Tips for Choosing Plants

This list has the common name first, followed by the scientific name. Any specific variety that makes a difference in color or fragrance follows in single quotation marks. Common names vary in different parts of the country, so use the scientific name with it to make sure you’re getting the plant you want.

Before you buy, check labels for hardiness zones for your area and site requirements. Always remember the “right plant, right place” rule: Match plants to the growing conditions in your garden for your best chance at success, especially if you are a novice gardener. If you want to see what these plants look like (to help write your shopping list), go to Google, click on “Images” above the search field, and enter the scientific name.

Plants with Night Fragrance and White Flowers

Angels’ trumpets (Brugmansia and Datura)

Bearded iris (I. ‘Arctic Tern’)

Evening stock (Matthiola longipetala)

Flowering tobacco species (Nicotiana sylvestris, alata, and suaveolens)

Four o’clocks (Mirabilis longifloria)

Garden phlox (Phlox paniculata ‘David’)

Heliotrope (Heliotropium arborescens ‘Alba’)

Hosta (H. plantaginea)

Lily species (Lilium ‘Casa Blanca’, L. ‘Madonna’, L. ‘Regal’)

Moonflower (Ipomoea alba)

Rose (Rosa ‘Blanc Double de Coubert’)

Sweet alyssum (Lobularia maritima)

Sweet autumn clematis (Clematis terniflora)

Sweet rocket (Hesperis matronalis)

Shrubs with Fragrance and White Flowers

Azalea species

Butterfly bush (Buddleia ‘White Profusion’)

Daphne species

Deutzia species

Gardenia (G. jasminoides)

Japanese pittosporum (P. tobira)

Koreanspice viburnum (V. carlesii)

Mexican orange blossom (Choisya ternata)

Night-blooming jasmine (Cestrum nocturnum)

Rhododendron species

Rose of Sharon (Hibiscus syriacus ‘Diana’)

Spiraea species

Star magnolia (M. stellata)

Plants with White Flowers

Anise hyssop (Agastache rugosa ‘Honeybee White’)

Astilbe species

Butterfly flower (Gaura lindheimeri ‘Whirling Butterflies’)

Calla lily (Zantedeschia aethiopica ‘White Sails’)

Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea ‘White Swan’)

Cosmos (C. bipinnatus ‘Purity’)

Daffodil (Narcissus ‘Mount Hood’)

Delphinium (D. ‘Galahad’, D. ‘Innocence’)

Euphorbia (E. ‘Diamond Frost’)

Fairy candles (Cimicifuga racemosa)

Hyacinth (Hyacinthus orientalis ‘Carnegie’)

Hydrangea species (‘Annabelle’ and others)

Impatiens (many varieties)

Japanese anemone (A. x hybrida ‘Honorine Jobert’)

Obedient plant (Physostegia virginiana ‘Miss Manners’)

Petunia (many varieties)

Shasta daisy (Leucanthemum x superbum)

Spider flower (Cleome hassleriana ‘Helen Campbell’)

Tulip (Tulipa ‘Pax’)

Zonal geranium (Pelargonium)

Foxglove (Digitalis purpurea albaflora)

Plants with Silvery Foliage

Artemisia (A. schmidtiana, A. ‘Powis Castle’)

Berggarten sage (Salvia officinalis)

Brunnera (B. ‘Jack Frost’)

Century plant (Agave americana)

Dusty miller (Senecio cineraria)

Japanese painted fern (Athyrium niponicum ‘Ghost’)

Lambs’ ears (Stachys byzantina ‘Helene von Stein’)

Lavender species (Lavandula)

Licorice plant (Helichrysum petiolare)

Russian sage (Perovskia atriplicifolia)

Silver salvia (S. argentea)

Silver spur flower (Plectranthus argentatus)

Plants with Chartreuse Foliage

Bacopa (Sutera ‘Gold ’n’ Pearls’)

Bleeding heart (Dicentra spectabilis ‘Goldheart’)

Coleus (Solenostemon scutellarioides ‘Gay’s Delight’ and S. ‘Life Lime’)

Coralbells (Heuchera ‘Lime Rickey’)

Elephant’s ears (Xanthosoma ‘Lime Zinger’)

Golden-leaf oregano (Origanum vulgare ‘Aureum’)

Hosta (H. ‘Lemon Lime’ and H. ‘Piecrust’)

Hydrangea (H. paniculata ‘Limelight’)

Jewels of Opar (Talinum ‘Kingswood Gold’)

Chartreuse Joseph’s coat (Alternanthera ficoidea)

Licorice plant (Helichrysum ‘Limelight’ and H. ‘Lemon Licorice’)

Lungwort (Pulmonaria ‘Irish Spring’)

Sweet potato vine (Ipomoea batatas ‘Margarita’)