Shrubs with white flowers offer a serene and elegant aesthetic to any garden, providing a clean, bright contrast against green foliage or darker blooms. These plants often bloom at various times from early spring through late summer, ensuring a prolonged season of floral beauty. Their white flowers can range from large, showy clusters to delicate, star-shaped blossoms, attracting a host of pollinators like bees and butterflies.
Cultivating these shrubs generally involves ensuring they receive adequate sunlight, with many preferring full sun to partial shade, though some thrive in the dappled light of woodland settings. Soil requirements can vary, with many needing well-drained soil, and some species particularly favoring acidic conditions for optimal flowering. Pruning after they bloom can help maintain their shape and encourage bushier growth or more flowers the following season.
White-flowered shrubs can contribute fragrance to the garden, with some varieties offering a sweet scent that enhances outdoor spaces. They’re versatile in landscape design, suitable for borders, hedges, or as standalone features. These shrubs not only beautify gardens but also play a role in supporting local ecosystems by providing nectar and sometimes food sources like berries for wildlife.
Shrubs With White Flowers
Hydrangea (Hydrangea arborescens ‘Annabelle’)
This variety of Hydrangea is famed for its large, spherical clusters of white flowers that bloom in summer. ‘Annabelle’ hydrangeas are particularly hardy, requiring partial shade to full sun and moist, well-drained soil. They can be quite showy, with blooms that often start green before turning a pure white.
Viburnum (Viburnum plicatum ‘Mariesii’)
Known for its tiered branching that showcases horizontal layers of white flowers in spring, this Viburnum is a favorite in landscaping. It prefers full sun to partial shade and well-drained soil. The flowers are not only visually appealing but also have a sweet fragrance, attracting pollinators.
Mock Orange (Philadelphus coronarius)
This shrub produces an abundance of white, fragrant flowers in late spring to early summer, reminiscent of orange blossoms. Mock Orange thrives in full sun to partial shade with well-drained soil. Its scent is one of its most alluring features, making it a delightful addition to sensory gardens.
Spirea (Spiraea × vanhouttei)
Often called Bridal Wreath Spirea for its cascading branches covered in clusters of small white flowers in spring, this shrub is both romantic and enduring. It grows well in full sun, in a variety of soil conditions, and requires minimal care once established.
Deutzia (Deutzia gracilis)
This shrub offers a profusion of star-shaped, white flowers in early summer, giving a light, airy feel to the garden. Deutzia prefers full sun to light shade and well-drained soil. Its delicate blooms make it a charming choice for borders or as a low hedge.
White Flowering Camellia (Camellia japonica ‘Alba Plena’)
This evergreen shrub provides large, double white flowers in late winter to early spring, offering a burst of color when most gardens are still dormant. Camellias need acidic, well-drained soil and partial shade, making them perfect for woodland settings or as a focal point in a winter garden.
Rhododendron (Rhododendron ‘Cunningham’s White’)
Known for its large, white, bell-shaped flowers in spring, this Rhododendron variety is a classic. It requires acidic soil, good drainage, and thrives in partial shade, making it an excellent choice for shaded garden areas where it can provide a significant floral display.
White Flowering Weigela (Weigela florida ‘Snowflake’)
This cultivar offers pure white flowers that stand out against its green foliage in late spring to early summer. Weigela ‘Snowflake’ is adaptable to various soil types in full sun to partial shade, providing both ornamental value and attracting pollinators like butterflies and bees.
White Flowering Dogwood (Cornus florida ‘Cherokee Princess’)
This tree-like shrub is celebrated for its large, showy white bracts that surround the tiny true flowers in spring. It prefers well-drained, acidic soil in partial shade to full sun. ‘Cherokee Princess’ is particularly noted for its robust growth and resistance to disease, making it a garden favorite.
White Flowering Azalea (Rhododendron ‘Delaware Valley White’)
This deciduous azalea variety blooms in spring with clusters of pure white flowers, offering a fragrant spectacle. It requires acidic, well-drained soil and partial shade to thrive, making it ideal for woodland gardens or as an understory planting.
White Flowering Clethra (Clethra alnifolia ‘Sixteen Candles’)
Known as Summersweet, this shrub produces spikes of fragrant white flowers in mid to late summer, attracting bees and butterflies. It prefers moist, acidic soils and can grow in full sun to partial shade, perfect for rain gardens or near water features.
White Flowering Daphne (Daphne mezereum)
This deciduous Daphne blooms very early in spring with clusters of white, sweetly scented flowers along the bare stems before the leaves emerge. It’s a plant for those who appreciate subtlety, needing well-drained soil and partial shade, often used in rockeries or small garden spaces.
White Flowering Spiraea (Spiraea nipponica ‘Snowmound’)
In spring, this shrub is covered in a mound of white flowers, giving it its name. It’s a low-maintenance plant that does well in full sun and various soil types, making it suitable for hedges, borders, or as a standalone feature.
White Flowering Magnolia (Magnolia stellata)
The Star Magnolia is known for its white, star-shaped flowers that bloom in early spring, sometimes even through late snowfalls. It requires well-drained soil and full sun to partial shade for the best flowering. Its compact size makes it perfect for smaller gardens or as a statement plant.
White Flowering Abelia (Abelia × grandiflora ‘Sherwoodii’)
This evergreen or semi-evergreen shrub produces small, white, bell-shaped flowers from late spring into fall, offering a long season of interest. It’s adaptable to different soil types but prefers full sun to partial shade for optimal growth and flowering.
White Flowering Viburnum (Viburnum tinus ‘Eve Price’)
This evergreen viburnum blooms in late winter to early spring with clusters of white flowers, providing a welcome splash of color when little else is flowering. It’s tolerant of various conditions but does best in well-drained soil with full sun to partial shade, making it a good choice for hedging or as a backdrop for other plants.
White Flowering Syringa (Syringa microphylla ‘Superba)
This lilac variety produces clusters of small, fragrant white flowers in late spring. It’s more compact than common lilacs, making it suitable for smaller gardens, and it prefers full sun to light shade with well-drained soil.
White Flowering Buddleja (Buddleja globosa ‘Cally White’)
Unlike the typical purple or pink butterfly bush, ‘Cally White’ has spherical clusters of white flowers in early summer, attracting butterflies and other pollinators. It thrives in full sun and well-drained soil, offering a unique twist on this garden favorite.
White Flowering Cotoneaster (Cotoneaster lacteus)
This evergreen shrub blooms with small, white flowers in spring, followed by red berries in the fall. It’s ideal for use as a hedge or screen, preferring full sun to partial shade and well-drained soil.
White Flowering Choisya (Choisya ternata ‘Aztec Pearl’)
Known as Mexican Orange Blossom, this shrub offers fragrant, star-shaped white flowers in spring and sometimes again in fall. It does well in full sun to partial shade with well-drained soil, adding both scent and structure to the garden.
White Flowering Pieris (Pieris japonica ‘Valley Valentine’)
Although ‘Valley Valentine’ has pink buds that open to white flowers in early spring, it’s included for its striking floral display. It prefers acidic, well-drained soil in partial shade, making it perfect for woodland gardens or as an accent plant.
White Flowering Osmanthus (Osmanthus delavayi)
This evergreen shrub produces clusters of small, fragrant white flowers in spring. It’s well-suited for hedges or as a backdrop due to its dense, glossy foliage, thriving in full sun to partial shade with well-drained soil.
White Flowering Deutzia (Deutzia scabra ‘Plena’)
This variety of Deutzia is known for its double white flowers that cover the plant in early summer. It’s easy to grow, preferring full sun and well-drained soil, making it a charming addition for borders or as a low hedge.
White Flowering Philadelphus (Philadelphus ‘Virginal’)
This Mock Orange cultivar boasts large, double white flowers with a strong, sweet fragrance in early summer. It does best in full sun to partial shade, requiring well-drained soil, and can serve as a focal point or a privacy screen in the garden.