White flowers in the garden are always in style
White is such a versatile color. It can look fresh and clean, or cool and classy. Gardens will look that way, too, dressed up in white. Choose a few white flowers for your garden, and they will reflect whatever style you want, from casual cottage gardens to formal style.
Consider both cool and warm shades of white
But which white will you use? A white with blue undertones can look ice cold, but you can use that to your advantage in a combo that includes blue or purple flowers. Grow them near a warm patio to help create a cool and relaxed feeling. Pair warmer creamy whites with reds and yellows to tone down the more intense colors. Can’t decide which white flower you like best? No problem — use them all! An all-white garden has an elegant style that’s hard to beat.
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How to use white flowers in your garden
Concerned that white will look too stark in your bright-colored garden? If you set a white cosmos next to a red rose, you might be surprised to see that the cosmos has a hint of pale pink. That’s because many whites reflect the color nearby. So don’t count white out — it has a way of fitting in almost anywhere.
White always seems to look best in the shade of evening or morning’s early glow. So I have white flowers in a spot where the rising sun peeks in between the neighbor’s houses. They catch and hold that golden light as I’m enjoying my morning coffee. On the other hand, afternoon light is usually a little intense. It can make white overly bright or wash it out so you can’t make out the details.
8 of Our Favorite White Flowers
I’ve gathered a few of my favorite white flowers for cutting gardens and mixed borders. There are annuals and perennials for sun and shade, as well as a tree and a gorgeous clematis. By now you probably have a few ideas about where to grow white flowers, so let’s take a look at some plants you might want to use.
Sparkler White spider flower (Cleome hassleriana)
Sparkler™ White above has big 4- to 6-inch flowers of pure white. The name is perfect. A large group of this cultivar can really sparkle in the late-day or early-morning sun. Plant a drift of white flowers — it’s quite noticeable from a distance. Sparkler White is a choice cultivar for calling attention to the back border of a large yard.
Direct sow spider flower in spring and it will bloom the same year. It does reseed easily, though. And if you have the more common pink-and-white variety nearby, next year’s plants won’t all be white. You can prevent reseeding by snipping off the bean-like seedpods that form under the flower.
Type: Tender perennial (usually grown as an annual)
Blooms: Early summer to frost
Light: Full sun
Soil: Well-drained
Size: 36 to 48 in. tall, 24 to 36 in. wide
Hardiness: Cold hardy in USDA zones 10 to 11
BabyWing White begonia (Begonia hybrid)
Petite BabyWing™ White begonia is a great space-saver. In addition, it’s low-maintenance and tolerant of a wide range of conditions, including periods of drought, shady spots and even the hot metal urn this plant is growing in. Begonias do better when the potting mix dries out between waterings. Too much water and the plants will rot.
Because the crisp white begonia flowers have thick petals and a waxy texture, they’re great at reflecting light. You can see what a strong contrast the white is against the black urn. That helps to create the elegant, formal feel.
Type: Tender perennial (usually grown as an annual)
Blooms: Spring to frost
Light: Part sun to part shade
Soil: Well-drained
Size: 12 to 15 in tall, 10 to 12 in. wide
Hardiness: Cold hardy in USDA zones 10 to 11
‘Sonata White’ cosmos (Cosmos bipinnatus)
Looking for an easy-to-grow cut flower to add to your garden? Check out the seed rack at your favorite garden center and grab a few packets of ‘Sonata White’ cosmos. Start plants from seed and they’ll flower from early summer until frost the first year.
Once it’s blooming, butterflies are sure to visit, flitting around the 3-inch flowers. Don’t forget to cut a few for yourself, too. It’s great in bouquets. Inside or out, those papery thin petals look lovely with sunlight filtering through. Pair cosmos with heavier-looking zinnias to brighten up the combo.
Type: Annual
Blooms: Early summer to frost
Light: Full sun
Soil: Well-drained to poor
Size: 18 to 24 in. tall, 12 to 15 in. wide
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‘Black Negligee’ bugbane (Actaea simplex)
Need some height in your shade garden? Try stately ‘Black Negligee’ bugbane. White bottlebrush flowers can get up to 24 inches long and are quite fragrant. Though plants do well in shade, they need some sun to get the darkest foliage. And you’re going to want it. The darker the leaves, the better they highlight the white flowers. Besides that, deep shade causes flower stalks to lean toward the light and need staking to stay upright. Growing plants under a high-limbed tree is usually your best bet. Slow-growing bugbane needs consistent moisture and rich organic soil to look good.
Type: Perennial
Blooms: Late summer to fall
Light: Part to full shade
Soil: Moist, well-drained
Size: 4 to 5 ft. tall, 2 to 3 ft. wide
Hardiness: Cold hardy in USDA zones 4 to 8
‘Fama White’ pincushion flower (Scabiosa caucasica)
The big 3- to 4-inch blooms of ‘Fama White’ pincushion flower bobbing in the breeze are a classic summer image. Add the butterflies that flutter in and you have a picture-perfect garden! If you grow flowers, bouquets can’t be far from your mind. Cut a few to take inside — they last up to a week. Long stems grow over a low mound of foliage, so they’re easy to cut.
This plant is more than just a pretty flower, though. It’s deer resistant and drought tolerant, too. Combine 'Fama White' with oranges, yellows and reds to keep hot colors from looking too intense.
Type: Perennial
Blooms: Summer to fall
Light: Full sun
Soil: Well-drained
Size: 20 to 24 in. tall, 12 to 18 in. wide
Hardiness: Cold hardy in USDA zones 4 to 10
‘Snow Queen’ clematis (Clematis hybrid)
This clematis is an old favorite for good reason. Those 6- to 7-inch white flowers with red-purple anthers attract a lot of attention. Grow it on a trellis, an obelisk or even in a container. New spring flowers open with a slight pink or blue tint that fades quickly to white. ‘Snow Queen’ is at its showiest early in the season but there’s a second, smaller flush in late summer.
Pruning is simple
As this variety blooms on old wood in spring and new growth in summer, just cut back any broken or dead branches before it blooms. If needed, thin the vines after they bloom to keep it from looking wild.
Type: Vine
Blooms: Late spring and late summer
Light: Full sun to part shade
Soil: Well-drained
Size: 6 to 10 ft. tall, 2 to 3 ft. wide
Hardiness: Cold hardy in USDA zones 4 to 8
Fothergilla (Fothergilla major)
Fragrant, creamy white bottlebrush blooms of fothergilla are charming in early spring. Then summer brings leathery blue-green foliage that turns red, yellow and orange, often all on the same leaf, in fall. You can see it in the inset photo.
Get more flowers
The flowers bloom at the tips of the branches, so you can simply deadhead them. But if you cut back to a leaf joint, your fothergilla will reward you with more flowers in midspring. As a bonus, this pruning encourages a fuller, bushier growth habit.
Type: Shrub
Blooms: 2- to 3-in.-long bottlebrush white flowers in early spring
Light: Full sun to part shade
Soil: Evenly moist, well-drained soil that’s acid to neutral
Size: 6 to 10 ft. tall, 6 to 8 ft. wide
Hardiness: Cold hardy in USDA zones 4 to 9
Kousa dogwood (Cornus kousa)
Kousa dogwood flowers bring out plant envy in everyone who sees them. And it’s an understory tree, so even if you have an established tree, you can still grow a Kousa dogwood. The 3- to 5-inch white pointed flowers will go a long way toward brightening up a yard that has some shade. Those “petals” are actually bracts — a modified leaf — and the flowers, which butterflies like a lot, by the way, are in the center. In its younger years, Kousa dogwood has a vase-shaped habit. As it ages, it develops a more rounded look.
Type: Tree
Blooms: Late spring
Light: Full sun to part shade
Soil: Well-drained to sandy
Size: 15 to 30 ft. tall and wide
Hardiness: Cold hardy in USDA zones 5 to 8
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