Thorny Shrubs With Yellow Flowers

USDA Zone 4

• The Japanese barberry (Berberis thunbergii) displays cold tolerance to USDA zone 4, growing to 6 feet high and blooming during April and May. The flowers yield berries, which turn red by October. Japanese barberry withstands dry conditions when established and its thorns make it a top-notch barrier plant, reports the Washington State University Clark County Extension. Not all the shrub roses are resistant to cold, but Rosa "Radsun" grows in zone 4. This cultivar develops between 3 and 4 feet, generating yellow roses from May until the first autumn frost. Radsun is appropriate for foundations, cottage gardens and hedges.

USDA Zone 5 and 6

• Sunjoy Gold Pillar is a 3- to 4-foot tall form of Japanese barberry for USDA zones 5 and 6 featuring yellow foliage that retains its golden hues throughout summer. The yellow flowers are ½ inch wide and emerge in April or early May. Possessing thorns, this cultivar works next to foundations or as edging defining walking paths. Borders and rose gardens are appropriate settings for Rosa "Jaczeman," a hybrid tea rose that is fragrant. The flowers bloom starting in May, with yellow interiors bordered by a hint of pink along the edges. This rose produces more flowers when planted in full sun. Zones 5 and 6 are the coolest zones it prospers.

USDA Zone 7 and 8

• Rosa "Scrivluv" is a miniature rose, growing to 4 feet and suitable as a container plant. It grows with few problems in USDA zones 7 and 8, featuring yellow flowers with an aroma similar to that of licorice, according to the Missouri Botanical Garden website. Scrivluv has a reputation for owning a resistance to most diseases that afflict roses. Create barriers along your property in zones 7 and 8 with Rose Glow, a Japanese barberry growing to 6 feet. Its yellow flowers turn into beads of red berries that attract birds and add winter color. Rose Glow's foliage is colorful, turning from purple to rose-pink.

USDA Zones 9 and 10

• Rosa "Easy Going" is a floribunda rose cultivar that stands up to heat and humidity in zones 9 and 10. Growing to 4 feet tall, it thrives in full sun and is an option for mass plantings. The flowers on this thorny shrub are a peach yellow and bloom from May into October. Rosa banksia "Lutea" is a climbing banksia rose with no ability to survive a cold winter. Hardy through zones 8 to 10, Lutea sprawls along the ground as ground cover or easily climbs pergolas, walls and trellises if trained onto them. It flowers in May and June; its smooth stem feature thorns, but they are few in number.