Hedge Plants With Small Yellow Flowers

Zone 4

• To thrive in USDA zone 4, hedge plants must tolerate lows to minus 30 degrees Fahrenheit. The Oregon grape holly (Mahonia aquifolium) is hardy in zones 4 to 7 and forms a 6-foot-tall hedge. This evergreen has lustrous, tough leaves and blooms with clusters of tiny yellow flowers in mid-spring. It grows well in partial shade and well-draining, moist soil with a slightly acidic pH. The red barberry (Berberis thunbergii var. atropurpurea) grows to 6 feet tall with an equal spread. Hardy in zones 4 to 8, this evergreen has red-purple foliage and produces small yellow flowers followed by bright-red berries. It grows well in a range of soils and sun to partial shade.

Zone 5

• Low temperatures in USDA zone 5 reach minus 20 degrees. The common boxwood (Buxus sempervirens) is hardy in zones 5 to 8 and grows from 15 to 20 feet tall with a similar spread. This dense evergreen blooms with aromatic light-yellow flowers in spring and has glossy foliage. It prefers moist, well-drained soil and sun to partial shade. Japanese barberries (Berberis thunbergii) grow to 6 feet tall with a 7-foot spread and produce small yellow blossoms in spring. They have bright-green, deciduous foliage that turns orange and red in fall. These drought-tolerant, dense shrubs grow well in sun to partial shade and a variety of soils.

Zone 6

• USDA zone 6 lows dip to minus 20 degrees. The littleleaf boxwood (Buxus microphylla) is hardy in zones 6 to 9 and forms a dense, 4-foot-tall and wide hedge. This slow-growing evergreen blooms with yellow flowers in spring and prefers well-draining soil and sun to partial shade. The small anise tree (Illicium parviflorum) grows to 10 feet tall with a similar spread. This native evergreen shrub blooms with half-inch yellow flowers in early summer and has 4-inch-long, olive-green foliage. It is hardy in zones 6 to 9.

Zone 7

• In USDA zone 7, average annual low temperatures reach 0 degrees. The Harland boxwood (Buxus harlandii) is hardy in zones 7 to 11 and has dense, evergreen foliage. This 6-foot-tall and wide shrub produces small yellow flowers in spring and grows in mounded form. It tolerates drought and thrives in sun or partial shade. Southern waxmyrtle (Myrica cerifera) grows quickly to 15 feet tall with an 11-foot spread. This evergreen is native to the southeastern U.S. and tolerates heat, drought and salty soils. It blooms with very small, inconspicuous yellow flowers, followed by round gray fruits. Southern waxmyrtle is also hardy in zones 7 to 11.