Stunning White Flowers for Your Garden

White, the color of purity, the color of death. Symbolically, the color white has been linked to a number of connotations, namely purity, divinity, and rebirth – and in certain cultures, death. In Japan, white flowers are reserved for funerals and bringing someone a bouquet of white flowers when ill is taboo. 

When alive, white flowers present a soothing contrast to their more brightly colored counterparts, whether blooming en masse or in scattered tufts. More than often than not, they’re used to imbue the garden with scent, peace, and tranquility. Here’s a list of beautiful white flowers to grow for a touch of elegance. 

Peonies 

White peonies are among the most beautiful flowers you can have in the garden, with large blooms comparable to garden roses. For a densely clustered shape, reminiscent of sea foam, try ‘Bowl of Cream.’ The classic peonies are herbaceous, featuring full rosettes of blooms, while tree peonies are less ruffled and bloom upright. 

Zones: 3 – 8

Moonflower (Impomoea alba)

Moonflower is an elegant flowering vine that can be trained to climb upon trellises. Even its blooming habit is poetic: flowers unfurl by the light of the moon, withering by morning’s light. The moonflower’s nocturnal tendency makes it ideal for a moonlight garden populated by other night-blooming flowers. 

Zones: winter hardy in zones 10 – 12, very frost sensitive   

Gardenia jasminoides 'Aimee'

Also known as gardenia or cape jasmine, this fragrant shrub thrives in organic, acidic soil. Known for its sculpted, ivory petals, this variety is long-lived, flowering from late spring to throughout the summer. With its glossy foliage and robust blooms, it’s well suited for specimen plantings or as part of a hedge. 

Zones: 7 – 10  

Syringa vulgaris ‘Madame Lemoine’ (Lilac)

Renowned as spring’s most fragrant flowers, lilacs provide statement impact wherever they’re grown. Named in honor of the wife of a French horticulturist, ‘Madame Lemoine’ is an old variety that requires low maintenance and reliably blooms in full sun, as long as the soil is well-draining. 

Zones: 4 – 7, tends to sucker  

Tulip 

Tulips tend to be brash flowers, overwhelming entire fields with intense color, much like that overly emotional acquaintance. Yet the white variety is anything but – it’s understated, subtle, and elegant. The lustrous, egg-shaped flowers of Tulip White Prince are the first to bloom, paving the way for other long-stemmed varieties. 

Zones: 3 – 7, grows best in areas with cold winters 

 

Delphinium 

Blue delphiniums are pretty flowers, but the white varieties have their perks too. No matter the color, they’re great for adding depth in a limited space. Delphiniums are stately flowers, their tall spires the hallmark of many refined gardens. Delphinium 'Black Eyed Angels' are a hybrid variety with frilly blooms underscored by black ‘bees.’ 

Zones: 3 – 9, can tolerate low temperatures  

White Wedding Hydrangeas 

Celebrated for its frothy masses of white blooms, White Wedding Hydrangeas are meant for gardeners who want to exude sophistication and charm. When planted in mass plantings or as a hedge, they’re sure to spark conversation. If you’re struggling to get bigger blooms, try a fertilizer high in phosphorus for acid-loving plants. 

Zones: 4 – 9 

Snow-N-Summer™ Asiatic Jasmine

This striking groundcover plant is great for generating interest in the winter with its ever-green foliage, which appears a variegated pink when transitioning from winter to spring. In the summer, fragrant, white flowers adorn its branches. Despite its name, it’s not related to the common jasmine. 

Zones: year-round impact in 7 – 9; salt tolerant, can be ground in coastal areas 

Night Jasmine 

Another pale flower that blooms in the dark of the night, night jasmine is a highly fragrant shrub that works best near outdoor living areas. On warm summer nights, expect its fragrance to drift towards an open window. A vigorous grower that benefits from raised garden beds to contain its growth, it responds well to pruning. 

Zones: 8 – 11, ideal for heat tolerant gardens and moonlight gardens  

White Barlow Columbine

Columbines are graceful flowers that have been grown in gardens for centuries, adding quaint charm to woodland gardens and cottage gardens. Belonging to a genus of perennial plants in the plants in the buttercup family, Ranunculaceae, columbines are long-blooming, deer-resistant, and not particularly susceptible to pests. 

Zones: 3 – 9 

Magnolia 

Magnolias, with their everlasting appeal, have graced many southern landscapes. They prefer well-drained, slightly acidic soils, though some varieties can adapt to alkaline conditions. For plants that prefer acidic soil, like magnolias, rhododendrons and azaleas, ericaceous compost is preferred. 

Zones: 3 – 10 

Abyssinian gladiolus (Acidanthera)

There is something indisputably elegant about the arched stalks of Acidanthera, marked by burgundy at their throats. They’re graded by size – a larger corm corresponds to a more abundant display of flowers. Wait until the soil is warm, around tomato-planting time, to plant; you can start earlier in containers or raised beds. 

Zones: winter hardy in 7 – 11   

Nemesia 

Nemesia are tidy little flowers commonly grown as filler plants in containers or hanging baskets. A dainty annual that’s often overlooked, its grown for long-season interest, remaining available long after other early-season flowers have wilted. Nemesia ‘Wisley Vanilla’ is a pale variety that is notable for its heavenly scent. 

Zones: 2 – 10  

Clematis 

Those with shady areas in the yard often suffer to find attractive flowers that can compete with their sun-loving cousins. Clematis, a vining plant, is one variety that can fill the void. Several varieties, including ‘Guernsey Cream,’ are tolerant of partial to full shade. Their profuse, luminous blooms are lovely against a backdrop of green foliage. 

Zones: 3 – 9, heat-tolerant varieties can grow in 10  

Damascus Rose 

Associated with the ancient city of Damascus, the Damascus rose, or damask rose, has long been favored by poets of antiquity. Perfumers have tried for centuries to distill its heady scent into damask perfumes – a honeyed, spicy scent that invokes the cities of the Orient. Leda is a fragrant damask rose variety composed of milky blossoms tinted with a blush of pink. 

Zones: 4 – 7; requires attention, can be susceptible to fungal diseases