Plants that bloom in May in Zone 9 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.

Angel's Trumpet

Huge pendant trumpets release intense evening fragrance over a long warm-season bloom.

Annual Vinca

Glossy-leaved heat champion (botanically unrelated to true Vinca minor) that blooms through humidity that wilts everything else.

Azalea

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

Bachelor's Button

True cornflower blue that almost no other flower can match. Cottage garden classic that self-sows reliably.

Batik Iris

Streaked and splashed purple-and-white pattern unlike any other iris. Each bloom is unique, like brushwork on silk.

Bougainvillea

Explosive cascades of papery magenta, hot pink, or coral bracts that smother walls, fences, and pergolas with nonstop color from spring through fall in zones 9 to 11.

Butter and Sugar Siberian Iris

Cream-white standards over butter-yellow falls. The first dependable yellow-and-white Siberian iris ever introduced.

Calibrachoa

Mini petunias that bloom nonstop in hanging baskets. Dozens of color options and no deadheading needed.

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.

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.

Dwarf Crested Iris

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

Fringe Tree

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

Gardenia

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

Honesty

Purple spring flowers turn into translucent silvery seed pods like full moons. Biennial cottage classic that self-sows everywhere.

Honeysuckle

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

Iceberg Rose

Pure white floribunda clusters that bloom non-stop from spring to frost. Among the most planted roses in the world and bulletproof in any climate.

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.

Ixia

Wiry stems hold star-shaped flowers in jewel colors. Corn lily, a long-lasting cut flower that closes at night and opens with the sun.

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.

Larkspur

Tall spires of spurred flowers in deep blue and purple. The annual cousin of delphinium, easier to grow from seed and just as dramatic.

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.

Mexican Feather Grass

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

Meyer Lemon

Sweetly scented white blossoms appear intermittently year-round and set thin-skinned lemons.

Nigella

Sky-blue flowers wreathed in feathery green bracts give way to ornamental striped seed pods. Self-sows freely once you start.

Ornithogalum

Star-shaped white flowers with green stripes on the back. Star of Bethlehem, naturalizes into drifts that take care of themselves.

Pelargonium

The classic window-box geranium. Ball-shaped flower clusters above scalloped leaves. Tough container staple.

Pentas

Star-shaped flower clusters that hummingbirds and butterflies hit on every pass. Blooms nonstop in heat that stops impatiens cold.

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.

Plumbago

Sky-blue phlox-like clusters bloom nonstop in warm climates. The blue flower that thrives where most blues melt in summer heat.

Plumeria

Intoxicatingly fragrant tropical blooms. The flower of Hawaiian leis.

Portulaca

Succulent-leaved sun lover with silky rose-like blooms that thrives where pavement, rock, or sand defeats everything else.

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.

Snapdragon

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

Southern Magnolia

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

Spirea

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

Stock

Dense spikes of clove-scented blooms in soft pastels. Cool-season cut flower that fills a room with spicy perfume.

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.

Sweet William

Dense flat clusters in zoned bicolors with a sweet clove fragrance. Old-fashioned cottage charm that returns reliably.

Thalia Daffodil

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

Triteleia

Loose umbels of starry blue trumpets on tall wiry stems. Western native bulb that thrives on summer drought.

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.

White Wild Indigo

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

Wisteria

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