10 Evergreen shrubs with white flowers

4/15/2024

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When it comes to choosing the best shrubs for borders you need as much seasonal interest as possible.

Evergreen shrubs with white flowers provide the perfect contrast between vibrant white blooms and lush green foliage. Such a contrast has been a much loved garden display for centuries!

As well as providing exciting contrast evergreen shrubs also give that year round appeal that deciduous varieties lack. White flowers have long been associated with purity and elegance which is perfect for various garden styles.

Consequently, in this article I will list and summarise 10 evergreen shrubs with white flowers perfect for any garden theme.

1. Camellia japonica

Camellias are loved for their elegant look and big, stunning blooms. With over 3,000 kinds available, camellia japonicas provide a variety of shapes, sizes, and colours including snowwhite selections.

They thrive in partial darkness or full sun, favouring acidic soil rich in organic material. Consistent watering guarantees perfect development, while pruning assists in maintaining shape and size.

Plant these as specimen shrubs or integrate them into blended borders for extra aesthetic allure.

2. Viburnum tinus

Viburnum tinus is also called laurustinus. It has small white flowers together in groups, with the flowers containing shiny green leaves.

Although it can thrive in varying soils and light levels, it does well in soil with good drainage and some cover from strong winds. When fully grown, viburnum tinus can reach 12 feet tall. It makes a very good hedge to provide privacy.

3. Sarcococca confusa

Sarcococca confusa, commonly called sweet box, is a shrub known for its delicate white flowers that emerge in abundance followed by attractive black berries.

Its compact size and growth habit make it well-suited for smaller garden spaces, requiring minimal upkeep beyond occasional pruning following its blooming period. Thriving wonderfully in deep shade, sarcococca confusa proves itself an invaluable plant for areas beneath trees where other shrubs often struggle, unable to receive enough sunlight.

Its highly fragrant blossoms release a delightful scent that can be enjoyed even during colder periods, lifting spirits with their perfume from afar.

Sarcococca confusa serves as a low-maintenance option capable of adding beauty to shady spots.

4. Escallonia iveyi

Escallonia iveyi produces large clusters of small, star-shaped white blossoms against its dark green leaves. This plant is well-suited for coastal gardens thanks to its tolerance of salty conditions, typically reaching heights between six to eight feet and spreading equally as wide.

It's recommended to place escallonia shrubs near patios or outdoor seating areas so you can fully appreciate their lovely fragrance.

Slightly trim the branches shortly after flowering to promote a fuller, bushier appearance.

5. Choisya ternata

Choisya ternata, also known as the Mexican orange blossom, is a shrub that produces lovely clusters of fragrant white flowers several times throughout the year.

Reaching heights between four to five feet with an equivalent spread, it makes an excellent choice for lining foundations or blending into borders with other plants. Adaptable to various soil types and locations receiving full sun or partial shade, choisya needs little attention once settled as long as it is supplied with water during dry periods.

Its attractive blooms and adaptability make choisya a low-maintenance option that offers beauty to gardens over multiple seasons.

6. Daphne odora

Daphne odora, also known as Aromatica or winter daphne, features very fragrant pinkish-white flowers from late winter to early spring.

This small shrub, reaching three feet tall, has a big impact visually and provides a strong and pleasant smell. It prefers locations with partial shade and moist but well-draining soil. Mulching helps daphnes retain moisture and shelter roots during colder periods.

Take care not to let the soil become too dry, as this can cause leaf loss and weakened growth.

7. Leucothoe fontanesiana

Leucothoe fontanesiana, also known as the drooping leucothoe, is a shrub that produces lovely cascades of small, white, bell-shaped flowers along arching stems. It forms spreading mounds up to six feet wide and two feet tall, making it well-suited as a groundcover or to plant in large groups.

This deer-resistant plant thrives in different light conditions, from partial shade to full sun. It prefers soil that is consistently moist and enriched with organic material. Leucothoe fontanesiana adds seasonal interest beyond just its delicate blooms, with vibrant fall foliage colors before its leaves drop for winter.

This shrub is low maintenance once established and its cascading bell flowers provide beauty throughout the year.

8. Rhododendron

Rhododendrons come in thousands of varieties and hybrids, with many bearing eye-catching white flowers surrounded by evergreen broad leaves.

They range in size from tiny miniatures to substantial tree-like forms, so there is a rhododendron suited to every garden. Most prefer partial shade and soil with low pH; however, many modern cultivated varieties are exceptions to these requirements.

Be sure to keep the soil consistently moist by mulching and watering adequately, especially during hot summer weather. Maintain moisture retention through mulching and supplying sufficient irrigation, notably when temperatures are very warm.

9. Viburnum davidii

Viburnum davidii is quite unique due to its distinctive horizontal branching structure. Bold, veined leaves and pure white flowers adorn the branches. Later in the season, colorful fruiting bodies emerge, first displaying red colours which eventually transitions to blue-black.

Known for being hardy and adaptable, viburnums can reach heights and widths of around six feet. They thrive in various soil types and areas with different levels of sunlight. With annual pruning to remove dead wood and encourage fresh new growth, these stunning shrubs provide structural form alongside floral displays.

Their branching pattern, leaves, flowers, and fruits make them stand out from other landscape plants.

10. Pieris japonica

Pieris japonica, or Japanese pieris, adds a sophisticated look with its glossy leaves stacked in rows and flowers clusters of white bells.

During spring the fresh new foliage has a pinkish tone making them look like flowers

They can grow to be 12 feet tall and wide too if given enough space. They require an acidic soil and to be planted where there is some partial shade.

Thank you for reading our article on 10 evergreen shrubs with white flowers! Below I will link to some other articles you may find useful.

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The Author
Paul Nicolaides
BA (Hons) Dip

Paul Nicolaides has over 30 years of recreational gardening and 20 years of professional landscaping experience. He has worked for landscape contractors including design and build practices across London and the South East. In 2006 he qualified with a BA Hons degree and post graduate diploma in Landscape Architecture. In 2009 he founded Ecospaces an ecological landscaping practice which aims to improve social cohesion and reduce climate change through landscaping. In 2016 he founded Buckinghamshire Landscape Gardeners which designs and builds gardens across Buckinghamshire and the South East. This blog aims to provide easy problem solving information to its audience and encourage others to take up the joy of landscaping and gardening.