25 White and Silver Plants Perfect for Creating Moon Gardens

Gardens can be magical at any time of day, but there is something especially enchanting as dusk falls—when edges blur and reality recedes just a little. Isn’t that when it feels easiest to believe in fairies, magic, and a world just beyond our senses? For many of us, early morning and late evening are also the times we most often spend in our gardens.

As the light fades, the bright colors of the rainbow begin to disappear. Then, as the moon rises, white flowers and silver foliage take center stage, appearing to glow with an otherworldly light. If you haven’t explored the beauty of a white garden before, now may be the perfect time to add touches of white—or even transform part of your landscape into an all-white and silver moon garden.

Diamond Snow^® and Diamond Frost^® Euphorbia

Snow Princess^® lobularia, also known as sweet alyssum, provides a cloud of white blooms for your moon garden while adding a delightful layer of fragrance. Its sweet, unmistakable scent is especially enjoyable in the evening, drifting through the garden on a soft breeze as you unwind outdoors in your moon garden. Exceptionally heat tolerant and sterile (it does not go to seed), Snow Princess^® blooms continuously from planting time all the way to frost.

Best in Part Sun to Sun, but can tolerate shade. 12-18” tall. Annual.

Snow Princess^® Lobularia

Snow Princess^® lobularia, also known as sweet alyssum, provides a cloud of white blooms for your moon garden while adding a delightful layer of fragrance. Its sweet, unmistakable scent is especially enjoyable in the evening, drifting through the garden on a soft breeze as you unwind outdoors in your moon garden. Exceptionally heat tolerant and sterile (it does not go to seed), Snow Princess^® blooms continuously from planting time all the way to frost.

Part sun to sun. 10-16” tall, spreading 2-4’ wide. Annual.

Superbells^® Over Easy^™ Calibrachoa

Light up your patio table or deck boxes with this large-flowered white calibrachoa that truly glows in the moonlight. During the day, its buttery yellow center reveals exactly why it was named Over Easy. As evening falls, the shimmering white petals take center stage, filling containers before gracefully spilling over the edges. For a striking all-white combination in a full-sun container, try pairing it with Angelface^® Cascade Snow Angelonia and Stratosphere^™ White Gaura.

Part sun to sun. 6-12” tall. Annual.

Superbena^® Whiteout^™ Verbena

Superbena verbena is an incredibly versatile and floriferous annual that can be planted in hanging baskets, upright patio pots, window boxes and in the landscape. No deadheading is needed to keep it blooming strong all the way from planting time until frost. Superbena Whiteout is one of our largest-flowered verbenas, producing impressive clusters of snow white blossoms that butterflies enjoy but deer do not.

Try using Superbena Whiteout in our Vanilla Milkshake recipe in a hanging basket or upright container combined with two more outstanding white blooms: Boldly^® White geraniums and Laguna^® Cloud White^™ lobelia.

Part sun to sun. 6-12” tall, spreading up to 30”. Annual.

Supertunia Vista^® Snowdrift^™ Petunia

Perhaps the easiest way to fill a garden bed with white is to plant a few Supertunia^® Vista Snowdrift plants and let them do what they do best—grow. These vigorous, tough, and easy-to-grow white flowering plants are about as close to a slam dunk as gardening gets. A single plant can cover several feet of space, add height, and quickly overwhelm smaller neighbors if not given enough room. Their extreme vigor, dense flower coverage, and outstanding garden performance are what make Supertunia^® Vista varieties stand out as some of the best white flowering petunias available.

Part Sun to Sun. 12-24” Tall. Annual.

Heart to Heart^® ‘White Wonder’ Caladium

The bold white leaves of this caladium act like natural reflectors in the evening, bouncing moonlight back into the garden and brightening the space after dark. Unlike many white caladium varieties, ‘White Wonder’ is unique in its ability to thrive in both sun and shade, performing beautifully in containers as well as in the landscape. That versatility makes it a striking plant you can enjoy just about anywhere.

Sun or shade. 15-20” tall. Annual.

Rockapulco^® White Impatiens

With blossoms that resemble miniature roses, this elegant double impatiens is a stunning white flowering annual that brightens your moon garden and patio containers all season long. Its self-cleaning flowers bloom continuously from planting time through fall and respond beautifully to regular feeding with our water soluble plant food. An excellent choice for a shady moon garden, it pairs wonderfully with ‘White Wonder’ caladiums.

Part shade to shade. 10-20” tall. Annual.

Proven Accents^® Silver Bullet^® Artemisia

It isn’t just white flowers that glow in low light—silver foliage creates the same luminous effect. Silver Bullet is a very vigorous annual groundcover and an ideal companion for other strong growers like Supertunia Vista^® varieties. Its soft, fuzzy foliage adds a tactile, touchable quality while bringing contrast and texture to all-white plantings. Use it to quickly fill space and enhance the visual depth of moon gardens and containers

Full Sun. 6-10” Tall. Annual.

Coconut A-Peel^® Thunbergia

A fun way to raise the white plants in your moon garden up to eye level is by growing a white flowering vine like Coconut A-Peel^® black-eyed Susan vine. This vigorous twining vine quickly climbs to the top of a 5–8-foot trellis in a single season and is blanketed with bright white, daisy-like blooms all summer long. If you have a trellis or obelisk on your patio, this tall, glowing white flowering vine is a beautiful addition to a moon garden, especially when enjoyed in the soft evening light.

Part sun to sun. 5-8’ tall. Annual.

‘Firefly Diamond’ Achillea

Fireflies—or whatever you call the insects that light up the night—are a sure sign of warm summer evenings, and Firefly^® Diamond Yarrow brings that same glow to the garden. This standout variety is taller than many other yarrows without sacrificing a strong, well-balanced habit. Its ivory white flower clusters contrast beautifully with dark green foliage, forming an upright, sturdy plant whose blooms remain attractive even as they age.

Full Sun. 24-28” Tall.  Perennial in Zones 3-8.

‘Queen of Hearts’ Brunnera

This stunning foliage perennial is truly the queen of the shade—and likely your heart as well. Compared to its companion plant, ‘Jack of Diamonds,’ ‘Queen of Hearts’ features more distinctly heart-shaped leaves and a stronger silver overlay accented by narrower bands of dark green veining. From mid to late spring, clusters of baby-blue, forget-me-not–style flowers rise above the foliage, adding a soft touch of color to this shade garden standout.

Part to Full Shade. 16-18” Tall. Perennial in Zones 3-8.

Color Coded^® ‘The Price is White’ Echinacea

Bright pink, red, and orange coneflowers are staples in perennial borders, but for a moon garden, try the luminous beauty of ‘The Price Is White.’ Its large, 5-inch-wide pure white flowers contrast beautifully with dark green foliage and are perfectly suited to evening gardens. The blooms open broad and flat, allowing them to reflect soft moonlight and appear to glow after dusk. Paired with ‘Firefly Diamond’ yarrow and Silver Bullet^® artemisia, the effect is especially striking. Blooming abundantly from midsummer through fall, this variety also provides plenty of flowers for fresh-cut bouquets.

Part sun to sun. 20-22” tall. Perennial in zones 4-8.

‘Chantilly Lace’ Aruncus

‘Chantilly Lace’ is a shade-tolerant plant that produces elegant sprays of lacy, cream-colored flowers from late spring into early summer. When in bloom, it is exceptionally floriferous, with blossoms that nearly cover the deep green foliage. Goatsbeard has a look similar to astilbe in the garden but offers greater drought tolerance, making it both beautiful and resilient. This graceful perennial is a wonderful addition to a moon garden, where its soft blooms glow in low light.

Sun or Shade. 30-32: Tall. Perennial in Zones 3-7.

Magic Show^® ‘White Wands’ Veronica

Every moon garden needs a few magical touches, and the white, wand-shaped blooms of this pure white spike speedwell deliver just that. It’s one of our favorite Proven Winners perennials thanks to its picture-perfect habit each summer, supported by strong disease resistance and an impressively long bloom time. Beginning in early summer, the flower spikes open from the bottom up, slowly unfurling tiny blossoms as the wands continue to lengthen. This extended bloom gives pollinators plenty of time to feed—and gives you plenty of time to enjoy the show.

Part sun to sun. 14-16” tall. Perennial in zones 4-8.

Amazing Daisies^® Daisy May^® Leucanthumum

This classic Shasta daisy truly lives up to its reputation. Deep green foliage provides the perfect backdrop for its pure white blooms, creating a crisp, high-contrast display. Dense branching and plentiful side buds produce dozens of flowers—so many that the foliage is often hidden beneath them. With regular deadheading, the large, snowy white blooms can continue all summer long, and bees and butterflies will reward you for making room for this garden favorite.

Full Sun. 12-24” Tall. Hardy in Zones 5-9.

Luminary^™ ‘Backlight’ Phlox paniculata

If you’ll be enjoying your moon garden from a distance—perhaps through a kitchen window or from the patio—be sure to include a few taller white-flowering plants that are easy to see. ‘Backlight’ tall garden phlox is an excellent choice, featuring large clusters of sparkling white, fragrant blooms held above a backdrop of dark green foliage. You’ll also appreciate its strong resistance to powdery mildew and its sturdy, upright habit, which eliminates the need for staking even when the plant is loaded with flowers from midsummer through fall.

Part sun to sun. 28-30” tall. Perennial in zones 3-8.

Steady as She Goes^® Gardenia

Moon gardens are especially popular in southern climates, where evenings are often the most enjoyable time to be outdoors after the heat of the day has faded. That’s the perfect moment to slow down and savor the sweet fragrance and luminous white blooms of Steady as She Goes^® gardenia. This improved variety offers excellent heat tolerance along with better cold hardiness than many traditional gardenias. Best of all, it blooms continuously and resists bud drop during inclement weather, carrying its floral display right through to frost. Its naturally compact habit makes it an ideal choice for planting near patios, where its rich fragrance can be fully appreciated.

Part sun to sun. 3-5’ tall, spreading 4-7’ wide. Hardy in zones 7-10.

Illuminati Tower^™ Philadelphus

Mockorange is a classic, old-fashioned shrub that has fallen out of favor due to its large size, but Illuminati Tower^™ mockorange offers a fresh take with a compact, space-saving habit. It grows naturally narrow and upright, forming sturdy columns of deep green foliage that resemble a four-sided tower. In late spring to early summer, hundreds of fragrant white flowers emerge, filling the garden with sweet scent carried on warm breezes.

Part Sun to Sun. 3-4’ Tall. Hardy in Zones 4-7.

Incrediball^® Hydrangea arborescens

Incrediball^® hydrangea will make you say wow. This improved version of the classic ‘Annabelle’ features strong, sturdy stems that won’t flop and enormous white blooms that appear in mid-summer, swelling into snowball-like flowers nearly the size of basketballs. As the season progresses, the blooms mature to a rich jade green that lasts through frost. A tough, reliable North American native, Incrediball thrives from cold zone 3 through warmer zone 8. Plant it in your landscape and see just how big, beautiful, and rewarding a hydrangea can be.

Part Sun to Sun. 4-5’ Tall. Hardy in Zones 3-8.

Limelight Prime^® Hydrangea paniculata

Panicle hydrangeas are classics for moon gardens, as their large, cone-shaped blooms brighten the landscape from midsummer into fall. Limelight Prime stands out with strong, upright stems that support huge panicles opening light green, maturing to white, and then blushing with warm pink and red tones as nights cool. The abundant flowers are perfect for enjoying in the garden or clipping a few for fresh bouquets on the patio. Easy to grow and incredibly rewarding, this is one hydrangea every garden should have.

Part sun to sun. 4-6’ tall. Hardy in zones 3-8.

White Chiffon^® Hibiscus

The crisp white flowers of White Chiffon^® rose of Sharon create a cool, refreshing oasis in the landscape—especially on summer nights, when the blooms seem to glow against the foliage. Their softly ruffled, fluffy centers not only add extra visual appeal but also result in significantly less seed set than traditional roses of Sharon. Like all members of the Chiffon^® series, this variety naturally forms a well-shaped, rounded shrub with graceful stems. Butterflies and hummingbirds are drawn to the blooms, while deer typically leave the plant alone.

 Full to part sun 8-12’ tall. Hardy in zones 5-9.

Pugster White^® Buddleia

Here’s an easy way to bring butterflies right up to your patio. Dwarf butterfly bushes like Pugster^® White are ideal for edging sunny seating areas because they stay compact while drawing pollinators in close for an entertaining summer display. Their fragrant white flowers bloom for months, beginning in midsummer and continuing into fall. Drought tolerant and sun loving, these low-maintenance plants handle reflected heat from paved patios with ease and thrive with minimal care.

Full sun. 2’ tall, spreading 2-3’ wide. Hardy in zones 5-9.

Perfecto Mundo^® Double White Reblooming Azalea

Reblooming azaleas have become staples in southern gardens, and this is the very best we’ve discovered through extensive trials. Radiant white, double blossoms appear in abundance each spring, then return with impressive rebloom from late summer into fall. Glossy dark green evergreen foliage provides a striking contrast to the luminous flowers, which seem to glow in the evening light—making this variety a beautiful choice for a moon garden.

Part sun to sun. 2.5’ tall, spreading 3-4’ wide. Hardy in zones 6b-9b.

Steady Eddy^® Viburnum

Viburnums are excellent landscape shrubs thanks to their easy-care nature and minimal maintenance needs. While most bloom just once in spring, Steady Eddy^® doublefile viburnum is an outstanding choice for moon gardens because it reblooms reliably, producing waves of white lacecap flowers throughout the summer. When given room to grow naturally without heavy pruning, its beautifully layered branching structure becomes a striking feature, glowing with blossoms for months.

Part sun to sun. 4-5’ tall and wide. Hardy in zones 5-8.

Reminiscent^™ Crema Rosa

Combining the classic beauty and rich fragrance of old-fashioned roses with the disease resistance and nonstop bloom performance expected of modern varieties, Reminiscent^® Crema rose is an absolute delight to grow. Its large, full blossoms feature a high petal count and a true rose fragrance, delivering exactly what you’d hope from such an elegant plant. Reaching just the right size for planting in the middle of a moon garden or near the patio, its creamy white blooms glow softly in the evening light. Best of all, no deadheading is required to keep the flowers coming all summer long.

Full sun. 1.5-3’ tall. Hardy in zones 4-9.

Learn More:

Browse the Hydrangea Pinterest Board for More Ideas
Learn More about Using White in the Garden.