The 25 Best White Flowers for Your Garden

2016-02-19
The 25 Best White Flowers for Your Garden

While they may not be as showy as vibrant-hued florals, white flowers are uniquely dynamic and special in their own right. Plants with white blooms lend a cooling effect to gardens, especially on hot summer days, and they practically glow in the evening. Pairing white flowers with other plants is an effortless task, as they look seamless in combination with any other color of blossoms or foliage. And on their own in an all-white landscape, white flowers stun with their classic, timeless, elegant beauty. There are many ways to add a tranquil touch to your garden, and these showstopping plants with white flowers are a magnificent way to do so.

01 of 25

‘Iceberg’ Rose

Delightful Rosa ‘Iceberg’ is one of the most dependable types of white flowers. It produces clusters of fragrant, creamy-white blooms all summer and fall. ‘Iceberg’ pairs perfectly with lavender, catmint, and any other type of rose.

Growing Conditions: Full sun and moist, well-drained soil

Size: Up to 5 feet tall and 3 feet wide

Zones: 5–9

02 of 25

‘Annabelle’ Hydrangea

‘Annabelle’ hydrangea (Hydrangea arborescens ‘Annabelle’) is one of the easiest types of white flowers to grow. The fantastical hydrangea variety blooms in midsummer, producing large, pure white clusters that are perfect for cutting. ‘Annabelle’ is an ideal partner for bigleaf hydrangeas or oakleaf hydrangeas.

Growing Conditions: Part shade and moist, well-drained soil

Size: Up to 5 feet tall and wide

Zones: 3–9

03 of 25

Japanese Anemone

A great cut flower for the fall garden, Japanese anemone (Anemone spp.) produces cup-shaped blooms of pink and white petals. It's known for its tendency to spread, so plant it where it has plenty of room to grow. Anemones make great companions for goldenrods and tall varieties of aster.

Growing Conditions: Full sun or part shade and moist, well-drained soil

Size: Up to 5 feet tall; clumps can spread several feet across

Zones: 4-8

04 of 25

Lilac

You don’t have to rely on only annuals and perennials for beautiful flowers. Many shrubs—including lilac (Syringa spp.)—also offer lovely white blooms. Most lilacs grow large enough that they don’t accommodate a plant partner. Try dwarf selections with peonies or shrub roses for a romantic spring combination.

Growing Conditions: Full sun and moist, well-drained soil

Size: Up to 20 or more feet tall and wide

Zones: 3-8

05 of 25

Calla Lily

Another favorite cut flower, calla lily (Zantedeschia spp.) is a tender plant with elegant, vase-shaped flowers. White is a calla lily's classic color, but you can also find calla lilies in yellow, orange, pink, and purple. Callas look stunning with the full flowers of double dahlias, and they gorgeously accent the tropical aesthetic of dwarf varieties of canna lily.

Growing Conditions: Full sun and moist soil

Size: Up to 3 feet tall

Zones: 8-10

06 of 25

Cup Flower

No matter what type of garden design you create, cup flower, also called nierembergia (Nierembergia spp.), is a fantastic plant that adds a fine texture to the front of a border. It produces white, lavender, or purple flowers all summer long over ferny foliage. Try pairing it with annual vinca, which has similar flowers but a coarser texture.

Growing Conditions: Full sun and moist, well-drained soil

Size: Up to 1 foot tall and wide

Zones: 7-10, but often grown as an annual

07 of 25

Shasta Daisy

One of the most cheerful perennials, the Shasta daisy (Leucanthemum x superbum) offers simple white flowers with sunny yellow centers for most of the summer. Silvery lamb’s ear makes a perfect foil for Shasta daisy.

Growing Conditions: Full sun or part shade and well-drained soil

Size: Up to 3 feet tall and 1 foot wide

Zones: 5-9

08 of 25

Annual Vinca

Annual vinca (Catharanthus roseus) has a decidedly tropical look with its saucer-shaped flowers in saturated shades of white, red, rose, pink, and purple. While its colorful varieties deliver quite the pop, white varieties of annual vinca stand out best. Grow the plant as an upright contrast to trailing calibrachoa or mini petunia.

Growing Conditions: Full sun and well-drained soil

Size: Up to 18 inches tall and wide

Zones: Perennial in 10–11; grown as annuals elsewhere

09 of 25

Bearded Iris

Tall bearded irises (Iris spp.) are magical garden plants that come in a wide range of colors, including white. Their long-lasting blooms appear from March to June, with some early-blooming varieties reblooming in late summer or fall. Irises are a welcome addition to any garden, and the floral beauties deliver a mesmerizing effect when planted near peonies.

Growing Conditions: Full sun and well-drained soil

Size: Up to 3 feet tall and 1 foot wide

Zones: 3–9

10 of 25

Datura

The Datura genus—and moonflower in particular—includes beautiful annuals with perfumed, trumpet-shaped white flowers that open at dusk and remain open until dawn. Once established, the night-blooming plant is drought-tolerant. Grow datura alongside evening primrose, which also blooms at night.

Growing Conditions: Full sun and well-drained soil

Size: Up to 3 feet tall and wide

Zones: Annual

All parts of moonflower are highly toxic to humans.

11 of 25

Peony

Peonies (Paeonia spp.) are gorgeous in any garden. Although pink is a favorite of many gardeners, white peonies make an elegant contribution and look timeless alongside airy baby’s breath. These easy-care perennials return year after year and provide large, long-lasting cut flowers.

Growing Conditions: Full sun and well-drained soil

Size: Up to 3 feet tall and wide

Zones: 3–8

12 of 25

Moonflower Vine

Moonflower vine (Ipomoea alba)—not to be confused with moonflower (Datura)— has large, pure white blooms and heart-shaped leaves. It is one of many gardeners’ favorite vining plants and is usually grown as an annual. This stunning crawler offers 6-inch-wide flowers that open at dusk and release a sweet fragrance all night long.

Growing Conditions: Full or part sun in consistently moist soil

Size: Up to 20 feet

Zones: 9–11

13 of 25

Magnolia

Magnolias (Magnolia spp.) are beautiful trees and shrubs that welcome spring with their showy white blooms. When planted in full sun and their preferred soil conditions, they are remarkably low-maintenance additions to the landscape. They don’t like to be crowded or transplanted, so pick their location with intention. Azaleas are a perfect pair for magnolias, as the two plants share the same blooming season.

Growing Conditions: Full sun in moist, rich, well-drained soil

Size: Up to 80 feet tall and 40 feet wide

Zones: 4–10

14 of 25

Hellebore

Hellebore (Helleborus spp.), also called Christmas rose or snow rose, is a shade-loving, winter-blooming perennial. Available in several colors including white, this plant blooms for weeks on end when many other perennials are dormant. Pair hellebore plants with early spring bulbs.

Growing Conditions: Shade in moist, well-drained soil

Size: Up to 3 feet tall and wide

Zones: 4–9

All parts of the hellebore are toxic to humans and animals.

15 of 25

Yucca

Although yucca plants (Yucca spp.) are primarily grown for their dramatic foliage, their blooms are tough to miss when they flower on tall stalks in masses of white, cream, and blush pink. Yucca is a tough perennial that thrives in dry gardens. The only caveat? It must have well-drained soil, or it will soon die of root rot.

Growing Conditions: Full sun in dry, well-drained soil

Size: Up to 3 feet tall and 15 feet wide

Zones: 4–11

16 of 25

Candytuft

Evergreen candytuft (Iberis spp.) forms a low mat of foliage covered with fragrant white blossoms that last for several weeks from late spring to early summer. Candytuft works well at the front of a border, where the plant’s fragrance can be appreciated. This plant is drought-tolerant, making it an excellent choice for a rock garden or dry area.

Growing Conditions: Full sun and well-drained soil

Size: Up to 12 inches tall

Zones: 3–8

17 of 25

Lily

Lilies (Lilium spp.) are at home in all areas of the landscape. Their beauty and fragrance make them welcome additions near an entryway, on a patio, or as part of a border. Lilies come in several colors, but the white blooms are especially vivid against bright green foliage. Depending on the variety, lilies bloom from early summer to early fall. Shallow-rooted annuals, such as cosmos and pansies, pair well with the fragrant plant.

Growing Conditions: Full sun to part shade in rich, well-drained soil

Size: Up to 6 feet tall and 2 feet wide

Zones: 4–8

18 of 25

Snowdrop

Snowdrop (Galanthus nivalis) has distinctive white flowers dangling among narrow green leaves that sprout up from small bulbs planted in fall. Although they’re tiny plants, snowdrops are stunning in large groups. Amp up the dramatic effect by pairing them with purple rock garden iris that blooms at the same time.

Growing Conditions: Full sun to part shade in moist but well-drained soil

Size: Up to 8 inches tall

Zones: 3-8

19 of 25

Snow-in-Summer

Snow-in-summer (Cerastium tomentosum) is a low-growing perennial that gets its name from the blanket of small white blooms that cover the plant in late spring and early summer. After the delicate white flowers fade, the silver foliage remains. This plant is at home in a rock garden or growing from the cracks in walls. Snow-in-summer requires regular pruning to keep it within bounds.

Growing Conditions: Full sun in dry-to-average, well-drained soil

Size: Up to 12 inches tall and 18 inches wide

Zones: 3–10

20 of 25

Mock Orange

Mock orange (Philadelphus spp.) shrubs and their dainty white flowers fill the garden with a scent of orange blossoms in spring and early summer. The blooms attract bees and butterflies and make excellent cut flowers. This shrub grows rapidly and is spectacular when in bloom.

Growing Conditions: Full sun in rich, moist, well-drained soil

Size: Up to 10 feet tall

Zones: 4–8

21 of 25

Foamflower

Foamflower (Tiarella cordifolia) is named for its masses of foamy white flowers that bloom in spring and typically last four to six weeks. This woodland native has bright green, fine-textured foliage that serves as a backdrop for other plants after the blooms fade. Foamflower is closely related to coral bells, another popular shade plant.

Growing Conditions: Full to part shade in rich, consistently moist soil

Size: Up to 1 foot tall and 3 feet wide

Zones: 3–9

22 of 25

Snowball Viburnum

Snowball viburnum (shown here) is only one of the many viburnums (Viburnum spp.) available to the home gardener. Viburnums bloom in early spring to late summer, depending on the variety, and come in shades of white and pink. In addition to the whimsical blooms, most viburnums have eye-catching berries, and some are highly fragrant.

Growing Conditions: Full to part sun in well-drained soil

Size: Up to 8 feet tall and 12 feet wide

Zones: 2–9

23 of 25

Flowering Tobacco

Flowering tobacco (Nicotiana spp.) enhances cottage and moon gardens and is an excellent container plant for positioning close to patios. This cousin of true tobacco is grown for its blooms, which come in white and several other colors. Many varieties bloom at night and are intensely fragrant.

Growing Conditions: Full or part sun in rich, well-drained soil

Size: Up to 1 foot tall and 6 feet wide

Zones: 10–11; grown as annuals elsewhere

Flowering tobacco is toxic to humans and pets.

24 of 25

Calamint

Calamint (Calamintha nepeta subsp. nepeta) blooms with small white flowers all summer and through fall to winter in warmer areas. As a member of the mint family, its leaves are quite aromatic. The plants are drought-tolerant and very attractive to pollinators.

Growing Conditions: Full sun in dry-to-medium moisture, well-drained soil

Size: Up to 18 inches tall and wide

Zones: 4–9

25 of 25

White Fringe Tree

The white fringe tree (Chionanthus virginicus) is loaded with lacey white flowers in spring and has a sweet, lilac-like fragrance. This small, standout specimen tree is an excellent choice for gardens and landscapes with limited space, and it can be grouped for a large border.

Growing Conditions: Full sun to part shade in well-drained soil

Size: Up to 30 feet tall

Zones: 3–9

Using White Flowers in a Moon Garden

White flowers are undoubtedly gorgeous for daytime viewing, but they're spectacularly unique at night under the moon's glow. Many gardeners use flowering tobacco, gardenia, mock orange, and other white flowers in moon garden designs because of their mesmerizing ability to reflect moonlight.

The beauty of white flowers shines on its own, but the bright blooms are further emphasized in a moon garden with strategic lighting, silvery foliage, and other design features.

Sources
Better Homes & Gardens is committed to using high-quality, reputable sources—including peer-reviewed studies—to support the facts in our articles. Read about our editorial policies and standards to learn more about how we fact check our content for accuracy.
  1. Datura spp. Cornell College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.

  2. Helleborus x hybridus. N.C. Cooperative Extension.

  3. Hellebore. ASPCA.

  4. Nicotiana x sanderi. N.C. Cooperative Extension.

  5. Nicotiana. ASPCA

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