Trees With Yellow Leaves In Summer

If you think yellow leaves are just for autumn, you’re in for a lovely surprise. A selection of remarkable trees with yellow leaves in summer can light up your garden during the warmest months, creating a vibrant summer foliage display that stands out.

This golden color isn’t a sign of ill health in these trees. It’s their natural, beautiful state. We’ll look at the best varieties to plant, how to care for them, and how to design your garden around their stunning color.

This special group of trees holds its golden color from spring or early summer right through until fall. They offer a constant source of bright, cheerful color. You can use them as a stunning focal point or to brighten a shady corner.

Why Choose Summer-Yellow Trees?

They extend your garden’s color season. While most gardens peak in spring and fall, these trees shine in summer. They pair beautifully with green shrubs and blue or purple flowers. The effect is cool and elegant, yet incredibly eye-catching.

Top Tree Varieties for Reliable Golden Foliage

Here are some of the most dependable and beautiful choices. Each has its own character and growing needs.

Sunburst Honeylocust (Gleditsia triacanthos ‘Sunburst’): This is a classic. Its new growth is a brilliant, luminous yellow that gradually softens to a greenish-yellow as summer progresses. It has a fine, feathery texture and casts a dappled shade, allowing you to grow plants underneath.
Golden Spirit Smoke Tree (Cotinus coggygria ‘Golden Spirit’ or ‘Ancot’): A smaller tree or large shrub. Its rounded leaves are a bright chartreuse-yellow all season. In full sun, the color is most intense. It also produces wispy, smoke-like flower plumes in summer.
Golden Rain Tree (Koelreuteria paniculata): A fantastic medium-sized tree. It offers three seasons of interest: pinkish-bronze new growth, rich yellow summer leaves, and later, showy yellow flowers and lantern-like seed pods. It’s very tough and heat-tolerant.
Gold Coin Amberella (Liriodendron tulipifera ‘JFS-Oz’): A compact form of the Tulip Tree. Its unique leaves are bright gold in spring, mature to lime-green in summer, and turn a clear yellow in fall. It’s more suitable for smaller gardens than the massive native species.
Sunshine Mimosa (Albizia julibrissin ‘Summer Chocolate’ with gold companions): While the ‘Summer Chocolate’ has purple foliage, planting a golden shrub or smaller tree like a Physocarpus ‘Dart’s Gold’ nearby creates a breathtaking contrast that makes the yellow pop.

Considering Size and Shape

Always check the mature height and spread of the tree. The ‘Sunburst’ Honeylocust can get quite large, while the ‘Golden Spirit’ Smoke Tree can be kept around 6-8 feet tall. Choose a tree that fits your space without needing excessive pruning.

How to Plant for Success

Getting your tree off to a good start is crucial for healthy, vibrant leaves. Follow these steps.

Pick the Right Spot: Most yellow-leafed trees need full sun for the best color. At least 6 hours of direct sun is essential. Check the soil drainage; these trees generally dislike soggy roots.
Dig a Proper Hole: Dig a hole two to three times wider than the root ball, but no deeper. The top of the root ball should be level with or slightly above the surrounding soil.
Prepare the Root Ball: Gently loosen any circling roots on the outside. If the tree is pot-bound, this step helps it establish faster in your soil.
Place and Backfill: Set the tree in the hole. Backfill with the original soil you dug out, gently firming it as you go to remove large air pockets. Avoid amending the soil just in the planting hole.
Water Deeply and Mulch: Create a shallow basin around the tree and water it thoroughly. Apply a 2-3 inch layer of organic mulch, like wood chips, around the base. Keep the mulch a few inches away from the trunk itself.

Caring for Your Golden Trees

Ongoing care is simple but important. These trees aren’t usually fussy, but they do have some specific needs related to their unique foliage.

Watering and Feeding

Consistent watering is key in the first two years. Deep, infrequent watering encourages roots to grow downward. After establishment, most are drought-tolerant. A balanced, slow-release fertilizer applied in early spring is usually sufficient. Over-fertilizing can sometimes dull the leaf color or cause excessive soft growth.

Pruning Tips

Prune mainly to remove dead, damaged, or crossing branches. The best time is usually in late winter when the tree is dormant. For trees like the Smoke Bush, you can use a harder pruning technique called coppicing in early spring to encourage larger, more colorful leaves on new growth.

Pest and Disease Watch

Healthy trees resist problems better. Keep an eye out for common issues:

Aphids: They can sometimes cluster on new growth. A strong spray of water from the hose is often enough to dislodge them.
Leaf Spot: Ensure good air circulation and avoid overhead watering to prevent fungal issues. Rake up fallen leaves in autumn.
Stress: Yellow leaves turning brown or green can indicate water stress, poor soil, or an unsuitable location. Diagnose the issue quickly.

Designing Your Garden Around Golden Foliage

The color yellow is a powerful design tool. It can lighten dark areas, make spaces feel larger, and create stunning combinations.

Color Pairings That Shine

Yellow foliage works with many colors. Here are some winning combinations:

With Blues and Purples: This is a classic, high-contrast pairing. Plant Salvia, lavender, or perennial geraniums with blue flowers underneath or nearby. The effect is vibrant and cool.
With Dark Foliage: Place your golden tree against a backdrop of deep green or burgundy leaves. The contrast makes the yellow appear to glow. A purple smoke bush or a copper beech are perfect backdrops.
In Monochromatic Schemes: Mix different shades of yellow and chartreuse. Combine a golden tree with hostas like ‘Guacamole’, golden creeping Jenny, and yellow-flowered daylilies for a serene, luminous effect.

Using Them in the Landscape

Think about the tree’s role. Use a large one as a stunning specimen on a lawn. A medium-sized tree can anchor a mixed border. Smaller, shrubby forms are excellent for foundation planting or as a colorful hedge when planted in a row.

Remember, the bright foliage acts like a spotlight. Place your tree where you want to draw the eye—perhaps at the end of a path, beside a seating area, or outside a window you frequently look through.

Common Questions Answered (FAQ)

Is a tree with yellow leaves in summer sick?

Not necessarily! For the varieties listed, yellow leaves are completely normal and healthy. It’s their natural color. However, if a tree that is normally green suddenly develops yellow leaves in summer, that could be a sign of stress from water, nutrients, or disease.

Do all these trees need full sun?

Most do need full sun to achieve their brightest, most vibrant color. In partial shade, the leaves may turn a more lime-green or chartreuse color, which can still be very attractive but is less intense.

Will the color fade by the end of summer?

It depends on the tree. Some, like the ‘Sunburst’ Honeylocust, do mellow to a green-yellow. Others, like ‘Golden Spirit’, hold their color well. Hot, dry weather can sometimes cause leaf edges to brown, which can affect the apperance.

What if my golden tree’s leaves are turning green?

This is called reversion. Some cultivated varieties can produce shoots that revert to the original green form of the species. You should prune these green shoots out as soon as you see them, cutting back to a point where the growth is still yellow.

Can I grow anything under these trees?

Yes, especially under trees with fine, dappled shade like the Honeylocust. Shade-tolerant plants with silver, blue, or burgundy foliage make excellent companions. Avoid plants that need deep, dry shade or very wet soil.

Troubleshooting Common Problems

Even with the best care, issues can arise. Here’s how to handle them.

Leaf Scorch (brown edges): Often caused by dry wind, hot sun, or lack of water. Ensure deep, regular watering during dry spells, especially for young trees. A layer of mulch helps conserve soil moisture.
Poor Color: If the leaves are more green than gold, the tree likely isn’t getting enough sun. Consider if nearby trees have grown and created more shade than when you first planted it. There may not be much you can do besides selective pruning for light.
Slow Growth: Check soil compaction. Trees need oxygen at their roots. Aerating the soil in the root zone (carefully) and applying compost can help. A soil test can reveal nutrient deficiencies.

Adding a tree with summer-long golden leaves is one of the most effective ways to add lasting impact to your garden. It provides a constant, bright presence that changes beautifully with the light throughout the day. From the fresh, bright yellow of new growth to the softer, glowing hues of high summer, these trees bring a unique and uplifting energy.

By choosing the right variety for your space, planting it correctly, and giving it simple care, you’ll enjoy this vibrant feature for many years. Your garden will gain depth, contrast, and a special kind of magic that lasts all season long. Start planning where your spot of summer sunshine will go.