White reflects light to such an extent that it offers what I consider to be one of the most valuable traits any color has to offer the landscape. I really don’t want to get into that argument that white is not a color or the reflection of all colors or wavelengths together. Simply notice what Mother Nature does in the forest.
The dogwoods, which have swelling buds about now, will soon erupt into to bloom, attracting our attention to the glistening, reflective bracts in an otherwise dark forest. When spring arrives with all of its glorious colors — purples, pinks, yellows and reds, the one color guaranteed to catch your eye every time is white. We all need to use white more often.
Every gardener loves azaleas. Types such as Formosa, Judge Solomon and George Lindley Taber are some of the most popular, but notice a garden late in the afternoon. Those azalea flowers start to fade or drop out of sight but one Southern Indica, the Mrs. G.G. Gerbing, is still glistening. In fact, on a moonlit night, it will still be showing out. This is one of the best old-time white azaleas around. In the north, gardeners also can achieve the same look with rhododendrons such as Dora Amateis, an award winner that is hardy to 15 below zero.
Most everyone loves the wisteria, with the fragrant bluish-purple flowers hanging down like grape clusters. In my opinion, one of the most overlooked and underused wisteria is the white one. A white wisteria draping a fence or an arbor is a sight to behold. Use a white wisteria and it will give the instant perception you knew what you were doing in the landscape.
Another much overlooked white shrub is the Chinese snowball virbunum. The snowball viburnum produces 6- to 8-inch glistening white blossoms. A close examination shows the bloom is really made of dozens of 1-inch florets. The blossoms almost resemble a cheerleader’s pom-poms.
While three or four flowers would make a dramatic statement, know that the Chinese snowball produces them by the scores. It might make you wonder how the plant supports all of the huge blossoms. The Chinese snowball is a large shrub, well suited for large gardens, where it can be enjoyed from a distance. It can reach 10 feet tall in five or six years. It is cold hardy in zones 7 to 9, so another great alternative is the Blackhaw viburum, though not quite as showy it is treasured by birds.
Some of my favorite roses are white selections. The Cherokee Rose, Rosa laevigata, grows wild in much of the South and is every bit as colorful as a dogwood. The Cherokee rose is the state flower of Georgia but is actually from China. The fragrant flowers are up to 3 inches across.
Lastly, one must also consider Sally Holmes. Sally Holmes is classified as a shrub rose but is great when trained as a climber on lattice or on a pillar. It came out in 1976 as a result of a cross between Ivory Fashion and Ballerina. The foliage is dark glossy green, which serves to contrast nicely with the 3-inch, slightly fragrant white blossoms.
White flowers give definition to those shadier areas of the landscape and while red evokes passion, white offers a sense of cleanliness and purity. Don’t overlook white bloomers in your landscape plan this year.
