Yellow Flowers in Yellowstone

Yellowstone National Park is home to an extraordinary variety of yellow wildflowers that brighten its meadows, hillsides, forests, riverbanks, and thermal basins throughout the changing seasons. These blossoms appear from the very first days of spring snowmelt through the heat of midsummer and even into the early hints of fall. Each one thrives in its own preferred habitat, bringing color and ecological richness to landscapes shaped by elevation, moisture, geothermal activity, and wildlife. Together, Yellowstone’s yellow flowers form an essential part of the park’s natural character, offering visitors constant splashes of gold across one of the most diverse wildflower environments in North America.

Quick Reference: Yellow Flowers in Yellowstone

Flower	Where It’s Commonly Seen	Typical Blooming Window
Arnica	Appears across many elevations throughout the park, especially in open forest clearings and sunny meadows.	Generally blossoms from early summer into mid-August.
Groundsel	Found almost everywhere in Yellowstone, thriving from dry hillsides to moist meadow edges.	Often visible in bloom from the start of summer through early fall.
Yellow Bell	Most frequently spotted in Hayden Valley and the slopes around Dunraven Pass.	Usually emerges during the late spring weeks.
Glacier Lily	Common along the Lake District and high ridges of Dunraven Pass just after snowmelt.	Blooms in the earliest part of summer.
Cinquefoil	Scattered widely throughout Yellowstone in grassy openings and along trail edges.	Flowers steadily through June, July, and August.
Stonecrop	Thrives in dry, rocky terrain across the park where other plants struggle to grow.	Typically blooms during the warmest summer months.
Yellow Monkeyflower	Found near warm springs, streams, and wet soils shaped by thermal activity.	Blooms from late spring into early autumn.
Rabbitbrush	Most abundant on the northern grasslands, especially near Mammoth and Lamar.	Bright yellow clusters appear toward the end of summer.
Balsamroot	Dominates northern-range hillsides with large golden blossoms.	Most vibrant in early to mid-summer.
Prickly Pear Cactus	Grows mainly in the hot, dry lowlands around the Gardiner and Mammoth region.	Its yellow blooms peak in late June.
Yellow Pond Lily	Seen floating on quiet ponds and slow-moving waters throughout the park.	Generally blooms in midsummer.
Sulfur Buckwheat	Found across the park in open, dry, and windswept environments.	Blossoms broadly from June through August.
Globeflower	Prefers wet ground, especially near high-elevation streams in the Beartooth region.	Blooms briefly in late spring and early summer.
Helianthella	Most common around Dunraven Pass in open mountain meadows.	Yellow petals appear during high summer.
Yellow Violet	Thrives in moist, shady meadows throughout Yellowstone.	Blooms early in the season, often in May and June.

Arnica is among the most widespread yellow flowers visitors encounter. It grows throughout the park and bursts into bright, daisy-like blooms from June through August. Its sunny heads frequently paint whole sections of meadows and forest openings, giving Yellowstone a warm glow during the height of summer. Groundsel is another abundant bloom, appearing across the park in a long season that stretches from June into September. These flowers thrive in varied conditions, making them a reliable and familiar sight for hikers and roadside travelers.

Some of Yellowstone’s yellow flowers are closely tied to early-season landscapes. The yellow bell is one such species, appearing in May and lingering into June, especially in Hayden Valley and on the slopes of Dunraven Pass. These delicate, nodding blossoms signal that the short subalpine growing season has begun. A similar early bloomer is the glacier lily, found in the Lake area and again around Dunraven Pass. These flowers often emerge beside melting snowbanks, providing essential forage for wildlife and offering visitors one of the first vivid signs of spring.

Cinquefoil, another common species, dots fields and meadows across the park from June through August. Its clusters of small, bright petals add subtle beauty to open landscapes. In contrast, stonecrop prefers Yellowstone’s harshest environments. Flourishing in barren, rocky areas from June through August, this plant proves how life adapts even to nutrient-poor soils shaped by volcanic processes. Its thick leaves and star-shaped flowers bring unexpected charm to harsh terrain.

Yellow monkeyflower adds a touch of brilliance to Yellowstone’s dampest locations. Found in thermal regions, bogs, and along creek edges, it blooms from May through August and often appears in vivid clusters beside steaming pools or trickling water. Rabbitbrush, meanwhile, saves its golden display for late summer and fall. Most common on the northern range, this shrub bursts into dense yellow blooms in August and September, creating sweeping displays that attract pollinators and add dramatic late-season color.

Balsamroot is one of Yellowstone’s most photogenic yellow wildflowers, spreading across the northern range in June and July. Its large, sunflower-like blooms stand tall above sagebrush flats, making it one of the defining flowers of early summer. Prickly pear cactus, surprisingly, also contributes to Yellowstone’s yellow palette. Found primarily around Gardiner and the Mammoth area, it produces striking yellow blossoms in late June that contrast beautifully with its spiny green pads.

Yellow pond lily brings its color to quiet waterways, appearing in ponds and slow-moving streams throughout the park in July and August. Its floating leaves and sturdy flowers create patches of yellow among wide green lily pads. Sulfur buckwheat blooms across many parts of Yellowstone from June through August, thriving in dry, open sites where its pale-yellow clusters provide soft, understated beauty.

Higher elevations bring entirely different floral experiences. The globeflower brightens wet areas in the Beartooth Mountains in May and June, standing out in the cool, alpine environment. Helianthella, blooming on Dunraven Pass in July and August, adds a late-summer brightness to one of the park’s most scenic high-elevation regions. Completing this collective display is the yellow violet, found in moist meadows across the park from May through June. Its delicate, low-growing flowers appear early in the season and help bring warmth to shaded or wetter areas before summer begins in earnest.