Best White Flowers for Your Garden

This sweetly scented ground cover is an old-fashioned favorite. A standby for shade, it has small white flowers and can spread quickly.

Note: All parts of lily-of-the-valley are poisonous.

Plant Name: Convallaria majalis

Growing Conditions: Shade and moist, well-drained soil

Size: To 1 foot tall; clumps can spread several feet wide

Zones: 2-7

Grow it with: Lily-of-the-valley looks great as a carpet under taller plants such as bleeding heart.

One of the most dependable types of white flowers, 'Iceberg' produces clusters of fragrant, creamy-white blooms all summer and fall.

Name: Rosa 'Iceberg'

Growing Conditions: Full sun and moist, well-drained soil

Size: To 5 feet tall and 3 feet wide

Zones: 5-9

Plant it with: 'Iceberg' pairs perfectly with any other type of rose, as well as lavender (Lavandula) and catmint (Nepeta).

Annabelle hydrangea is one of the easiest types of white flowers to grow. It blooms in midsummer producing large, pure white clusters that are perfect for cutting.

Plant Name: Hydrangea arborescens 'Annabelle'

Growing Conditions: Part shade and moist, well-drained soil

Size: To 5 feet tall and wide

Zones: 3-9

Plant it with: 'Annabelle' is a perfect partner for bigleaf hydrangeas or oakleaf hydrangeas.

A great cut flower for the fall garden, Japanese anemone produces cup-shaped blooms in shades of pink and white. It can be a bit of spreader; plant it where it has plenty of room to grow.

Plant Name: Anemone hybrida

Growing Conditions: Full sun or part shade and moist, well-drained soil

Size: To 5 feet tall; clumps can spread several feet across

Zones: 4-8

Plant it with: Anemones make great companions for goldenrods, as well as tall varieties of aster.

You don't have to rely on only annuals and perennials for beautiful flowers. Many shrubs -- including lilac -- also offer beautiful white blooms.

Plant Name: Syringa selections

Growing Conditions: Full sun and moist, well-drained soil

Size: To 20 or more feet tall and wide

Zones: 4-8

Plant it with: Most lilacs grow large enough that they don't accommodate a plant partner. Try dwarf selections with peonies or shrub roses for a beautiful spring combination.

Another favorite cut flower, calla is a tender plant with elegant, vase-shaped flowers. White is the classic color, but you can also find callas in shades of yellow, orange, pink, and purple.

Plant Name: Zantedeschia selections

Growing Conditions: Full sun and moist soil

Size: To 3 feet tall

Zones: 8-10, depending on selection

Plant it with: Callas look beautiful with the full flowers of double dahlias and accent the tropical feel of dwarf cannas.

Cup flower is a fantastic plant for adding fine texture to the front of the border or in containers. It produces white, lavender, or purple flowers all summer long over ferny foliage.

Plant Name: Nierembergia caerulea 'Mont Blanc'

Growing Conditions: Full sun and moist, well-drained soil

Size: To 1 foot tall and wide

Zones: 7-10, but often grown as an annual

Plant it with: Annual vinca (Catharanthus), which has similar flowers but a coarser texture.

Sweet autumn clematis is sure to fill your entire garden with its sweet scent at summer's end. This vigorous vine needs a sturdy support to climb on.

Plant Name: Clematis terniflora

Growing Conditions: Full sun or part shade and well-drained soil

Size: Climbs to 20 feet or more

Zones: 4-9

Plant it with: This fast-growing vine doesn't play well with others; let it cover its support all on its own.

One of the most cheerful perennials, Shasta daisy offers simple white flowers with sunny yellow centers for most of the summer.

Plant Name: Leucanthemum x superbum

Growing Conditions: Full sun or part shade and well-drained soil

Size: To 3 feet tall and 1 foot wide

Zones: 5-8

Plant it with: Silvery lamb's ears (Stachys byzantina) makes a perfect foil for Shasta daisy.

Annual vinca has a decidedly tropical look with its saucer-shaped white flowers in saturated shades of red, rose, pink, and purple. The white varieties stand out best, though.

Plant Name: Catharanthus roseus

Growing Conditions: Full sun and well-drained soil

Size: to 18 inches tall and wide

Zones: 10, but usually grown as an annual

Plant it with: Grow annual vinca as an upright contrast to trailing calibrachoa or mini petunias.

This easy-growing cut flower offers umbrella-shaped clusters of lacy blooms in mid to late summer. A relative of the carrot, it has a taproot and doesn't transplant well, but it reseeds gregariously.

Plant Name: Daucus carota

Growing Conditions: Full sun and well-drained soil

Size: To 4 feet tall and 1 foot wide

Zones: Biennial in Zones 4-8

Plant it with: Queen Anne's lace has a lot of charm; plant it with other cottage-garden plants such as foxglove (Digitalis) or zinnia.