Photo Credit: Lane Greer

The hybrid tea Henry Fonda has deep yellow flowers in summer.

Yellow roses get a bad rap. In the language of flowers, they don’t get the same romantic claims of “love” and “devotion” as their passionate red cousins do. After all, when people want to show their “friendship” or “platonic love” – or even jealousy – they send yellow roses. But don’t let that flower talk fool you! In your garden, yellow roses can take on a whole new brilliance, adding their unique rays of sunshine to everything near them.

If you like yellow, the following list of roses will simply knock your socks off. Some are butter yellow or yellow-orange, while others take on hues of apricot. Many are repeat-bloomers, and with proper care, they’ll give you loads of color all summer long. But no matter which yellow rose you choose, you can be sure that it’ll add a bit of sun to even the grayest of days. Here are some (grouped by flower type) to get you on that sunny side of the street.

Floribundas offer clusters of blooms. These four are at the top of the yellow list:

• Golden Holstein has clear-yellow, slightly fragrant flowers with 10-12 petals.
• Honey Perfume is apricot-yellow with a spicy fragrance and 30 petals.
• Julia Child has pale apricot-yellow flowers with numerous petals and a great fragrance.
• Sunsprite has deep yellow flowers and a strong, spicy scent.

Hybrid teas look like your classic florist rose, with 30-60 petals. While there are lots to choose from, some favorite yellows are:

• Elina, which has soft yellow-and-cream flowers and a light fragrance.
• Henry Fonda, with its deep yellow flowers and light scent.
• Jean Giono®, offering a great fragrance and roses in various shades of yellow and apricot.
• Midas Touch, which has deep yellow flowers and a strong fragrance.
• Radiant Perfume, with highly fragrant, yellow-orange blooms.