It is no secret that adding splashes of white color improves the beauty and elegance of anything. Thus, planting trees with white flowers can make a huge difference to your yard landscape.
Thankfully, there are a variety of options to choose from when it comes to trees with white flowers. While all of these trees have different features, they have one thing in common, that is the beauty they add to your garden.
If you are a DIY gardener looking to add trees with white flowers to your garden, you have come to the right place. We have rounded up 13 common trees with white flowers just for you – the DIY enthusiasts and aspirants.
1. Cornus Kousa (Kousa Dogwood)
Cornus Kousa is a small to medium-sized, deciduous flowering tree. They are vase-shaped trees, becoming more widespread and rounded as they grow.
These trees are considered high maintenance. Mainly because they need larger areas to grow. This is why it is recommended to grow it only if you have a decent-sized yard. Other than space, these trees need:
- Light shade in the afternoon
- Well-drained and acidic soil
- Regular watering
- Mulching
The Kousa dogwood is not a drought-resistant tree, therefore, it is important to ensure that there is moisture maintained around the tree throughout. It blooms in early summer, and the white flowers and the leaves form a beautiful canopy in your yard.
Even in fall, the tree bears bright red berries which act as an important food source for animals. What’s more, is that these fruits can be used to make wine and jams too.
To conclude, the Kousa dogwood does not only have a striking appearance but some other useful features too. Thus, making it a great option to add to your yard.
Bonus Read: Want to enhance how your garden landscape looks? Check out these 8 creative stone landscaping ideas for your garden
2. American Elderberry (Sambucus Canadensis)
Also known as pie elder, the American elderberry is a deciduous shrub that originates from North America. It can grow up to a height ranging from 9 to 12 feet, and is woody with an arching, spreading form.
Not only does it grow leaves and breath-taking white flowers, but even berries that are edible once cooked. These berries can be used to make jams, pickles, wine, jellies, etc. They even act as food for multiple animals.
As for the maintenance of this tree, it can adapt itself to a wide variety of soil conditions, ranging from wet to dry. But, its preference is rich, moist, and slightly acidic soil. Another requirement for this tree to thrive is access to at least 4 hours of direct sunlight a day.
Other than that, the tree does not need too much care. It can be pruned once in a while to prevent the tree from becoming multi-stemmed. Moreover, it would be good to look out for any diseases and problems like powdery mildew, leaf spot, and canker.
3. Magnolia Grandiflora (Southern Magnolia)
Southern Magnolia is an evergreen tree with white flowers and glossy, green leaves. They are fast-growing trees and can grow up to a height of 80 feet.
Magnolias are cultivated not only because of their beautiful white flowers but also because of their ability to keep their glossy, green leaves all year round. Other than flowers and leaves, this tree even bears fruits that are eaten by animals like squirrels and rabbits.
The tree mainly blooms in May and June, with some blossoms through the summer months. The flowers have a cream color and a rich fragrance and can grow over a foot across. Remember, most people plant magnolia because of its magnificent scent.
Taking care of magnolias is not a lot of work if you locate the plant at the correct site. A few factors to consider when picking a location for your magnolia tree are:
- Requires a minimum of four hours of direct, unfiltered sunlight
- Grows well in acidic, loamy, moist, sandy, well-drained, and clay soils
- Can withstand some flooding and has a moderate drought tolerance
- Provide adequate irrigation, but do not waterlog the area
- The tree should be planted at a higher grade than the area around it
From filling your yard with a great fragrance to adding to the beauty of your garden landscape, planting a magnolia tree will surely be a rewarding experience.
4. Japanese Snowball (Styrax Japonicus)
The Japanese snowball, also known as the styrax japonica, is a small tree known for its ornamental value. To elaborate, the tree has a beautiful canopy and delicate white flowers, all of which make it an attractive option. Although the fall colors of this aren’t that attractive, the leaves still turn into a magnificent shade of yellow.
It can grow up to a height of 20 feet or more and it comes to full bloom in spring. Deciduous by nature, this tree makes a good choice to plant alongside parking lots or property borders.
Caring for a Japanese snowball tree is not hard. It’s important to plant the tree in the right location, in well-drained and acidic soil. Also, the tree needs protection from strong winds and consistent watering. An additional advantage of planting this tree is that it recovers from winter damage fast.
5. Lagerstroemia ‘Natchez’ (Crape Myrtle)
Known for its versatility, the crape myrtle tree can either be grown as a shrub or a tree. However, the best part of this tree is its ability to look magnificent throughout the year. To illustrate, it bursts into a beautiful shade of white in the summer, has colorful fall foliage and a remarkable winter bark. Even when the flowers fall, the tree bears small brown fruits which remain on the tree through winter.
Crape myrtles are resilient trees, that can be grown during any season of the year. Furthermore, they can be planted in almost any type of soil, and they prefer warmer temperatures. The best part is that you don’t have to worry about watering these trees since they are drought tolerant and require little watering.
You should just remember to be careful while pruning the tree (get one of these 8 must-have power tools for effective pruning). Some people over-prune the tree, causing knobbly growth and increasing the tree’s susceptibility to diseases.
6. Black Chokeberry (Aronia melanocarpa)
The fruit which the black chokeberry tree bears are rich in antioxidants, and are often used to make jams, jellies, and juice. Surprisingly, the fruit isn’t the main reason the tree is cultivated. It is planted due to its tolerance to wet soils, therefore helping with erosion control.
Other than bearing fruits with great health values and acting as windbreakers, these trees also bear showy, white flowers in clusters. It is beautiful, with its foliage changing color to red and purplish-red in the fall. Even the fruits of this tree have a magnificent purplish-black color, adding to the visual appeal of the tree.
As mentioned earlier, this tree can grow well in wet soil conditions. It can even grow well in dry locations. Other than that, it can adapt to both acidic and alkaline soil and is capable of taking care of itself.
To sum up, if you want to plant a tree with white flowers which does not require much attention, this would make a great choice.
7. Natal Plum (Carissa Macrocarpa)
A tree that not only bears beautiful white flowers but also delicious fruits, the natal plum tree will be an asset to all gardening enthusiasts. It bears small fruits which taste like cranberries, and gorgeous star-shaped white flowers which have an amazing scent.
The growth rate of this tree is moderate to fast and will grow best when planted in either fall or winter. If you are planting the tree for the fruits, you will have to wait for two years for the tree to reach full maturity.
Sandy soil that drains well is the best kind of soil to plant it in. Other than that, it is also preferable to have either slightly acidic or neutral pH soil (check out these soil testing kits to help you out). Since the plant is considered drought-tolerant, you should refrain from watering the plant too much.
8. Pyrus Calleryana ‘Bradford’ (Callery Pear)
Native to China, the Callery pear tree is one of the most popular urban trees, due to its resilience and beauty. While the flowers on this tree look magnificent when in full bloom, the aroma they give off is rather displeasing.
Also, unlike what the name suggests, the fruit that this tree bears are inedible. They are small, green, and not exactly noticeable. But it makes a nice choice for anyone looking for a tree with white flowers.
One main reason this tree is popular in urban areas is because of its indifference to pollution, poor soil, and other city conditions. Thus, all this tree needs is direct sunlight and pruning in its initial years.
To conclude, the only downside of this tree is the unpleasant aroma it gives off, even if it is short-lived.
9. Hydrangea Paniculata (Panicle Hydrangea)
Panicle hydrangea or limelight hydrangea is the easiest to grow out of all hydrangeas. Not to mention, they’re breathtakingly beautiful, with huge, football-shaped flowers. They grow fast and are quite low maintenance too. All these points add up to hydrangeas being one the most popular shrubs to grow.
They can reach up to 15 feet in height and can fill up any space fast. What’s even better is that this plant can just grow on itself. Just keep in mind the following points, and soon you’ll have a perfect looking hydrangea growing in your yard:
- Plant in an area that gets at least four hours of direct sunlight
- Use soil with good drainage
- Regular watering is a must
You can even add granular fertilizer to your plant to grow it faster, although, it is not a requirement.
10. Chionanthus Virginicus (Fringe Tree)
The fringe tree is a tough, dependable, long-lived, and beautiful tree with white flowers. Although this tree is not as popular as other white flower-bearing trees, it is a great choice.
As the name suggests, the tree bears feathery, white, soft, and fragrant flowers during late spring and early summer. These trees can either be male or female. Male trees have bigger blooms but the female trees bear blackish-blue trees that attract birds.
It can grow up to be 12-20 feet tall and wide and has leaves that are 3 to 8 inches long. Further on, since this tree is a part of the olive family, the fruit it bears can be eaten.
If the aesthetics and features of this tree have attracted you, you’ll be happy to know it does not require much maintenance. To explain, the tree is adaptable to a wide variety of soils and requires a lot of sunlight. Its only major requirement is regular watering, which is not too much work.
11. Camellia Japonica (Camellia)
Camellias are shrubs that offer a large variety of colors when it comes to flowers, ranging from white to pink. Even better, the flowers are long-blooming and beautiful.
Camellias have the most beautiful flowers out of all others we have yet mentioned. Other than its beauty, a unique feature about this plant is that it blooms in late fall. These trees look spectacular in the winter when their white flowers appear against the dark green foliage of the tree. Even though the plant becomes more susceptible to frost because of blooming later, its unparalleled beauty makes the effort worth it.
Taking care of a camellia plant is not complex. The plant needs to be in an area with shade or part sun, and require ample moisture. Other than that, you should be mindful of pruning and fertilizing the plant.
12. Japanese Lilac Tree (Syringa Reticulata)
This deciduous tree has a moderate growth rate and a rounded shape, and it belongs to the olive family. It can grow up to a height of 30 feet, with a spread of 15-20 feet. While it may concern you that the plant requires so much space, this is one of the only plants which will bloom while others are still budding.
It is best to plant these trees in either late winter or early spring. Also, when growing a Japanese lilac tree, be mindful of the fact that its requirements are nothing similar to a lilac plant. A few requirements of the Japanese lilac tree include:
- Needs to be grown in full sun
- Well-drained soil mixed with compost
- Evenly moist soil
- Fertilizer, for better results
- Pruning, to avoid a multi-branched shape
An additional tip is to plant this tree near the window to enjoy the fragrance of the flowers even inside your home.
13. Aesculus Hippocastanum (Horse Chestnut)
If you are a DIY gardener looking to dramatize your garden landscape, this tree with white flowers will make a great choice. A mature horse chestnut tree can grow up to a height of 40 m and can live for as long as 300 years.
The leaves of this tree consist of 5-7 toothed leaflets spreading from a central stem. Further on, the flowers have 4-5 fringed white petals, which are pink at the base. These flowers appear in May and adorn the tree beautifully.
The fruit that grows on this tree is, as the name suggests, horse chestnut. It has multiple values ranging from medicinal to cosmetic. Nevertheless, if consumed in excess, it can prove to be poisonous.
Conclusion
Landscaping your yard is an important and rewarding task. The trees a DIY gardener adds to his/her garden can play a huge role in changing the appearance of the entire outdoor environment.
Adding a splash of white to your gardens is always a great choice. It makes the garden look bright and delicate, so why not?
Therefore, you can choose from our list of 13 trees with white flowers to get started. All you need to remember is to choose a tree that will thrive where you live.