20 White Flowers to Make Your Garden Glow

Choose white flowers to give your shade garden extra impact, or for a yard that lights up with an eye-catching spark after dark.

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white flowers
Courtesy Shirley Hancock
White peacock butterfly drinking nectar from daisies

Types of White Flowers to Grow

While much fuss is made about colorful blooms, gardeners know that white flowers, while perhaps not as flashy, provide a brilliance and contrast all their own. Whether you want to give your flower beds a more pristine look or make your backyard moon garden light up after dark, it’s worth taking a peek at these pure-white blooms. Also check out these 15 beautiful white flowering shrubs.

Philadelphus Illuminati Arch Dsc01357, white flowers
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Illuminati Arch Mock Orange

Philadelphus coronarius, Zones 4 to 7

Truly a modern shrub, Illuminati Arch is much smaller than classic mock oranges, growing only about 4 feet tall, but it still has all the appeal. Its white blooms show up in late spring and offer fragrance through early summer. Prune immediately after flowering, before next year’s buds form.

Check out the top 10 small shrubs for small spaces.

white flowers
Courtesy Chantal Caron

Gooseneck Loosestrife

Lysimachia clethroides, Zones 3 to 9

A perennial that relishes full sun and moist soil, gooseneck loosestrife grows 1 to 3 feet in both height and width. Each 4- to 8-inch flower spike curves downward like a goose’s neck, hence the name. The plant’s floral display wows from late spring through summer, then the foliage takes on seasonal yellow hues. Gooseneck loosestrife can be very aggressive, so be sure to take that into consideration when planting.

Love color? Try 10 purple flowers to grow in your garden.

Rhododendron 'delaware Valley White'
ELLEN MCKNIGHT/ALAMY STOCK PHOTO

Delaware Valley White Azalea

Rhododendron, Zones 5 to 8

A landscaping favorite, Delaware Valley White azalea’s pure white flowers bloom in spring. It grows best when planted in partial shade and acidic soil. The shrub reaches 5 feet tall and rarely needs pruning. It makes a lovely hedge around patios and works well as a border plant.

Check out the top 10 hummingbird plants that grow in shade.

White City Spanish bluebells, white flowers
BRENT AND BECKY’S BULBS

White City Spanish Bluebells

Hyacinthoides hispanica, Zones 3 to 8

Bell-shaped white flowers hang slightly downward in clusters near the top of the stalk. Plants grow in clumps, multiplying over time. Grow them in a woodland or rock garden, or try mixing them with other spring bloomers for an array of colors.

Plant Lenten rose for early spring blooms.

Liatris Spicata Floristan White 0002 High Res
Courtesy of Walters Gardens, Inc.

Floristan White Liatris

Liatris spicata, Zones 4 to 9

Ideal for sunny areas, this standout perennial has flower spikes that grow up to 3 feet tall, providing dramatic vertical interest. The Floristan White liatris blooms in summer and entices an array of pollinators, including hummingbirds.

Add native plant blazing star to butterfly gardens.

Angel's Trumpets Flower with Visitor
Jim McKinley/Getty Images

Angel’s Trumpet

Brugmansia spp., annual to Zone 10

This shrublike plant sports beautiful, sweetly scented blossoms that can reach 12 inches in length. The Betty Marshall variety’s ethereal trumpet-shaped blooms seem to glisten after dark. The pretty flower is very fragrant at night, but beware: All parts of it are poisonous.

Plant fragrant moonflower to attract moths.

Astilbe
RDA GID

Astilbe

Astilbe spp., Zones 4 to 9

Its fernlike appearance helps astilbe fit right into a shade garden—though its flower spikes, which grow from about 1 to 4 feet tall, can’t help but steal the spotlight. For a touch of glamour, try Bridal Veil. From afar, the flowers on this and some other astilbe varieties look like feathers.

Create a patriotic garden with red, white, and blue flowers

Evergreen candytuft (Iberis sempervirens) - white flowers in a garden
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Candytuft

Iberis sempervirens, Zones 5 to 9

Like a late snowfall, candytuft brings fluffy white drifts to the spring scene, blooming until the early summer. It leaves pleasing evergreen foliage year-round.

Add contrast with the top 10 dark colored flowers that are almost black.

Jasmine Tea Flower, Arabian Jasmine, Jasminum Sambac, white flowers
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Arabian Jasmine

Jasminum sambac, Zones 9 to 10

Arabian jasmine is a gorgeous houseplant. It produces lush flowers that open as evening approaches and begin to close as day breaks. In the north, bring it outside in summer to get a little sunshine. Do not grow it in Florida or Hawaii, where it’s invasive.

Transform your garden into an oasis with the top 10 tropical plants.

cosmos
Courtesy Kay Christensen

Cosmos

Cosmos bipinnatus, annual

This cheerful bloom adds a touch of whimsy to both formal and cottage-style gardens. Psyche White has jagged semi-double blossoms that give it a shabby-chic look that lasts all summer. The foliage resembles dill or fennel and makes an interesting contrast with broader leaves on nearby plants. Cosmos grows up to 5 feet tall.

Treat yourself with chocolate cosmos flowers.

lavender
Courtesy Blair Celano

Lavender

Lavandula spp., Zones 5 to 10

If you’re searching for an elegant bloom, look no further. Gardeners know that there’s never a dull moment with lavender’s pleasantly scented spires. The mounding gray-green plants tend to be taller than they are wide and look exquisite in borders. Lacy Frills, the first white variety from seed, is cold-tolerant to Zone 6.

Discover 7 essential facts about growing lavender plants.

white peony flowers
Courtesy Marie Rook

Peony

Paeonia spp., Zones 3 to 9

With hundreds of peony hybrids on the market, you have your pick of sizes and colors. Because it needs chilly weather to produce flowers, the peony grows best in areas that get cold winters. If undisturbed, this hardy and lush plant can survive for more than a century with little or no care. Bowl of Cream, a favorite white cultivar, features double blooms that make a big statement.

Variegated green and yellow striped yucca plant in bloom
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Yucca

Yucca filamentosa, Zones 4 to 11

Columns of bell-shaped buttery-white flowers add a soft contrast to the spiky evergreen leaves of this drought-tolerant plant. Growing 3 to 12 feet tall when in bloom, yucca makes a stunning showpiece in any garden.

Check out the top 10 classic yellow flowers to grow.

Wg Hi7069phloxdavid
Walters Gardens, Inc.

Phlox

Phlox spp., Zones 3 to 9

For many, the scent of phlox goes hand in hand with summertime (and butterflies). Some varieties display clusters of white flowers, while others are loose and carpetlike; most prefer full sun. Tiara has breathtaking double blooms and gorgeous all-white Backlight is disease-resistant; both are upright garden phlox cultivars.

We found trees with pink and white flowers in spring.

Beckyshastadaisy
Monrovia

Shasta Daisy

Leucanthemum x superbum, Zones 4 to 9

Although daisies date back thousands of years, the Shasta variety is just over 100 years old. It was named after Mount Shasta, one of California’s tallest peaks. The white flowers bloom from early summer to autumn and plants range from 10 inches to 4 feet high. We like the tall Becky and dwarf Snowcap varieties.

If you love daisies, you’ll enjoy these interesting daisy facts.

Sweet alyssum flowers
kumacore/Getty Images

Sweet Alyssum

Lobularia maritima, annual

Believe it or not, this beautiful, low-growing border plant is a member of the mustard family. Clusters of tiny white flowers bloom for months in full sun to partial shade, but they do best in cool weather. After the heat of summer, cut back plants to encourage new growth and more blooms. For a white flower bed addition, try Carpet of Snow.

For a bold garden look, try the top 10 orange flowers to add a juicy burst of color.

A Photograph Of A Peace Lily With Leaves Curving Behind The Flower.
STEVE HICKEY/ALAMY STOCK PHOTO

Peace Lily

Spathiphyllum spp., Zones 11 to 12

These common lilies love indirect light. Sporting luscious dark green leaves and white bracts, they do best when kept evenly moist. Give your peace lily plant a summer boost by moving it outdoors under a tree or in the shade of a building. Bring it back inside as temperatures drop below 50 degrees.

Check out the top 10 blooming houseplants to grow indoors.

Anemone Canadensis, Canada Anemone, white flowers
MICHAEL WHEATLEY/ALAMY STOCK PHOTO

Canada Anemone

Anemone canadensis, Zones 3 to 8

Canada anemone, sometimes called windflower, is a marvelous native bloomer that reaches a little over 1 foot tall. The plant naturalizes well in moist gardens, so give it room to spread. To fill a space even faster, divide and replant the sections in May or September.

Plant a meadow with wildflowers for butterflies.

Salvia White Profusion Apj20 5, white flowers
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White Profusion Salvia

Salvia nemerosa, Zones 3 to 8

When planted in full sun, White Profusion salvia blooms continually all summer, especially with deadheading. The mounded form can reach up to 20 inches tall and wide, which creates a tidy appearance. It does well in containers, and the entire plant is fragrant. Don’t forget about fabulous foliage plants for garden pizzazz.

Euphorbia Princettia Pure White 201
SUNTORY FLOWERS

Princettia Pure White Poinsettia

Euphorbia hybrid, Zones 9 to 11

The white bracts of this Princettia Pure White poinsettia are modified leaves that change color to help pollinators locate the true flowers—the tiny yellow clusters located at the base of the bracts. Keep the plants evenly moist and out of drafts to prevent leaf drop.

In addition to poinsettia, grow these 10 easy-care holiday houseplants.

Eva Monheim
Eva Monheim is a horticultural and environmental consultant, garden coach, and an award-winning educator. She is a faculty member at Longwood Gardens for the Professional Horticulture Program and Continuing Education Department where she teaches Woody Plants and related subjects. Monheim’s newest endeavors are the award-winning The Plant a Trillion Trees Podcast. She is the author of Shrubs & Hedges: Discover, Grow, and Care for the World’s Most Popular Plants, which was nominated by The Council on Botanical and Horticultural Libraries for outstanding contributions to the literature of horticulture. She is co-principal of Verdant Earth Educators, LLC (VEE) a company that trains professionals and consumers in the green industry.