Top 50 Plants for a White Garden
White flowering plants to create a sweet-scented, serene garden loved by insects both by day and by night
List Curated by Thomas McBride From research data collected and collated at the National Botanic Garden of Wales
NB: Butterflies and Moths are not studied at the NBGW so any data on nectar plants beneficial for them is taken from Butterfly Conservation 51 Photo: Will Billlium (Flickr) Introduction A White Garden is a perfect way to create a more serene, peaceful section within a larger garden. It can work well enclosed with hedges if you have a medium-sized garden with several garden ‘rooms’ or as a much larger open space within a large garden. If you have a smaller garden, you may wish simply to use this list to pick white flowers to grow in your border. A white garden is usually a year- round investment so, unlike a hot border, it is great to select flowers that will cover all or most of the seasons, hence, a wide variety are included on this list including a few larger shrubs. White gardens usually work best in fairly dry, well draining soil but may be sunny or in partial shade. Plants As with most gardens, choosing a variety of plants of different heights is important. Place shrubs and tall perennials at the back of the border and smaller plants towards the front. White flowers often have a strong scent as it makes up for the lack of petal colour to attract pollinators. Keep scent in mind when choosing plants as it can add an additional level to your garden. Many of these plants will also attract moths and nocturnal insects. Map Maps depict the native area of the plant (in green) Guide to using these pages: They also show areas the plant is naturalised (in purple)
Latin Binomial All maps shown Name are derived from ‘Plants of the Common World Online’; English courtesy of Kew Name Gardens
Flowering Period Photograph (this is when it is good of the plant for pollinators!) in flower
Plant Family
Insect groups known to Growing habit favour the and mature size nectar of this of the plant plant
Useful knowledge or warnings about the plant White cultivars of this species, mostly AGM but some are simply popular cultivars i Key to these Pages Warnings
Additional information on these garden plants
This plant would The flowers only be suitable for and/or leaves meadow-style have a Pleasant Plant tissue is highly planting scent toxic if ingested
The plant has edible parts that are Sap may cause irritation Plant is often used in commonly eaten or (Wash hands after touching traditional Herbal Remedies used in cooking or avoid touching)
ii Temperature RHS Hardiness Scale
Some of the plants listed in our Top 200 are not fully H1a - Above 15ºC hardy in all or some parts of the United Kingdom. H1b - Minimum 10ºC Plants without a thermometer symbol are fully hardy in the severest UK Winter; equating to H5 or hardier. H1c - Minimum 5ºC Plants with a coloured thermometer symbol are hardy to varying degrees as follows: H2 - Minimum 1ºC
H3 - Minimum -5ºC
H4 - Minimum -10ºC
H5 - Minimum -15ºC Almost Hardy Half-Hardy Not Frost Hardy Not Hardy (H4) (H3) (H2) (H1) iii Pollinators Our data on pollinators has been collected from studies spanning over a decade. Pollinator symbols appear when plants are proven to be good nectar (a) (b) plants for certain insects. It should be noted that all bee and hoverfly data is ours but lepidoptera data is taken from Butterfly Conservation.
Our data spans a wide range of different insect species. For simplicity, these species have been condensed into six easy icons to represent them: (c) (d) a) Honeybees c) Bumblebees e) Moths b) Hoverflies d) Butterflies f) Solitary Bees (Includes Moths)
(e) (f) iv Ammi majus Afro-Eurasia Bishop’s Weed
- Species - Summer . ‘Graceland’
Apiaceae Carrot Family
3ft Annual
Photograph from Wikipedia (CC) H. Zell 1 Anaphalis margaritacea Asia Pearly Everlasting
Related species: Anaphalis triplinervis ‘Sommerschnee’ Summer . - Species - Asteraceae Daisy Family
2ft Perennial
Photograph from Flickr (CC) Per Verdonk 2 Anemone hupehensis var. japonica Japanese Anemone
East Asia
‘Honorine Jobert’ Summer .
‘Whirlwind’ (Not AGM)
Ranunculaceae Buttercup Family
3ft Perennial
Photograph from Flickr (CC) Sen Itto 3 Anemone nemorosa Wood Anemone
Europe
- Species - Spring .
Ranunculaceae Buttercup Family
<1ft Tuberous
Photograph © Thomas McBride 4 Anthriscus sylvestris Afro-Eurasia Cow Parsley
Late Spring - Species - (Not AGM) - Early Summer
‘Ravenswing’ (Not AGM)
Apiaceae Carrot Family
4ft Perennial
Photograph from Flickr (CC) Jorick Homan 5 Aster ericoides N. America White Heath Aster
‘Brimstone’ Autumn . ‘Snow Flurry’
Asteraceae Daisy Family
3ft Perennial
Photograph from Wikipedia (CC) Cody Hough 6 Astrantia major Europe Great Masterwort
‘Alba’ (Not AGM) Summer .
‘Snow Star’ (Not AGM)
Apiaceae Carrot Family
3ft Perennial
Photograph from Flickr (CC) Allan Harris 7 Borago officinalis Mediterranean Common Borage
Late Spring ‘Alba’ (Not AGM) - Midsummer
Boraginaceae Borage Family
2ft Annual
Photograph from PlantSam (CC) Frau Doktor 8 Buddleja davidii China Common Butterfly Bush
‘Monite’ Summer . ‘White Profusion’
Scrophulariaceae Figwort Family
Large Shrub
Photograph from Flickr (CC) Forest & Kim Starr 9 Campanula persicifolia Eurasia Peach-leaved Bellflower
‘Alba’ (Not AGM) Summer . ‘Chettle Charm’ (Not AGM) Campanulaceae Bellflower Family
2ft Perennial
Photograph from Flickr (CC) Leo Setä 10 Centaurea montana Europe Perennial Cornflower
Late Spring ‘Alba’ (Not AGM) - Midsummer ‘Amethyst in Snow’ (Not AGM)
Asteraceae Daisy Family
2ft Perennial
Photograph from Flickr (CC) Brenda Dobbs 11 Choisya x dewitteana Arizona Choisya arizonica Garden Mexican Orange Blossom Choisya arizonica x Choisya ternata
Choisya ternata Mexico
‘Aztec Pearl’ Late Spring & Early Autumn ‘White Dazzler’
Rutaceae Rue Family
Small Shrub
Photograph from Flickr (CC) D Brooker 12 Cistus ladanifer Mediterranean Gum Rock-rose, Laudanum
- Species - (Not AGM) Summer . Related hybrid: C. x cyprius
Cistaceae Rock-rose Family
Medium Shrub
* This plant will not survive below -10’c night temperatures, protect from very harsh winter nights Photograph from Flickr (CC) Zoë 13 N. America & Dasiphora fruticosa Eurasia Garden Potentilla
‘Abbotswood’ Early Summer - Early Autumn ‘Groneland’
Rosaceae Rose Family
Medium Shrub
Photograph from Flickr (CC) Shihmei Barger 14 Delphinium elatum Eurasia Candle Larkspur
‘Elizabeth Cook’ Summer . ‘Jill Curley’
Ranunculaceae Buttercup Family
5ft Perennial
Photograph from Flickr (CC) Yew Chan 15 Deutzia gracilis Japanese Snow Flower
Japan
Mid Spring ‘Nana’ (Not AGM) - Early Summer ‘Nikko’
Hydrangeaceae Hydrangea Family
Medium Shrub
Photograph from Flickr (CC) Dan Mullen 16 Digitalis purpurea Europe Common Foxglove
Var. albiflora Summer . ‘Camelot White’
Plantaginaceae Plantain Family
5ft Biennial
Photograph from Flickr (CC) Aaron Carlson 17 Erigeron karvinskianus C. America Mexican Fleabane
-Species- Summer .
Asteraceae Daisy Family
1ft Perennial
Photograph from Flickr (CC) Sumana Khanom 18 Eucomis autumnalis Autumn Pineapple-lily
S. Africa
-Species- Late Summer - Mid Autumn
Asparagaceae Asparagus Family
1ft Bulbous
Photograph from Flickr (CC) Thistle Garden 19 Exochorda Exochorda x macrantha racemosa var. Garden Pearlbush grandiflora Exochorda albertii x Exochorda grandiflora* Exochorda racemosa var. albertii
C. Asia China
‘The Bride’ Late Spring - Early Summer ‘Snow Day’ (Not AGM)
Rosaceae Rose Family
Medium Shrub
* The two parents were originally considered separate species Photograph from Flickr (CC) Tim Waters due to geographic separation, however, genetic studies show they might simply be different variants of Exochorda20 racemosa Fatsia japonica Japanese Aralia
East Asia
- Species - Autumn . ‘Variegata’
Araliaceae Ivy Family
Medium Shrub
Photograph from Flickr (CC) Cerlin Ng 21 Galanthus nivalis Europe Common Snowdrop
‘Viridapice’ Winter . -Species-
Amaryllidaceae Daffodil Family
1ft Bulbous
Photograph from Flickr (CC) Allan Harris 22 Geranium x oxonianum Pyrenees Balkans Oxford Cranesbill Geranium endressii x Geranium versicolor
Geranium Geranium endressii versicolor
Late Spring – ‘Rebecca Moss’ (Not AGM) Early Autumn ‘Wageningen’
Geraniaceae Cranesbill Family
2ft Perennial
Photograph from Flickr (CC) Kerry Woods 23 Helleborus orientalis Anatolia & Caucasus Lenten-rose
Helleborus x hybridus Midwinter ‘Pebworth White’ - Mid Spring
‘Albus’ (Both Not AGM) Ranunculaceae Buttercup Family
2ft Perennial
Photograph from Flickr (CC) Sönke Haas 24 Hyacinthus orientalis Middle East Garden Hyacinth
‘L'innocence’ Late Winter - Mid Spring ‘White Festival’ * Asparagaceae Asparagus Family
1ft Bulbous
* This plant will not survive below -10’c night temperatures, protect bulbs from very harsh winter nights Photograph from Flickr (CC) Katy Wrathall 25 Hydrangea paniculata Panicled Hydrangea
East Asia
‘Big Ben’ Summer . ‘Phantom’
Hydrangeaceae Hydrangea Family
Medium Shrub
Photograph from Flickr (CC) Jack Wolf 26 Hydrangea quercifolia Oak-leaved Hydrangea
N. America
‘Snow Queen’ Summer . ‘Snowflake’
Hydrangeaceae Hydrangea Family
Medium Shrub
Photograph from Flickr (CC) J Biochemist 27 Iberis sempervirens Mediterranean Perennial Candytuft
Late Spring ‘Appen Etz’ (Not AGM) - Midsummer ‘Snowflake’
Brassicaceae Mustard Family
1ft Perennial
Photograph from Flickr (CC) Shihmei Barger 28 Lamprocapnos spectabilis Bleeding Heart
East Asia
‘Alba’ Mid Spring - Early Summer ‘White Gold’ (Not AGM)
Papaveraceae Poppy Family
2ft Perennial
Photograph from Flickr (CC) Kerry Woods 29 Leucanthemum x superbum N. America Shasta Daisy Complex Hybrid*
‘T.E. Killin’ Midsummer - Early Autumn ‘Wirral Supreme’
Asteraceae Daisy Family
4ft Perennial
Photograph from Flickr (CC) A. Dmitter * Map therefore shows naturalised regions as there is no30 native region Leucojum aestivum Europe Summer Snowflake
‘Gravetye Giant’ Spring .
- Species - (Not AGM)
Amaryllidaceae Daffodil Family
1ft Bulbous
Photograph from Flickr (CC) Takashi Hososhima 31 Lilium candidum Eurasia Madonna Lily
None Summer .
Liliaceae Lily Family
6ft Bulbous
Photograph from Flickr (CC) Zachi Evenor 32 Lunaria annua Europe Honesty
Var. albiflora Late Spring - Early Summer ‘Alba variegata’
Brassicaceae Mustard Family
3ft Biennial / Annual
Photograph from Wikipedia (CC) Derek Harper 33 Lychnis coronaria Rose Campion
Eurasia
‘Alba’ Summer .
Caryophyllaceae Pink Family
3ft Biennial
Photograph from Flickr (CC) BBC Gardeners World 34 Lysimachia clethroides Gooseneck Loosestrife
East Asia
- Species - Summer .
‘Geisha’ (Not AGM)
Primulaceae Primrose Family
3ft Perennial
Photograph from Flickr (CC) Kerry Woods 35 Magnolia stellata Star Magnolia
Japan
‘Centennial’ Spring . ‘Royal Star’
Magnoliaceae Magnolia Family
Small Tree
Photograph from Flickr (CC) Ting Chen 36 Muscari armeniacum Eurasia Garden Grape-Hyacinth
Early Winter ‘Album’ (Not AGM) - Mid Spring ‘Siberian Tiger’ (Not AGM) Asparagaceae Asparagus Family
1ft Bulbous
Photograph from Flickr (CC) Blue-footed Booby 37 Myrtus communis Afro-Eurasia Common Myrtle
- Species - Midsummer - Early Autumn Ssp. tarentina
Myrtaceae Myrtle Family
Small Shrub
* This plant will not survive below -10’c night Photograph from Flickr (CC) Tim Waters temperatures, protect from very harsh winter38 nights Paeonia lactiflora Chinese Paeony
East Asia
‘Miss America’ Late Spring - Early Summer ‘Whitleyi Manor’
Paeoniaceae Paeony Family
3ft Perennial
Photograph from Flickr (CC) Linda de Volder 39 Papaver orientale Anatolia & Caucasus Oriental Poppy
‘Black & White’ Late Spring - Midsummer ‘Royal Wedding’ (Not AGM) Papaveraceae Poppy Family
2ft Perennial
Photograph from Flickr (CC) F D Richards 40 Penstemon x gloxinoides Penstemon cobaea Penstemon hartwegii Garden Penstemon Penstemon cobaea x Penstemon hartwegii
N. America
‘Wedding Day’ Midsummer - Early Autumn ‘White Bedder’ (Neither are AGM) Plantaginaceae Plantain Family
2ft Perennial
* This plant will not survive below -10’c night Photograph from Flickr (CC) Manuel M Vicente temperatures, protect from very harsh winter41 nights Philadelphus coronarius Anatolia Sweet Mock-orange
‘Aureus’ Late Spring - Midsummer ‘Variegatus’
Hydrangeaceae Hydrangea Family
Medium Shrub
Photograph from Flickr (CC) Stanze Bla 42 Phlox paniculata N. America Garden Phlox
‘Alba Grandiflora’ Midsummer - Early Autumn ‘White Admiral’
Polemoniaceae Jacob’s Ladder Family
3ft Perennial
Photograph from Flickr (CC) Shihmei Barger 43 Polygonatum multiflorum Europe Solomon’s Seal
P. multiflorum x P. odoratum Polygonatum x Spring . hybridum
Asparagaceae Asparagus Family
3ft Bulbous
Photograph from Flickr (CC) Kerry Woods 44 Romneya coulteri N. America Californian Tree-Poppy
- Species - Summer . ‘White Cloud’
Papaveraceae Poppy Family
6ft Perennial
Photograph from Flickr (CC) Lotus Johnson 45 Rosa rugosa Japanese Rose
East Asia
Midsummer ‘Alba’ (Not AGM) - Early Autumn ‘Schneezwerg’
Rosaceae Rose Family
Medium Shrub
Photograph from Flickr (CC) Orfano Mondo 46 Spiraea Spiraea x vanhouttei Spiraea cantoniensis Garden Bridalwort trilobata Spiraea trilobata x Spiraea cantoniensis
Asia China
‘Renaissance’(Not AGM) Early Summer Related species: Spiraea nipponica - Early Autumn ‘Snowmound’ Rosaceae Rose Family
Medium Shrub
Photograph from Flickr (CC) Shihmei Barger 47 Tulipa gesneriana Anatolia Garden Tulip
‘White Dream’ Spring . ‘White Parrot’
Liliaceae Lily Family
2ft Bulbous
Photograph from Flickr (CC) Andy Arthur 48 Veronicastrum virginicum N. America Culver’s Root
‘Album’ Midsummer - Early Autumn ‘Alboroseum’(Not AGM)
Plantaginaceae Plantain Family
6ft Perennial
Photograph from Flickr (CC) Anna Aoss 49 Wisteria sinensis Chinese Wisteria
China
‘Jako’ Mid Spring - Early Summer Var. alba (Not AGM)
Fabaceae Legume Family
10ft+ Vine
Photograph from Flickr (CC) Jardín Botánico Nacional, Chile 50