Shrubs with white flowers are perfect bushy landscape plants to brighten up any garden. White flowering shrubs bloom with some of the most elegant, romantic and attractive flowers on any plant. The beauty of choosing shrubs with white flowers is that you can find varieties that bloom in all seasons. So you can enjoy shrubs with breathtakingly large white flowers from spring to autumn.
When choosing the best white flowering shrubs for your landscape, it's a good idea to picklow-maintenance bushes. You should also consider the amount of sun your garden is getting, your growing zone, and flowering time. If you want lots of color in winter, then evergreen shrubs with white flowers are ideal.
This article is a guide to choosing the best garden shrubs that bloom with white flowers. Descriptions and pictures of each plant species will help you decide which type of white flowering shrub is best.
How to choose the best shrubs with white flowers
Several factors can affect yoursChoice of flowering shrub. First of all, it is important to decide where you want to enjoy white flowers. Somedwarf shrubswith white flowers are ideal for borders, containers orfoundation plantings. Larger white flowering shrubs grow well as live privacy screens,hedges, or specimen plants.
Another consideration when planting shrubs with white flowers is your zone, sun exposure, and soil quality. Many white shrubs such as hydrangeas, white lilacs, rhododendrons, and dogwood bushes grow well in full sun in USDA zones 5 through 9. Other perennial shrubs with white flowers like camellias, viburnum, and hibiscus need warmer climates to thrive.
White flowering shrubs (pictures and descriptions)
Let's look at some of the best examples of spring and summer flowering white flower bushes.
White hydrangea bushes
White flowering hydrangea bushes add a stunning focal point to the front of the garden as a base plant
Hydrangeas are deciduous shrubs that producelarge white flowersas well as other colorful flowers. Depending on the hydrangea variety, the white hydrangea flowers can be showy spherical, globular, conical, or flat-topped clusters of tiny flowers. The huge creamy white flowers can be 10 to 35 cm in diameter.
WeissHydrangea bushes are identifiedby its large, heart-shaped leaves, showy pastel-colored flowers and bushy habit. Typically, hydrangeas grow between 1.2 and 3.6 m in height and up to 2.5 m in width. The white flowers enjoy a long flowering season, blooming throughout summer through fall.
Grow hydrangeas in full sun or partial shade. Many hydrangea varieties are ideal solitary plants, porch bushes, shrub borders, etcblooming living fences. You can also prune white hydrangeas to create a stunning shrub-like tree.
USDA-Zone:3 bis 9
White lilac bushes (Common Syringe)
Lilac bushes produce cone-shaped flowers in shades of purple, pink, or white
Lilac bushes are hardy shrubs that produce cone-like clusters of purple, pink, or white flowers. Lilac flowers have a relatively short flowering period. When the deciduous shrub is in bloom, masses of long, fragrant, white racemes (flower clusters) cover the tall, bushy shrub. White lilac flowers grow up to 20 cm long.
Lilac bushes with white flowers grow to between 2.4 and 4.5 m in height and up to 3.6 m in width.Large purple shrubsare ideal for summer screens or hedges. Suppose you have a small garden or container garden. Then the beautiful pure white flowers of various dwarf lilac varieties are ideal for planting.
USDA-Zone:3 bis 7
Viburnum shrubs with white flowers
You can grow white flowering viburnum shrubs as an informal hedge or along fences and walls
Many Viburnum species are multi-stemmed shrubs with clusters of tiny, four-petalled white flowers growing in snowball clusters. White viburnum flowers bloom for two weeks in mid to late spring. Some viburnum shrubs are winter flowering shrubs with whitish-pink flowers. The fragrant white flower spikes are 6 cm wide.
In some zones viburnum is aevergreen flowering shrub. The dense foliage and white flowers are ideal for creating a privacy hedge, perennial shrub border or basic planting. In colder zones, viburnum leaves turn a beautiful dark maroon in fall. These white spring-flowering shrubs grow to 2.4 to 3 m in height and 2.1 m in spread.
USDA-Zone:4 bis 8
White rosebushes (Rosa)
Rose bushes with white flowers look elegant in any landscaped garden
Rose bushes with showy white flowers are some of the most spectacular flowering shrubs for your garden. Growing on woody stems, white rose petals create a stylish, romantic and fragrant garden setting. The multipetaled flowers are round, with petals evenly spaced around the centre. Petals on rose flowers range from five to 60.
Roses are perennial shrubswith an upright, hanging or climbing habit with a variety of uses in the garden. The flowering shrubs can be grown over arbors, climb trellises, grown as specimen plants, or grown in mixed beds or containers. Rose bushes with white flowers grow to a height of around 1 - 1.8 mclimbing rosesgrow up to 4.2 m high.
USDA-Zone:5 bis 10
cherry laurel (Prunus laurocerasus)
Cherry laurel is an evergreen shrub with attractive clusters of white flowers
Cherry laurel is an evergreen shrub with small white, fragrant flowers that grow in upright tufts (clusters) 4 inches (12 cm) long. The attractive flowers bloom in spring and give off a plum-like scent. The large, glossy, lance-shaped leaves of this shrub grow close to branches. Clusters of red berries provide plenty of winter visual interest.
cherry laurel bushesgrow rapidly and reach a height of between 3 and 6 m and a spread of up to 3.3 m. The dense bushy foliage makes the shrubs excellent for flowering hedges, screens or specimen plants.
USDA-Zone:6 bis 9
Japanese Andromeda (Pieris Japonica)
Japanese evergreen Andromeda shrubs have decorative pendulous clusters of white flowers
Japanese Andromeda is a white-flowered evergreen shrub with pendulous small tuftsbell-shaped flowers. The white clusters of shrubs that bloom in spring look like lilies of the valley and are up to 15 cm long. The shrub's lanceolate leaves appear bronze-orange before maturing to glossy green.
The evergreen shrub, also called Japanese Pieris, grows between 2.7 and 3.6 m high and up to 2.4 m wide. To enjoy the attractive white flowers, grow Japanese Andromeda in full sun to part shade.
USDA-Zone:4 bis 8
Virginia Sweetspire (Itea virginica)
The white flowering Virginia Sweetspire is a small shrub that thrives in full sun but tolerates partial shade
Virginia Sweetspire is a perennialsmall shrubwhich has long thin clusters of creamy white bottle brush flower spikes. The white-flowered, overhanging grapes are 7.5 to 15 cm long and exude a pleasant fragrance. This easy-care, deciduous shrub has lush, dark green, lanceolate leaves that turn orange and red in fall.
Virginia Sweetspire is a multi-stemmed shrub that forms dense bushes 1-3 m tall. The lush foliage and white flowers are ideal for a shrub border, hedge or basic planting. Her tolerance to wet soil makes her suitable for growing near ponds.
USDA-Zone:5 bis 9
White spirea bushes
There are several types of spirea shrubs with masses of white flowers to suit any garden setting
Spirea shrubs are hardy, deciduous shrubs that produce masses of white clusters composed of tiny flowers. Depending on the variety, the flowers bloom in spring or summer and last a few weeks. Some standout white flowering spirea varieties include Garland Spirea, Bridal Wreath Spirea, and Korean Spirea.
With their lush clusters of white flowers, spirea shrubs brighten spring and summer gardens. The upright, rounded shrubs are between 1 and 3 m high, depending on the variety. Spirea Thunbergia, Birchleaf Spirea, and White Meadowsweet Spirea are the best specimens for growing in containers.
USDA-Zone:3 bis 8
White Azaleas
White flowering azalea shrubs benefit from morning sun and afternoon shade
Azaleas or rhododendrons are semi-shade loving, large shrubs that have beautiful variegated and white semi-double flowers. The "white group" of azaleas has several native species that produce profuse white summer blooms. The trumpet-shaped white flowers have ruffled petals and long prominent stamens in clusters of five to 25 flowers.
White azaleas thrive in partial sun and prefer moist, well-drained soil. The large, rounded shrubs bloom in spring and summer and fill the warm air with pleasant scents. Depending on the type of white azalea, the dense shrubs grow between 1.2 and 6 m in height and width.
USDA-Zone:4 to 7 or 7 to 9 (depending onArt of the Azalee)
White flowering magnolia bushes
Magnolia bushes have fragrant flowers that are most commonly white or various shades of pink
Magnolia shrubs are famous for their very showy white star-shaped or cup-shaped flowers. Magnolia flowers come in a variety of hues, ranging from pure white to off-white or tulip-like light pink or deep pink blooms. Magnolia bushes typically bloom in early spring, and some have flowers that last throughout summer into fall.
White magnolia flowers can grow exceptionally large, reaching up to 30 cm in diameter. Some types of magnolia flowers have 35 white, oblong, star-shaped petals. Other magnolia shrubs have drooping cup-shaped stamens with contrasting red.
White floweringMagnolias grow as large shrubsor small trees.Magnolias perform bestin full sun or partial shade.
USDA-Zone:5 bis 9
Camellia bushes with white flowers
Camellia bushes have white, pink or red flowers and make a beautiful flowering hedge
The Japanese camellia is a broad-leaved, evergreen shrub with showy white flowers that bloom from late winter to early spring. The early blooming double flowers are 7.5 - 15 cm wide and consist of up to 20 densely growing petals in onepeony flower-like shape. The stunning flowers complement the lush, glossy green foliage.
Camellia bushes grow to between 3 and 4 m in height and 1.5 to 3 m in width. Species of the white flowering shrubs grow showy flowers of various sizes, some as small as 4 cm. Flowers on camellia bushes bloom for up to four weeks.
The shrubs with their white flowers thrive well in tubs and perennial borders and form a beautiful fragrant flowering hedge.
USDA-Zone:7 bis 9
White Hibiscus (Syrian hibiscus)
White hibiscus flowers can be single or double blooming and need full sun to grow best
White hibiscus bushes have large 5-petalled flowers in the shape of a funnel or trumpet. The late-blooming flowers have delicate, crepe-like petals up to 3 inches (7.5 cm) in diameter. The shrub blooms continuously from summer to fall and blooms year after year. However, individual flowers bloom for only one day.
Also calledJohannis herbs, the hardy shrubs are easy to grow in your garden. The beautiful white flowers contrast with dark green foliage. The exotic shrub grows between 2.4 and 3.6 m high and 1.8 to 3 m wide.
USDA-Zone:5 bis 9
Hummingbird Summer Sweet (Clethra alnifolia)
Clethra alnifolia 'Hummingbird' is a compact, white flowering shrub suitable for both sunny and shady locations
Hummingbird Summer Sweet has long white bottle brush flower spikes covering the informal cold hardy shrub. The blooming aromatic cone-shaped clusters are between 7.5 and 15 cm long. The small single white flowers are cup-shaped and bloom in June and July. The glossy green, oblong leaves of the shrub turn yellow in autumn.
Hummingbird Summer Sweet grows in massive clumps between 5 and 10 feet (1.5 - 3 m) tall. Unlike many flowering shrubs, the creamy white summer flowers bloom just as well in shade as in full sun.
USDA-Zone:3 bis 9
wine nine bark (Physocarpus opulifolius)
The compact habit of the dwarf ninebark shrub does well in rock gardens or at the front of flower beds
Wine ninebark is a deciduous shrub with small fuzzy clusters of flowers in a semi-dome shape. The pretty spherical spring flowers are usually white-pink in color and 1 to 3 inches in size. The deciduous shrub has large, ovate leaves with lobed edges that turn golden yellow in fall.
This popular garden shrub is ideal for growing in mass plantings, flowering hedges, borders or barriers. It isTolerance to drought, shade, sun and poor soil make them a useful landscape plant. The species of shrubby bush grows up to 2.4 m in height; However, the dwarf variety 'Nana' is suitable for containers and grows to 0.3 to 0.6 m in height.
USDA-Zone:2 bis 8
Lila Neunrinde (Physocarpus opulifolius)
Purple Ninbark's white flowers contrast beautifully with the dark foliage
Purple ninebark is a stunning ornamental landscape shrub with deep purple leaves and cupped racemes of white-pink flowers with a yellow center. The white flowers create a stunning contrast to the purple leaves. After the true leaves fall off, the reddish-brown bark offers plenty of winter interest.
Purple ninebark grows to between 1.5 and 2.4 m in height and 1.2 to 1.8 m in spread. This spectacular white flowering, dark leaved shrub is ideal for planting as a live screen plant, shrub border and in mass plantings.
USDA-Zone:3 bis 7
false holly (Osmanthus heterophyllus)
False holly is a hardy, white flowering, evergreen shrub with dark green or variegated foliage (right)
False holly is a large, late blooming, rounded shrub with masses of small, fragrant white flowers contrasting with glossy green, serrated leaves. This towering oval-shaped shrub gets its name from its evergreen, holly-like leaves. The sweet-smelling false holly flowers bloom in fall and persist through early winter.
False holly is an ideal flowering shrub for base plantings, security hedges or to create a year-round privacy screen. This large shrub grows to between 1.8 and 6.4 m in height and 1.5 to 3 m in spread.
USDA-Zone:6 bis 9
Japanese Aralia (Fatsia japonica)
One of the best evergreen shrubs for shade, Japanese Aralia produces small rounded clusters of white flowers
The ornamental Japanese Aralia shrub is recognized by its large, palm-like, glossy green leaves growing atop long, curving stems and creamy-white fall flowers. Japanese Aralia flowers grow in small, ball-like clusters, 1 inch (2.5 cm) in diameter. An advantage of this ornamental shrub is that it does well in shady gardens.
The tropical foliage and spherical flowers that grow on this shrub make for an attractive rounded habit. Japanese aralia grow to 1.8 to 5.7 m in height and 1.2 to 1.8 m in spread. In addition to growing in the ground, you can also grow Japanese Aralia in containers or hanging baskets.
USDA-Zone:7 bis 10
Winter-Daphne (Daphne Odora‘Alba’)
Daphne Odora 'Alba' is a species of evergreen shrub with fragrant white flowers
Winter Daphne is an evergreen flowering shrub that produces fragrant pale pink flowers. Winter Daphne 'Alba' cultivar has densely packed globose racemes of creamy white flowers that bloom in late winter to early spring. Another attractive feature of these evergreen shrubs are the glossy green, leathery, pointed, oblong leaves that grow to 7.5 cm (3 in) long.
White flowering Winter Daphne shrubs grow to between 1 and 1.8 m in height and up to 1.2 m in spread. Grow in full sun and keep soil moist for best effect.
Another beautiful white flowering daphne cultivar is 'Aureomarginata Alba' with glossy dark green leaves edged with white.
USDA-Zone:7 bis 9
Red Branch Dogwood Shrubs (White Horn)
Cornus alba - Dogwood shrubs are hardy and have rounded clusters of white flowers
Red Twig Dogwood is an ornamental multi-stemmed shrub with yellowish white flowers, dark green ovate leaves and spectacular coral red stems. This fast-growing ornamental landscape plant has attractive clusters of flat, star-shaped white flowers.
Dogwood bushes with red branchesoffer annual interest. Showy yellow and green ovate leaves and white flowers cover the shrub in spring and summer. In fall, the foliage turns spectacular purple, red, and burgundy colors. Then bright red stems provide a visual winter appeal.
Dogwood shrubs are ideal as accent shrubs, border plants or flowering hedges. Plant in full sun to encourage vigorous flowering in spring. Dogwood shrubs grow 2.4 to 3 m tall and up to 3 m wide.
USDA-Zone:3 bis 7
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