20 Plants to Brighten Your Garden by Moonlight

Brighten your summer garden by moonlight with white blooming plants. Interested in creating a Moonlight Garden? It’s easy.

Create a Moonlight Garden with white or lighter colored blooming plants. Plants with white, cream, or light colored flowers can easily brighten a Summer garden by moonlight. On clear nights with the presence of the moon, light colored flowers will instantly lighten the surrounding areas. Add white blooming plants to an existing garden. Or create a new Moonlight Garden bed. Bright light from the Moon gives your garden a whole different look.  

Getting Started with White Blooming Plants  

Start a small garden with a few plants. Gather 3 to 5 plants to create a small Moonlight Garden. In the following year, add more plants to enlarge the Moonlight Garden area. The small group of plants can either be all the same variety or can be different varieties. Starting a small garden allows you to see the effect of using white or lighter colored blooming plants.   

An easy perennial to start with is Iberis or commonly known as Candytuft. Candytuft is a low growing evergreen perennial. An easy to grow plant that blooms in clusters of white flowers. Simply beautiful. A great selection to use along a garden path or as an edger plant. Candytuft blooms in early to late Spring. Candytuft works well in rock gardens or garden slopes, too.

White Fragrant Blooming Plants – Brighten Summer Garden Moonlight

White or light color flowering plants illuminate the garden areas with the help of the moon. We’ve listed a few plants with lighter blooming flowers and that have a nice fragrance. Fragrant Early Bird Frosty Dianthus blooms from May to September. Another selection, Fragrant Angel coneflower blooms from June to August. It has fragrant blooms. And the Marque Moon Hemerocallis delivers its fragrant blooms from July to August. Enjoy nice warm Summer evenings with a fragrant Moonlight Garden.    

Gardens are meant to be enjoyment during the day and evening hours. Extend the hours you enjoy your yard with a Moonlight Garden. Don’t limit the hours you spend outside to the daylight hours only. With the right plantings, gardens can be enjoyed after dark as well.   

Add stunning white flowering blooms to create your own private Moonlight Garden. And maybe add some fragrant plants too. Take a look at these gorgeous white flowering plants. Be sure to tell us what you think.

1. Snow Cone Iberis sempervirens 

Snow Cone Iberis is also known as Candytuft. Snow Cone has white-as-snow clusters of blooms on low, evergreen mounding plants. Blooms from early to late Spring. Grows in zones 3 to 9 in full Sun. Reaches 6 inches tall. A compact perennial beneficial for pollinators. Both deer and rabbit resistant. Tolerant of sandy soils, hot dry site, humidity, and seaside/salt conditions. Plant along garden pathways, rock gardens, slops, or in garden beds as edgers.

2.  Grandiflora Alba Campanula persicifolia 

Campanula is also known as peachleaf bellflower. Grandiflora Alba has pure white cup shaped flowers that bloom in June and July. Grows in zones 3 to 7 in full Sun to part Sun and part shade. Tops out at 30 inches. Beneficial for pollinators. Long blooming perennial. Excellent use as a cut floral bouquet. Tolerant of clay soil conditions.

3. Polaris Coreopsis 

Coreopsis is also called Threadleaf Coreopsis or Tickseed. Polaris Coreopsis has snow-white petals with yellow button centers. Foliage is dainty, finely-cut that stands out. Blooms early Summer to early Fall. Grows in zones 5 to 9 in full Sun. Reaches 18 to 20 inches tall. Polaris is beneficial for pollinators and attracts butterflies. Long blooming and deer resistant. Plant in a slope or bank, garden beds, and can be grown in containers. Excellent for use as cut flowers. Tolerant of humidity, hot dry sites, and seaside/salt conditions.

4. Guardian White Delphinium

Guardian White Delphinium has pure white floral spikes. Blooms in June. Grows in zones 4 to 7 in full Sun. Reaches 30 to 40 inches tall. Makes a great cut flower bouquet. Beautiful for use in garden beds.

5.  Dianthus Early Bird Frosty

Dianthus is known as a Pinks. Early Bird Frosty Dianthus has double white blooms over gray-green foliage. Blooms from May until September. Grows in zones 5 to 9 in full Sun. Reaches between 5 to 8 inches tall. A fragrant perennial that is ideal for rock gardens or in garden beds.    

6.   Fragrant Angel Echinacea purpurea

Echinacea is also known as a coneflower. Fragrant Angel Echinacea has large white blooms. Blooms from June to August. Grows in zones 4 to 9 in full Sun. Reaches 40 inches tall. A fragrant coneflower that attracts butterflies. Deer resistant perennials. Makes a great cut flower. Plant Fragrant Angel in formal borders or in a prairie setting.   

7. White Swan Echinacea purpurea

Echinacea is a coneflower. White Swan Echinacea has large, white blooms. Blooms in from July to September. Grows in zones 3 to 9 in full Sun to part Sun and part shade. Reaches 40 inches tall. A deer resistant upright perennial.  

8.   Marque Moon Hemerocallis

Hemerocallis is also known as a daylily. Fragrant Marque Moon Hemerocallis has ruffled ivory iridescent petals. The 5 inch blossoms have edges and centers brushed in yellow. Blooms appear from July to August. Grows in zones 4 to 9 in full Sun to part Sun and part shade. Tops out at 24 inches.

9.  Reblooming Immortality Iris

Iris are known as tall bearded iris. Reblooming Immortality Iris has fragrant pristine white flowers. Blooms in June, then again in August, and September. Grows in zones 3 to 7 in full Sun. Reaches 30 inches tall. Deer resistant.

10.  Leucanthemum x superbum Becky

Leucanthemum superbum is also known as a Shasta Daisy. Becky Leucanthemum has white petals with yellow centers. Blooms from July to September. Grows in zones 5 to 9 in full Sun. Reaches 3 to 4 feet tall. Perfect for cut floral arrangements or in a garden bed. A perfect Southern perennial for sunny gardens. Also thrives in New England as well.  

11.  Floristan White Liatris spicata  

Liatris is also known as Blazing Star. Floristan White Liatris, an upright perennial with pure white bottle brush flowers. A North American native, Floristan White blooms in July and August. Grows in zones 4 to 8 in full Sun. Attracts butterflies. Deer resistant perennial which makes an excellent cutting flower. Plant in garden beds and borders.  

12.  White Towers Peony 

White Towers Peony is a Herbaceous Peony. Fragrant White Towers Peony has double white blooms. Foliage is a dark, green that compliments the large white blooms. Blooms in June. Grows in zones 3 to 7 in full Sun to part Sun and part shade. Tops out at 36 inches. A deer resistant perennial. Great as an addition to a Moonlight Garden.   

Yang Gui Fei (Steps Out of the Bath) Peony 

Another Herbaceous Peony (Chinese), Yang Gui Fei or Steps Out of the Bath Peony has beautiful large, white blooms. Double 7 to 8 inch blooms have a pale blush tone as they open. Blooms then change to pure white on the first day of opening. Fragrant blossoms are a dense, spicy sweet scent and appear in June. Grows in zones 3 to 8 in full Sun. Reaches about 42 inches tall and wide. Stunning garden color.  

13.  Phlox Paniculata David

Phlox paniculata is also known as a garden phlox. David Phlox has white paniculata blooms. Blooms from July to September. Grows in zones 4 to 8 in full Sun. Reaches 40 inches tall. An upright sturdy perennial that is perfect for a moonlight garden. Free flowering perennial with vigorous habit growth.  

14.  Incrediball Hydrangea

Incrediball Hydrangea has huge, huge snowball blooms. Blooms open to white and turn to lush jade green as they age. Incrediball is a version of the Annabelle Hydrangea. Blooms from early to late Summer. Grows in zone 3 to 8 in part Sun and part shade to full Sun. Grows between 4 to 5 feet tall. Showy North American native shrub used in the landscaping. Plant to create hedges. Makes dramatic cut flower arrangements.      

15. Vanilla Cream Baptisia  

Baptisia is also known as false indigo or wild indigo. Vanilla Cream Baptisia has creamy vanilla white blooms on 10 inch spike stems. Blooms in late Spring to early Summer. Grows in zones 4 to 9. Tops out at 2 to 3 feet tall. Tolerates acidic and sandy soil conditions. Beneficial to pollinators and attracts butterflies. Deer resistant and provides Winter interest in the garden. Tolerant of humidity and seaside/salt conditions. Vanilla Cream makes excellent cut flower bouquets.

16.  Guernsey Cream Clematis

Guernsy Cream Clematis is a perennial vine with5 inch blooms. The single petal blooms open as a pistachio green color and a green center. Blooms mature to a creamy white color. Blooms from late Spring to Fall. Grows in zones 4 to 9 in part Sun and part shade to full Sun. Reaches between 6 to 8 feet tall. Beautiful for growing on a trellis or obelisk in the garden.

17.  Iceberg Climbing Rose

Hardy Iceberg Climbing Rose is a classic shrub floribunda. Early light pink double blooms turn to white as blooms mature. Blooms from early to late Summer. Grows in zones 5 to 9 in part Sun and part shade to full Sun. Reaches 12 to 14 feet tall. Tolerant of light shade. Disease resistant. Attracts bees and butterflies. First year bloomer, fragrant and perfect for a garden trellis. Tolerant of heat, humidity, and powdery mildew.  

18.  Wild Swan Anemone 

Anemone is also known as a Windflower. Wild Swan Anemone has pale violet buds that transform to single pure white blooms. The blossoms undersides have gray blue-violet shades. Foliage is deep green. Blooms in Summer and Fall. Grows in zones 6 to 8 in part Sun and part Shade. Reaches between 16 to 18 inches tall. Resistant to deer. Plant Wild Swan in garden beds and borders. Effective in woodland and rock garden settings. Use as cut flower arrangements.  

19.  Vision in White Astilbe chinensis

Vision in White Astilbe has creamy, white plumes on bronze green leaves. Fragrant blooms appear in July. Grows in zones 4 to 8 in part Sun and part shade. Reaches 24 inches tall. Deer resistant perennial for use in garden beds. Spectacular fragrant flowers that adds elegance to any garden.    

20.  Alba Dicentra spectabilis 

Dicentra spectabilis is also known as Bleeding Heart. Alba Dicentra spectabilis has white delicate blooms. Blooms in May and June. Grows in zones 3 to 8 in part Sun and part shade. Tops out between 30 to 36 inches. Deer resistant.  

These are twenty plants for a glowing Moonlight Garden. Enjoy a beautiful brighten Summer garden by moonlight with white blooming plants. Moonlight Gardens will enhance your garden and landscape. Transform a garden for your enjoyment not only in the day but in the evening as well. Why limit the beauty of your gardens to the day time? Why not enjoy your garden’s beauty on warm Summer evenings?

Interested in gardening? If you found this helpful . . .    

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If you try these 20 Plants to Brighten Your Garden by Moonlight let us know how you make out. And if you have any questions, feel free to reach out to us. We always are ready to help you out. Thank you for visiting.

Mary