Key Takeaways
- White flowers add a tranquil, timeless elegance to gardens and are versatile in combination with other colors.
- Flowers like ‘Iceberg’ Rose and ‘Annabelle’ Hydrangea are highlighted as dependable choices for their beautiful white blooms.
- Some white flowers like the Moonflower Vine and Japanese Anemone are noted for their unique blooming behaviors and aesthetic qualities.
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.
‘Iceberg’ Rose
BHG / Kelli Jo Emanuel
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
‘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
Japanese Anemone
Rob Cardillo
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
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
Calla Lily
Laurie Black
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
Cup Flower
Justin Hancock
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
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
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
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
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.
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
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
Magnolia
Bob Stefko
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
Hellebore
Kim Cornelison
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.
Yucca
Denny Schrock
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
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
Lily
Bill Stites
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
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
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
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
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
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
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.
Calamint
Bob Stefko
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
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.