Plants that bloom in May in Zone 8 with white flowers

Allium

Dramatic globe-shaped heads on tall stems. Architectural and deer-proof.

Anemone de Caen

Poppy-like flowers in jewel tones bloom in mid-spring over ferny foliage.

Apple

Fragrant white to pink flowers in spring precede a fall crop of dessert apples.

Azalea

Explosive spring color in every warm hue. Acid-loving woodland classic.

Bleeding Heart

Arching sprays of heart-shaped flowers for shady woodland gardens.

Bowl of Beauty Peony

Hot pink outer petals cup a creamy center of narrow petaloids. Dramatic and unmistakable.

Camassia

Tall spikes of starry flowers rise above strappy foliage in late spring.

Chamomile

Tiny daisy flowers with apple-scented foliage. Brew into tea or let it naturalize between pavers.

Clematis

The queen of flowering vines. Over 300 species, something for every spot.

Cliffrose

Creamy white rose-like flowers with sweet fragrance and feathery seed plumes on a tough Rocky Mountain native.

Columbine

Delicate, spurred flowers that dance on wiry stems. Hummingbird favorite.

Coral Bells

Grown mostly for dramatic foliage, but the tiny bell flowers are a bonus.

Creeping Phlox

An evergreen sun-loving groundcover that smothers walls, slopes, and rock gardens in dense pink, purple, blue, lavender, or white sheets every April and May.

Daffodil

Cheerful trumpets that naturalize beautifully and return stronger each year.

Dianthus

Spicy clove-scented pinks with fringed petals in pink, red, white, or salmon, one of the best long-blooming edgers and front-of-border perennials for sun.

Dogwood

Iconic spring bloomer with fall berries and winter bark. Four-season beauty.

Double Delight Rose

Creamy white petals blush to strawberry red at the edges. Knockout fragrance matches the looks.

Dutch Iris

Slender stems bear elegant iris blooms in late spring to early summer.

Dutchman's Breeches

Finely cut foliage and clusters of puffy white pantaloon-shaped flowers in early spring. A charming ephemeral that disappears by summer.

Dwarf Crested Iris

Tiny lavender-blue iris flowers with gold crests on a spreading native ground cover. A spring woodland treasure.

Epimedium

Delicate fairy-wing flowers above leathery foliage. One of the toughest dry shade groundcovers.

Fawn Lily

Mottled leaves and nodding white flowers with swept-back petals emerge in early spring from Pacific Northwest woodlands.

Festiva Maxima Peony

Pure white double blooms flecked with crimson at the center. Beloved since 1851 and still unmatched.

Fothergilla

Fragrant white bottlebrush flowers in spring give way to some of the best orange-red fall color of any small native shrub.

Foxglove

Stately spires of spotted, bell-shaped flowers. Cottage garden royalty.

Fringe Tree

Clouds of white fringed petals dripping from branches in late spring. Fragrant and underused native.

Fritillaria

Checkered, nodding bells with an otherworldly pattern. A collector's favorite.

Fruiting Cherry

Showy white spring flowers mature into sweet cherries that attract people and wildlife.

Gardenia

Glossy evergreen foliage frames intensely fragrant white flowers from late spring into summer.

Grape Hyacinth

Tiny grape-like clusters that spread into rivers of blue over time.

Henryi Clematis

Large, pure white flowers with dark brown anthers rebloom in fall. Elegant, classic, and undeniably refined.

Honeysuckle

Tubular, nectar-rich flowers with a fragrance that defines summer evenings.

Husker Red Penstemon

Dramatic burgundy-red foliage all season with white tubular flowers in late spring. The most striking native penstemon for gardens.

Immortality Iris

Reliable rebloomer with pure white ruffled falls. Blooms spring, then again in fall.

Impatiens

The shade annual champion. Flowers prolifically where nothing else will.

Iris

Elegant sword-leaved perennials with intricate, ruffled blooms.

Jasmine

A vigorous twining vine with intensely sweet-scented white or yellow star-shaped flowers, the scent of warm southern evenings.

Lantana

Multi-colored flower clusters that bloom relentlessly in brutal heat.

Lilac

Intensely fragrant clusters that define spring in northern gardens.

Lupine

Dramatic spikes in every color. Short-lived but self-seeds generously.

Magnolia

Goblet-shaped blooms on bare branches. One of spring's most dramatic moments.

Matilija Poppy

Enormous fried-egg flowers on blue-gray stems. California's largest native wildflower. Spreads aggressively.

Meadow Rue

Fluffy puffs of bloom on tall, airy stems above columbine-like foliage. Light and ethereal.

Mexican Feather Grass

Gossamer fine blades ripple in the slightest breeze like living silk. Plant where you can watch it move.

Mock Orange

Arching stems carry orange-blossom-scented white flowers in late spring.

Mountain Laurel

Exquisite geometric buds open to cupped flowers. A native evergreen gem.

Ninebark

Peeling bark, burgundy foliage, and white puffs. A native multitasker.

Oregon Iris

Small purple iris flowers with yellow signals on wiry stems. A tough, underappreciated Pacific Northwest native.

Penstemon

Tubular flowers on upright stems. Native hummingbird magnet for dry gardens.

Peony

Lush, ruffled blooms with intoxicating fragrance. Lives for decades.

Persian Buttercup

Ruffled, rose-like blooms in vivid colors brighten cool spring beds and pots.

Petunia

Cascading color for containers and beds. Blooms nonstop until frost.

Red Twig Dogwood

Flat clusters of white flowers and berries give way to vivid red stems that shine in winter.

Rhododendron

Big, bold trusses of bloom over glossy evergreen foliage.

Rocky Mountain Columbine

Large blue-and-white spurred flowers bloom in late spring above lacy foliage.

Rose

The queen of the garden. Modern varieties are surprisingly low-maintenance.

Salal

Leathery evergreen groundcover of Pacific Northwest forests. Urn-shaped flowers lead to edible berries.

Salvia

Vertical flower spikes that hummingbirds and bees cannot resist.

Shooting Star

Nodding flowers with swept-back petals resemble tiny shooting stars in spring meadows.

Snapdragon

Vertical flower spikes with squeeze-open blooms. Kids love them.

Solomon's Seal

Arching stems hung with dangling white bells. Pairs of leaves create graceful, layered architecture.

Southern Magnolia

Huge glossy-leaved tree bearing enormous lemon-scented white flowers. The quintessential symbol of the Deep South's summer.

Speedwell

Tidy spikes of blue that add vertical punch to the front of the border.

Spirea

Flat-topped flower clusters on tidy mounds. The easiest flowering shrub.

Sweet Alyssum

Honey-scented carpet of tiny flowers. The best living edging plant.

Sweet Pea

Ruffled, intensely fragrant climbing flowers in every pastel shade. Cool-season annual that hates heat.

Thalia Daffodil

Pure white, swept-back petals with two to three blooms per stem. Orchid-like elegance.

Trillium

Three leaves, three petals, pure elegance. The jewel of eastern woodlands.

Tulip

The classic spring icon in almost every color imaginable.

Twinspike Coral Bells

Warm amber-caramel foliage that glows in the shade garden all season. The flowers are just a bonus.

Viburnum

Fragrant snowball clusters in spring, then berries for birds in fall.

Vinca

Evergreen mat with periwinkle-blue flowers. Tough shade ground cover.

Wax Begonia

Glossy leaves and nonstop flowers in sun or shade. One of the most reliable bedding plants anywhere.

Weigela

Tubular blooms smother arching branches in late spring. Hummingbird haven.

White Wild Indigo

Luminous white lupin-like spikes on a structural native that's practically indestructible and improves with every year.

Wild Azalea

Sweetly fragrant pinwheel flowers on a deciduous native azalea that grows from New England to Georgia. Earlier and more cold-hardy than most.

Wild Blue Phlox

Loose clusters of sky-blue flowers float above woodland floors in spring on a fragrant, mat-forming native.

Wisteria

Cascading, fragrant racemes that create a dreamy canopy. Needs structure.