Did you know that a lot of white flowers have a delightful fragrance that makes them even more fascinating?
In this article, we’ll explore a curated list of white flowers that not only look stunning but also fill the air with their captivating fragrances. Whether you’re looking for the perfect gifts or to beautify your home, there’s a white flower just for you!
Why choose white flowers?
Here’s why you should go for white flowers in your homes, gardens, events, or as thoughtful gifts:
- Symbolism of Purity and Innocence: The color white is often associated with purity, innocence, and new beginnings.
When you choose white flowers, you’re not only selecting beautiful blooms but also embracing the symbolic significance they carry.
Whether you’re celebrating a wedding, welcoming a new life, or paying tribute to a loved one, white flowers are a great way to express your heartfelt emotions.
- Elegance and Simplicity: White flowers are loved by many for their elegance and simplicity. They have this ability to stand out and draw attention to their pristine beauty without being showy.
This subtle grace fits well with different decor themes.
From minimalist and modern arrangements to classic and traditional settings, white flowers seamlessly adapt to the atmosphere and enhance their visual appeal.
- Fragrance: One of the most enchanting qualities of white flowers is their fragrant nature. Their sweet, delicate, and sometimes exotic scents add an extra layer of sensory delight to any setting.
The smell of white flowers can make you feel calm, happy, and romantic. That’s why they’re great for creating a cozy and welcoming atmosphere on various occasions.
What causes the fragrance in flowers?
The captivating scents of flowers come from the essential oils they produce. These essential oils create a floral scent that attracts pollinators such as bees and butterflies.
The Most Fragrant White Flowers
White Roses
Botanical Name: Rosa
Origin: Asia, Europe, and North America
Size: Varies. Miniature roses can grow anywhere between 15–30 inches
Light: At least 6 hours of direct sunlight daily
Water: Every 2–3 days
Toxicity: Non-toxic to humans and pets
White roses are probably the first that comes to mind when you think of white flowers. These flowers are perennial climbers or shrubs that feature layers of soft, velvety petals.
They have a gentle scent with a mix of musky, lemon, and violet notes. White roses typically bloom from late spring to summer, and sometimes even into fall.
These flowers symbolize peace, innocence, and purity.
Best for: White roses are frequently used in weddings. They are also an ideal choice for any occasion that represents new beginnings, like first dates.
Gardenia
Botanical Name: Gardenia jasminoides
Origin: Asia, Australia, and Africa
Size: Up to 12 feet tall
Light: 4 to 6 hours of sunlight
Water: Once a week
Toxicity: Some varieties may be toxic if ingested
Gardenia flowers are perennial shrubs or trees that have large creamy white petals that form a rosette pattern. They have a rich fragrance with hints of coconut, citrus, and spice.
Gardenias bloom in mid to late spring until fall, and they symbolize clarity, hope, peace, trust, harmony, intuition, self-reflection, and purity.
Best for: These flowers are excellent choices for floral arrangements in baptisms, communion, and even wedding bouquets.
Jasmine
Botanical Name: Jasminum officinale
Origin: Asia and the Middle East
Size: Up to 3 to 8 feet tall
Light: Full sun to partial shade
Water: Once a week
Toxicity: Non-toxic to humans and pets
Jasmine is one of the most famous fragrant flowers because of its essential oils that are used for aromatherapy. They have a sweet, exotic, and intoxicatingly rich scent that creates a calming and soothing effect.
Jasmine is the national flower of Pakistan and it symbolizes beauty, love, and intimacy.
Best for: These flowers make excellent gifts for romantic occasions such as Valentine’s Day and anniversaries.
Tuberose
Botanical Name: Polianthes tuberosa
Origin: Mexico
Size: Up to 3 feet tall
Light: Full sun
Water: Needs approximately 200 ml of water every 12 days
Toxicity: Toxic if ingested
Tuberose flowers are perennials that are known for their thick sweet fragrance with creamy notes of beeswax. These flowers have creamy white multi-layered funnel-shaped flowers and are widely used in the perfume industry.
They symbolize love, lust, sensuality, and obsession. In the Victorian era, they symbolized dangerous pleasures, and young girls were discouraged from smelling them to prevent erotic urges.
Best for: Tuberose flowers are excellent gifts for anniversaries. You may even gift a bouquet of these flowers to your wife on your wedding night.
Lily of the Valley
Botanical Name: Convallaria majalis
Origin: Northern Europe and Asia
Size: Up to 6 to 12 inches tall
Light: Partial sunlight
Water: Once a week
Toxicity: Toxic to humans and pets if ingested
Lily of the valley is a perennial plant that features drooping small, white flowers that look like bells. Their leaves are glossy and the flowers have a sweet fresh scent with a hint of lemon.
Lily of the valley is the national flower of Finland and it symbolizes happiness, sincerity, purity, motherhood, and luck. It is also the birth flower of May and it blooms in late spring to early summer.
Best for: These flowers can be excellent choices for your mom or grandmother on Mother’s Day to show how much you love them. They are also ideal gifts for a loved one celebrating their birthday in May.
Hyacinth
Botanical Name: Hyacinthus
Origin: Mediterranean region and Africa
Size: Up to 6 to 12 inches tall
Light: Full sun
Water: Water sparingly. Just make sure to keep the soil consistently moist
Toxicity: Mildly toxic if ingested
Hyacinth flowers grow in clusters and their petals flare outwards. They have a powerful scent with sweet and spicy notes.
These flowers bloom in early to mid-spring and they symbolize playfulness, healing, and love even after death.
Best for: Hyacinth flowers are excellent gifts for birthdays and anniversaries. They can also be used as sympathy or funeral flowers.
Freesia
Botanical Name: Freesia
Origin: South Africa
Size: Up to 1 to 2 feet tall
Light: Full sun to partial shade
Water: Water sparingly, only when the soil is dry
Toxicity: Non-toxic to pets and humans
Freesias are perennials that are native to Africa. Each stem has multiple flowers that look like funnels. They have a floral, fruity fragrance that is similar to strawberries with hints of honey or mint.
Freesias typically bloom between the early summer and fall and they symbolize innocence, purity, and friendship.
Best for: Freesias are ideal gifts to friends on their birthday or whenever you just want to brighten up their day.
Plumeria
Origin: The Caribbean and Central America
Size: Up to 20 feet
Light: At least 6 hours of direct sunlight per day
Water: At least once a week
Toxicity: Toxic if ingested
Plumerias are trees or shrubs that are famous for being used to make traditional Hawaiian wreaths. They have a thick sweet fragrance and can have a citrus, fruity scent to spice notes.
These flowers bloom from late spring until fall and they symbolize health, beauty, purity, and love.
Best for: Plumeria flowers are excellent gifts for birthdays, anniversaries, or when you just want to brighten someone’s day. They are also sometimes used as burial offerings.
Sweet Alyssum
Botanical Name: Lobularia maritima
Origin: Mediterranean region
Size: Low-growing, usually up to 6 inches tall
Light: Full sun to partial shade.
Water: Water once a week
Toxicity: Non-toxic to humans and pets
Sweet alyssums are evergreen annual flowers that have a fast-growing habit. They showcase clusters of small, delicate, four-petaled blooms.
These flowers have a strong sweet honey-like scent and can bloom in early spring, summer, and fall. They symbolize kindness and sweetness and are believed to increase calmness.
Best for: Sweet alyssums are low-growing flowers, which makes them an excellent choice for ground covers.
Phlox
Botanical Name: Phlox paniculata
Origin: North America
Size: Up to 2 to 4 feet tall
Light: Thrives in full sunlight but can tolerate some shade
Water: Once a week in the morning at the root zone
Toxicity: Non-toxic to humans and pets
Phlox is a group of flowers that come in both annual and perennial varieties. They typically have small star-shaped blossoms that grow in dense clusters, giving the illusion of one big flower.
They have a subtle almond or vanilla scent with hints of honey or clove and bloom from late spring until the end of summer.
These flowers are associated with sweet dreams, harmony, and unity.
Best for: Phlox is an ideal gift or decoration for wedding proposals or engagement parties.
Mock Orange
Botanical Name: Philadelphus coronarius
Origin: Southern Europe, Asia, and America
Size: Up to 3 to 10 feet tall
Light: Full sun to partial shade
Water: 2 to 3 times a week
Toxicity: Non-toxic to humans and pets
Mock oranges are perennial flowering shrubs with leaves that look very similar to true orange trees. They have cup or star-shaped flowers with four petals that feel like satin and a sweet citrus scent similar to the smell of oranges.
Mock oranges symbolize fertility, but they used to represent deceit in the Victorian era.
Best for: Mock oranges are perfect gifts for a friend or loved one who just gave birth.
Honeysuckle
Botanical Name: Lonicera periclymenum
Origin: Temperate zones in northern and southern hemisphere
Size: Up to 15 to 20 feet tall
Light: Thrives in full sun but can tolerate some shade
Water: Needs approximately 200 ml of water every 9 days
Toxicity: Toxic to humans and pets if ingested
Honeysuckles are climbing vines and shrubs featuring a tubular shape that grow in clusters along the stem. They have a heavy, sweet scent with hints of honey, fruit, and vanilla.
These flowers symbolize happiness, nostalgia, affection, and new love.
Best for: Honeysuckle flowers are perfect gifts to family and friends who are going through a new milestone in their lives.
Spider Lily
Botanical Name: Lycoris albiflora
Origin: Eastern and Southern Asia
Size: Up to 8 to 12 inches tall
Light: Full sun to partial shade
Water: Water once a week
Toxicity: Toxic to humans and pets if ingested
Spider lilies feature curling lashes and splayed flowerheads. They have a gentle, delicate fragrance and they start to bloom at the end of the summer until early fall.
These flowers represent purity, beauty, protection, and rebirth.
Best for: Spider lilies are excellent gifts to a friend or loved one who’s starting a new chapter in their life, such as a new job or a home.
Magnolia
Origin: Asia and America
Size: Up to 12 inches in diameter
Light: Full sun to partial shade
Water: Twice a week
Toxicity: Non-toxic to humans and pets
Magnolia flowers have a unique bowl shape with a round base and thick petals that are waxy. They are very popular in aromatherapy and most of these flowers smell like vanilla and fruits with a hint of spice.
Magnolias typically bloom from spring until the end of summer and they symbolize perseverance, nobility, and long life. They are also the state flower of Louisiana and Mississippi.
Best for: Magnolia flowers are perfect birthday gifts for friends or loved ones to wish them a long life.
Viburnum
Origin: Northern hemisphere
Size: 3 to 8 feet tall
Light: Thrives in full sun but can tolerate partial shade
Water: Twice a week
Toxicity: Non-toxic to humans and pets
Viburnums are perennial shrubs with flowers arranged in clusters that grow in the Northern Hemisphere. These flowers have a sweet sophisticated scent with a hint of vanilla.
They typically grow in the spring and summer into fall, but some varieties can also bloom in the winter.
Viburnum flowers symbolize innocence, calmness, pride, and purity. They also symbolize motherhood in Ukraine.
Best for: These flowers would make great gifts on graduation or Mother’s Day.
