15 Plants with White Flowers for a Small Garden or Border

A white garden—that is, a garden filled with plants that have white flowers—remains very popular. Following the world-famous example of Sissinghurst in Kent, England, many beautiful gardens (and borders) have already been designed and laid out. Even in a small garden, a white garden or white border is easy to create. You might think a white garden is boring, but the opposite is true. White pairs beautifully with the green of the foliage and exudes peace and tranquility. It looks stylish and, depending on the plants (and materials), can have a romantic, rustic, or even modern feel.

Which plants with white flowers should you plant for a white garden?

White-flowering shrubs for texture

Start with your structural plants. Decide whether you want to add a shrub (or even a small tree) to your white border. This adds shape and structure and keeps your garden or border interesting even when there aren't many flowers blooming.

White Roses

If you want to follow the example of the white garden at Sissinghurst, a white rose is a must. If there isn’t enough space for a rose in your border, consider a white climbing rose. That way, you can still enjoy these beautiful flowers. Roses bloom profusely, and many varieties bloom for a very long time. An added bonus of roses is the wonderful fragrance that will fill your garden. Roses prefer a sunny spot. Climbing roses need a support structure.

Some beautiful white roses include Rosa ‘Iceberg,’ ‘Mme Alfred Carrière,’ ‘Winchester Cathedral,’ and ‘White New Dawn.’

White hydrangea

A white-flowering hydrangea fits perfectly in a white garden or border. You’ll enjoy a very long blooming season, and there are many beautiful white hydrangeas. For example, white garden hydrangeas (Hydrangea macrophylla), such as ‘Schneeball,’ ‘Madame Emile Mouilere,’ ‘Teller White,’ and ‘Forever & Ever.’ Nowadays, there are also varieties that remain smaller. The Annabelle hydrangea (Hydrangea arborescens) is perhaps the best-known white hydrangea. There are also many white panicle hydrangeas, but these often tend to turn pink.

Hydrangeas prefer partial shade and need quite a bit of water to grow well. The Strong Annabelle can tolerate more sun and is less susceptible to drying out.

Snowball

There are many varieties of snowball (Viburnum). They all produce beautiful white flowers or flower clusters and add a lot of texture to the garden. They often grow quite large, but it’s perfectly possible to keep them small by pruning. You can also use a Viburnum as a small tree in your garden. Consider Viburnum burkwoodii, opulus, and plicatum, or the evergreen Viburnum tinus.

Butterfly Bush

A butterfly bush (Buddleja davidii) blooms for a very long time and adds height to your border. The flowers grow in large, upright clusters. By cutting off the spent flowers, your butterfly bush will continue to bloom even longer. A butterfly bush can grow quite tall (and quickly). Prune it back annually to about 30 cm above the ground, or choose a low-growing variety, such as the Chip and Ball cultivars.

White-flowering butterfly bushes: Buddleja davidii ‘White Profusion,’ ‘White Ball,’ and ‘White Chip’

Tree or shrub with white blossoms

Do you have a little more space, or would you like to add a white-flowering tree (elsewhere) in your garden? Then choose one of the many beautiful flowering trees with white blossoms. For example, as a shrub, a multi-trunk tree, or a standard tree. Beautiful flowering trees include the serviceberry (Amelanchier lamarckii), white-flowering ornamental apples (Malus ‘Evereste’ and ‘Red Sentinel’), and star magnolia (Magnolia stellata). The blooms may be short-lived, but with a flowering tree, you can set the tone for your white border early in the spring.

Flowering perennials with white flowers

Perennials pair beautifully with shrubs or ornamental grasses. If you have limited space, or if you’re working with a small or narrow border, you can also choose to plant only perennials. There’s more than enough variety to still create a beautiful border.

Larkspur

Larkspur (Delphinium) is a tall perennial with stately flower spikes. It blooms in June–July, prefers full sun and nutrient-rich soil, and often needs support. Ideal for classic flower borders. Pruning back after flowering often encourages a second bloom around September.

White-flowering varieties: Delphinium ‘Galahad’ and ‘Snowgoose’

Lupine

Lupine (Lupinus) is a striking, upright-growing plant known for its long, cone-shaped flower spikes. It is prized for its abundant blooms and its foliage, which features distinctive palm-shaped leaves. Most varieties prefer a sunny location and well-drained soil.

White-flowering lupines: Lupinus ‘The Governor’ and ‘Gallery White’

Flame Flower

Phlox is a popular perennial known for its dense clusters of small, often fragrant flowers. They bloom in the summer and add a soft, romantic touch to the garden. They often grow upright. They thrive in both full sun and partial shade.

White-flowering varieties: Phlox paniculata ‘Casa Blanca’, ‘Archangel’, ‘David’, and ‘Nora Leigh’

Autumn Anemone

Autumn anemone (Anemone hupehensis) is an elegant perennial that blooms from late summer through fall, with graceful, often white to pale pink flowers. It adds color to the garden when many other plants have already finished blooming. It thrives best in (partial) shade.

White-flowering varieties: Anemone ‘Honorine Jobert’ and ‘Whirlwind’

Yarrow

Yarrow (Achillea millefolium) is a robust, fairly drought-tolerant perennial with delicate, pinnate leaves and flat umbels full of small flowers. It’s an ideal plant for giving your border a natural look. Achillea millefolium is native to the region.

White-flowering yarrow: Achillea ‘The Pearl’ and ‘Schneetaler’

Speedwell

Speedwell (Veronica) is a long-blooming plant with an upright growth habit and long flowering spikes. Many species produce blue and purple flowers, but there are also beautiful white-flowering varieties. It prefers a sunny location.

Speedwell with white flowers: Veronica longifolia ‘Alba’, Veronica spicata ‘Alba’, and ‘Snowflakes’

Zeeland button

Zeeland Aster (Astrantia) is a perennial with star-shaped flowers. It blooms for a long time: from summer through early fall. It has a lovely bushy growth habit. It tolerates shade well.

White-flowering varieties: Astrantia major ‘Alba’, ‘Snow Star’, and ‘Shaggy’

Sun Hat

Coneflower (Echinacea) is one of the best-known perennials and stands out for its large flowers surrounding an orange or brown cone. It has a very long blooming period. Most varieties bloom in shades of pink. They retain their shape well into winter.

Sunhat Varieties with White Flowers: Echinacea purpurea ‘White Swan,’ ‘PowWow White,’ and ‘Alba’

Tips for a Beautiful White Border

Here are a few more tips for creating a beautiful white border or garden filled with plants that have white flowers.

• Decide whether you want a border with all-white blooms, or if you’d like to add a touch of color to make the white stand out even more. You could do this, for example, with a plant that blooms in blue or purple.

• In the White Garden at Sissinghurst Castle, gray-leaved plants play an important role. They provide contrast and texture and enhance the white-flowering plants. For example, the garden features mugwort (Artemisia), betony (Stachys), catnip (Nepeta), and white-flowering lavender.

• The greenery of foliage plants also plays an important role in the composition. Plants used for this purpose include hostas, Rodgersia, panicle spirea, and Caucasian forget-me-nots.

• Airy plants add movement and a natural look. It’s okay if these particular plants grow a bit taller. There are several white-flowering options you can use in a white garden or border. For example, gaura (Gaura), lace flower (Ammi visnaga), wild carrot (Daucus carota), and baby’s breath (Gypsophila).

• Add white climbing plants along the fence, against a wall, or on a trellis. A white clematis, climbing rose, white wisteria, or Tuscan jasmine are must-haves.

• White-flowering groundcovers are ideal for the front of the border. Beautiful varieties with white flowers include Vinca minor ‘Alba’ (periwinkle), Campanula carpatica or portenschlagiana ‘Alba’ (bellflower), and Geranium macrorrhizum ‘Spessart’ (which grows a bit taller).

• Don't forget flower bulbs, such as white daffodils, tulips, ornamental onions, crocuses, and snowdrops. That way, you'll have white flowers starting in early spring.

• Add annuals and biennials to really complete the look, and your white border will be filled with beautiful white flowers. For this, use plants such as white cosmos, ornamental tobacco, hollyhocks, dahlias, and white foxgloves.