17 White Hydrangea Varieties With Stunning White Blooms
Thinking of adding some hydrangeas with white blooms to your garden this season? It can be tricky to pick the perfect variety with so many different options to choose from. In this article, gardening expert and hydrangea enthusiast Jill Drago examines her favorite white hydrangea varieties, with names, pictures and hardiness zones of each!
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In the world of hydrangeas, gardeners easily get caught up in the blues and pinks. Many different varieties exist, and several of them can change color with a little bit of dirt under the fingernails. No matter which variety is your favorite, you can likely find one that has beautiful white blooms.
White flowers play an important role in a garden. They create balance, especially when you have other bright colors. No matter your color scheme, white flowers offer softness and complement both brightly colored and pastel plantings perfectly.
With so many different white hydrangeas to choose from, which one should you pick? There are popular varieties like ‘Little Lime’ and ‘Incrediball’, or perhaps you’d prefer something a little lesser known. Let’s take a deeper look at the many types of white hydrangeas so you can find the one that best fits your garden!
Incrediball® Hydrangea
Incrediball® Hydrangea
Be amazed by the Incrediball® Hydrangea, the heavyweight champion of garden blooms! Known for its massive, globe-like white flowers, this beauty packs a punch with blooms that can grow up to 12 inches across.
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Hydrangea anomala Varieties
Also known as the climbing varieties, Hydrangea anomala is probably one of the lesser grown types of hydrangeas. Their blooms look slightly different, but they make great climbers for trellises or walled areas that lack interest. Here are two varieties with beautiful white blooms.
Hydrangea anomala petiolaris
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height 50-80′ |
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hardiness zones 5-9 |
This subspecies is probably the most well-known climbing hydrangea. The flowers are larger than other climbing types, growing to eight inches across. This climbing hydrangea needs cool weather over winter to produce lots of flowers the following season.
H. anomala subsp. petiolaris blooms in June. Once the flowers have passed, you will enjoy a beautiful vine covered in glossy, heart-shaped leaves.
‘Miranda’
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height 30′ |
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hardiness zones 4-8 |
This climbing hydrangea variety grows a little shorter than petiolaris, but 30 feet is still quite substantial. Clusters of white, fragrant flowers cover this vine into the middle of summer.
Once the flowers have passed, you’ll enjoy pretty variegated leaves. These leaves are green with a lighter green, almost white edging. ‘Miranda’ grows slowly but rewards your patience as a very long-lived plant.
Hydrangea arborescens Varieties
One of the most popular white-blooming shrubs, H. arborescens is also known as the smooth hydrangea. This species has many varieties with beautiful white flowers. While there are plenty of other options in this species, ‘Incrediball’, a cultivar of ‘Annabelle’, is by far the most popular.
‘Incrediball’
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height 4-5′ |
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hardiness zones 3-8 |
A cultivar of ‘Annabelle’, this smooth hydrangea produces giant, ball-shaped flowers throughout the summer. The flowers slowly turn green as they age. The upright, strong stems of ‘Incrediball’ easily support the weight of the blooms.
‘Incrediball’ blooms on new wood, so you won’t have to worry about losing blooms after a harsh winter. This makes it a great choice for colder climates.
Hydrangea macrophylla Varieties
Hydrangea macrophylla cultivars are commonly referred to as bigleaf hydrangeas and are some of the most common types in home landscapes. ‘Blushing Bride’ in particular is a favorite, with its large, beautiful blooms.
‘Blushing Bride’
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height 3-6′ |
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hardiness zones 5-9 |
‘Blushing Bride’ is a member of the well-known Endless Summer family. As a reblooming hydrangea, it produces flowers all season long.
Typically, white-flowered hydrangeas do not respond to the pH of your soil. However, ‘Blushing Bride’ reacts slightly, offering pale shades of blue or purple as the blooms age.
Seaside Serenade ‘Cape Lookout’
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height 3-4′ |
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hardiness zones 4-9 |
This hydrangea has very long-lasting blooms that open in light green and turn to a crisp white. Plant ‘Cape Lookout’ in a mass planting for a stunning show of heavily flowered shrubs.
‘Cape Lookout’ resists leaf scorch and burn on hot summer days, making it a great choice for coastal areas.
‘Wedding Gown’
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height 2-3′ |
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hardiness zones 5-9 |
‘Wedding Gown’ features beautiful double flowers. The outer flowers are larger than the inner ones, giving it a lacecap appearance.
Deadhead these bouquets of flowers for continued blooming into the fall. Plant this hydrangea in a container or along a border for maximum effect.
Hydrangea paniculata Varieties
Hydrangea paniculata varieties, commonly known as panicle hydrangeas, are the sun-friendly version of this popular shrub. If you are planting in full sun, this is the species to consider. Many options exist, with ‘Bobo’ and ‘Little Lime’ being the most popular.
‘Bobo’
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height 2.5-3′ |
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hardiness zones 3-8 |
This dwarf panicle hydrangea is a great option if you only have a small amount of space. It maxes out at three feet tall but still produces lots of large white flowers that turn pink as they age.
‘Bobo’ grows a little slower than most hydrangeas but reaches full size in about two years. This cold-hardy variety withstands harsh winters with ease.
‘Candy Apple’
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height 4-5′ |
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hardiness zones 4-8 |
‘Candy Apple’ is a nice compact hydrangea that grows to only four or five feet tall. The cone-shaped flowers bloom in summer as green, slowly turn to pure white, and finally finish as red in the fall.
The dark green leaves create a nice contrasting backdrop for the white flowers, allowing them to shine.
‘Little Lamb’
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height 4-6′ |
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hardiness zones 3-8 |
‘Little Lamb’ stands out because its flowers consist of tiny, delicate florets. These sweet, fleecy-looking flowers bloom in summer as pure white and age to pink, as most panicle hydrangeas do.
This very tough and hardy plant is also extremely dependable, coming back year after year.
‘Little Lime’
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height 3-5′ |
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hardiness zones 3-8 |
This variety is an extremely popular variety thanks to its flexibility and stunning color. Its blooms can vary between pale white and a green tinge.
The flowers start turning pink as they wane in the fall. ‘Little Lime’ does well in sunnier climates and blooms from late spring until fall. As a paniculata cultivar, it is also quite hardy, even in colder hardiness zones.
‘Polar Ball’
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height 6-8′ |
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hardiness zones 3-8 |
This panicle hydrangea has flowers made up of extra-large florets, making it unique in its own right. Growing up to eight feet tall, ‘Polar Ball’ makes a beautiful hedge for summer privacy.
These pretty flowers open white and turn to a soft pink as they mature.
Hydrangea quercifolia Varieties
Hydrangea quercifolia is most commonly referred to as the oakleaf hydrangea, due to the shape of its big leaves that resemble those of an oak tree. Several popular varieties feature both white blooms and lush green leaves.
‘Alice’
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height 12-15′ |
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hardiness zones 5-9 |
‘Alice’ is a very large variety, reaching up to 12 feet high and wide. The flowers are very long as well, easily reaching one foot.
These long flowers bloom creamy white and age to pink in the fall. The blooms consist of very large sepals, reaching almost one and a half inches.
‘Gatsby Moon’
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height 6-8′ |
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hardiness zones 5-9 |
The flowers on ‘Gatsby Moon’ are amazing, resembling those of a panicle hydrangea more than a typical oakleaf. Each flower on these white hydrangea varieties is jam-packed with double florets.
Blooming white, the ‘Gatsby Moon’ flowers age to lime green, keeping a fresh look in your garden all season long.
‘Gatsby Star’
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height 6-8′ |
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hardiness zones 5-9 |
‘Gatsby Star’ is very similar to ‘Gatsby Moon’ in height and even in its double flowers. The main difference is the petals, which are pointed rather than rounded. These pointy edges give the florets a starlike appearance.
The larger star-shaped florets dance on top of the smaller fertile flowers, which are green and almost look like moss. This interesting and special white hydrangea variety makes a standout addition to any fall garden.
‘Munchkin’
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height 3-5′ |
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hardiness zones 5-9 |
As the name implies, ‘Munchkin’ is a compact hydrangea. The flowers bloom white and turn pink as they age. The oak-leaf-shaped dark green leaves turn a pretty mahogany in fall.
‘Munchkin’ looks great tucked into a perennial garden or used as a lower-growing border.
‘Snow Queen’
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height 4-5′ |
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hardiness zones 5-9 |
‘Snow Queen’ covers itself in stunning blooms. The flowers open in midsummer in a crisp white and age to a rosy blush in the fall.
The foliage steals the show on this plant. The leaves start out in a very deep green, and as the season progresses, they slowly change color, finally ending in a deep reddish bronze that adds a gorgeous splash of color to your autumn garden.
‘Snowflake’
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height 4-6′ |
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hardiness zones 5-9 |
This variety has truly interesting flowers, made up of clusters of double white blooms that resemble snowflakes. ‘Snowflake’ is not a prim and proper hydrangea; instead, it has a wild and unruly growth habit.
This growth habit makes it a charming choice for a woodland edge, mixed in with other flowering shrubs or native perennials. The fall foliage on ‘Snowflake’ turns a deep purple or burgundy, accenting the white flowers beautifully.
