossy golden flowers and finely feathered foliage, native to open grassy hillsides.
Yellow Star-of-Bethlehem
A small spring bulb with narrow leaves and star-shaped yellow flowers that carpet woodlands before the tree canopy fills in.