13 White Leaf Plants: Angelic Plants to Brighten Your Garden

White leaf plants are everywhere, but you will agree that they always catch your attention when you see them.

They may be very beautiful, but they are just as easy to care for as other plants. Here are 13 types of white leaf plants that will brighten your day.

Types of White Leaf Plants

1. Snow Queen Pothos (Epipremnum Aureum)

This beautiful vine of the Araceae family will surely come to mind when you think of plants with white leaves. Snow Queen Pothos has white leaves with green splashes, but you can make the leaves whiter by exposing the plant to more light. You can grow this Epipremnum genus white leaf plant indoors as well.

• Size: Snow Queen Pothos are vines that grow to reach 6–10 feet (1.8–3 meters) tall. You may not notice the height as the plant will need a cage, trellis, or stake.
• Temperature and USDA hardiness zone: The ideal USDA hardiness zone for snow queens are zones 10 to 11, while the optimal temperature is 65–85 degrees Fahrenheit (18–29 degrees Celsius).
• Humidity: Snow queens can do just fine in slightly below to above-average humidity.
• Light: The leaves will get whiter if you expose the plant to at least six hours of daily sunlight. However, the plant can grow just fine in partial shade.
• Substrate: The ideal substrate for this plant is moist but drains quickly. It should be slightly acidic.
• Watering: Wait until the substrate is dry on top before you water the plant.

2. Silver Ragwort or Dusty Miller (Jacobaea Maritima)

The beautiful Silver Ragwort plant is one with small segmented leaves that are coated with silvery fuzz on its surface. The leaves can look white, gray, or silvery according to the variety and growing conditions. Silver ragworts can grow comfortably in pots and garden soil.

• Size: Healthy silver ragworts can grow up to 12 inches (30 centimeters) wide and 18 inches (46 centimeters) tall.
• Temperature and USDA hardiness zone: This plant’s ideal USDA hardiness zone is zone 7–10. The plants will grow just fine when you grow them in temperatures between 40 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit (4–26 degrees Celsius).
• Humidity: Ensure the room’s humidity is below average, as ragworts silver foliage can quickly get diseases in humid places.
• Light: While the plant can grow well when exposed to four hours of daily sun, it will produce whiter leaves when you expose it to more light.
• Substrate: This hardy plant can grow in different soil types. However, the soil should remain nutritious and loose.
• Watering: You should wait for the substrate to be almost dry before you water your plants again.

3. Jack Frost Brunnera (Brunnera Macrophylla)

The brunnera Jack Frost plant is a perennial plant with frosted leaves. The frosted leaves have narrow green edges and veins, making the plant suitable for shaded places where they can brighten its surroundings. You should consider growing this beautiful winner of the 2012 Perennial Plant Association (PPA) plant of the year award.

• Size: As long as the Jack Frost is healthy, it can grow up to 18 inches (46 centimeters) tall.
• Temperature and USDA hardiness zone: The optimum temperature for this plant is 65–85 degrees Fahrenheit (18–29 degrees Celsius). To get the temperature just right, grow the plant in USDA hardiness zone 3–8. 
• Humidity: Jack Frost plants love humidity, so the room should have above 65 percent humidity.
• Light: This plant will grow just fine in shaded places. Just make sure that it gets four hours of sun daily, at least.
• Substrate: Like others, Jack Frost plants love well-drained, moist and rich soil. The soil should have a lot of organic matter in it. You can grow this plant in pots without problems.
• Watering: The soil should be always moist. Do not wait until the top 5 inches of the soil are dry before you water the plant. Make sure that you water your plants regularly, especially in dry seasons.

4. Silver Shimmers Lungwort (Pulmonaria)

 This is a beautiful perennial plant with dark-green leaves having bright white or silver centers. The plant blooms in early spring and produces blue, pink, or white flowers. In the Lungwort family, the Silver Shimmers plant produces the largest bloom. This plant is easy to grow, and you do not need to worry about pests as it is deer and rabbit-resistant.

• Size: It can grow to reach 1 foot tall (30 centimeters) and 2 feet (60 centimeters) wide. 
• Temperature and USDA hardiness zone: You should grow this plant in USDA zones 3–8. Make sure that the temperature is between 60 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit (16–27 degrees Celsius).
• Humidity: It is a humidity-loving plant, so the humidity level should always be above 60 percent.
• Light: Either full or partial sunlight is okay. Just make sure that the plant gets four to six hours of sunlight daily.
• Substrate: The substrate should have a lot of organic nutrients. Make sure that it drains water quickly.
• Watering: The substrate should be consistently moist for your Silver Shimmers.

5. Purple Dragon Lamium (Lamium Maculatum)

Just like the Silver Shimmers plant, this Purple Dragon Lamium has green leaves with white centers. You can easily identify this plant by its leaves, especially heart-shaped centers. The plant gets its name from its purple flowers. This plant is excellent for shaded locations outside, and you do not need to worry about pests as it is pest-free.

• Size: It can grow 6–8 inches (15–20 centimeters) tall and 12–24 inches (30–61 centimeters) wide.
• Temperature and USDA hardiness zone: Grow your purple dragons in USDA zones 3–8 and make sure they grow at 60–80 degrees Fahrenheit (16–27 degrees Celsius).
• Humidity: This hardy plant can grow in near-average humidity. So long as the humidity levels do not fall below 40 percent, the plant will grow just fine.
• Light: It is perfect for a shaded location. Do not grow it in direct sunlight.
• Substrate: The substrate should be rich in humus and well-drained.
• Watering: In the active growing seasons of summer and spring, water your Purple Dragons two to three times weekly.

 

6. Woolly Hedgenettle (Stachys Byzantina)

Another name for this beautiful plant is the “Lamb’s-ear.” It has velvety white leaves that look and feel just like the ears of a lamb. The leaves are soft to the touch because of the fuzzy hairs that grow on them.This plant makes an excellent ground cover plant, so you can use it to fill the extra spaces in your yard or garden.

• Size: So long as the growing conditions are just right, it can reach 18 inches (46 centimeters) tall and wide.
• Temperature and USDA hardiness zone: You should grow the Woolly Hedgenettle if you are living in USDA zones 4–8. The temperature should not go below 60 degrees Fahrenheit (16 degrees Celsius).
• Humidity: The humidity should be around 50 percent.
• Light: The plant requires full sun to grow. You can grow it in either direct or indirect light.
• Substrate: The substrate should be dry or loose. You should amend it with perlite.
• Watering: Wait until the soil is dry before you water your Woolly Hedgenettle.

7. Japanese Painted Ferns (Athyrium Niponicum Pictum)

Imagine how your fern garden looks in winter. That is how the Japanese Painted Fern plants look. They appear as if snow fell on their fronds as they have a silvery color. The fronds can also be greyish-green according to the growing conditions. This is a low-maintenance plant. The Japanese fern plant is slow-growing and grows only 12 inches (30 centimeter) per year.

• Size: The plant can grow to 18 inches (46 centimeters) tall and wide.
• Temperature and USDA hardiness zone: While it is considered a hardy plant, the optimal temperature to grow it is 55–80 degrees Fahrenheit (13–27 degrees Celsius). You can grow it with ease in zones 3–8. 
• Humidity: As a lover of high humidity, grow your ferns at 40–80 percent humidity.
• Light: It can grow very well in partial sunlight.
• Substrate: This plant can grow in any substrate, but grow it in a loose substrate for optimal growth.
• Watering: Water the plants as soon as the substrate is dry.

8. Rose Campion (Lychnis Coronaria)

Here is a plant with white foliage, petioles, and stems. The Rose Campion plant has received the award of garden merit from the Royal Horticultural Society because of its beauty. It has hot pink or white flowers that complement its white or grey color. This plant requires very little maintenance, and it makes a good border plant.

• Size: The tall border plant can reach 3 feet (91 centimeters) tall and spread 18 inches (46 centimeters) wide. 
• Temperature and USDA hardiness zone: Grow your Rose Campion plants in USDA hardiness zones 4–8. Make sure they grow at 60–80 degrees Fahrenheit (16–27 degrees Celsius).
• Humidity: So long as the humidity does not fall below 45 percent, your Rose Campions will do just fine.
• Light: It can tolerate a wide range of light exposure. Grow it under full or partial sunlight.
• Substrate: The substrate should be loose. Do not grow this plant in compacted soil. If the substrate is nutrient-depleted, you may need to fertilize the plant often.
• Watering: Wait until the substrate is dry before you water your Rose Campion again.

9. Snow-In-Summer (Cerastium Tomentosum) 

This is a perennial plant that you simply need in your flower garden. While the leaves are light grey to light green, the plant produces very white and beautiful flowers. It also comes with woolly leaves that are very pleasant to the touch. You will enjoy the bloom of your snow-in-summer plant in July.

• Size: It does not grow tall. It can grow to reach 6 inches (15 centimeters) tall and 10–18 inches (25–46 centimeters) wide.
• Temperature and USDA hardiness zone: Grow your snow-in-summer plant in USDA zones 3–8. So long as the temperature is 55–80 degrees Fahrenheit (13–27 degrees Celsius), your plant will grow just fine.
• Humidity: The humidity should be below average as this plant loves arid atmospheres.
• Light: Make sure that you grow your plants in a place where they can receive full sun.
• Substrate: The substrate should be slightly acidic and nutritious.
• Watering: The substrate should be dry before you water your plants. Water them one to three times weekly.

10. White Stonecrop (Sedum Album)

This is an evergreen, succulent perennial plant that produces dense finger-shaped leaves collectively looking like a mat. While the leaves are light green or brightly colored, the flowers are white. This plant is great for rock gardens. This is an awesome plant for covering the ground and growing in hanging baskets. It also attracts butterflies.

• Size: It can grow 3–6 inches (8–15 centimeter) tall and 1-2 feet (30–60 centimeters) wide.
• Temperature and USDA hardiness zone: Grow your white stonecrop in zones 3–8 and at 55–80 degrees Fahrenheit (13–27 degrees Celsius).
• Humidity: It can tolerate a wide range of humidity. Just make sure that the air is not too dry.
• Light: The stonecrop plant requires full sun. Expose it to six or more hours of light.
• Substrate: It can grow on hard rocks. This plant tolerates a wide range of substrates.
• Watering: Water the plant two or three times weekly.

11. Nerve Plant (Fittonia Albivenis)

If you are looking for a plant with white leaves, this plant might just be the exact opposite. The nerve plant has dark-green leaves, but the leaves have very bright white veins. This is an evergreen plant that is native to the forests in South America. The nerve plant is resistant to many pests, including deer and rabbits.

• Size: The plant can grow up to 6 inches (15 centimeteres) tall while the leaves can reach 4 inches (10 centimeters) in width.
• Temperature and USDA hardiness zone: Grow your nerve plants at 60–80 degrees Fahrenheit (16–27 degrees Celsius).
• Humidity: Make sure that the humidity level is above 60 percent.
• Light: Nerve plants need indirect or filtered sunlight, especially in summer.
• Substrate: The substrate should have a lot of peat moss mixed with compost.
• Watering: The substrate should be moist consistently.

12. Painted Leaf Begonia (Begonia Rex-Cultorum)

Even though the leaves of Painted Leaf Begonias are multi-colored, they are mostly white and have darker outer edges. This is a very beautiful indoor plant with variegated leaves that also have some color to them!

• Size: The plant can grow to reach 24 inches (60 centimeters) tall. The leaves are 9 inches tall and 5 inches wide (23 and 13 centimeters).
• Temperature and USDA hardiness zone: Grow your begonias in zones 10–11 and never below 55 degrees Fahrenheit (13 degrees Celsius). This plant is heat-loving.
• Humidity: Make sure that the humidity level is above 50 percent. You can mist the plant if you see the need.
• Light: Grow your begonias in the south-facing parts of your home. They prefer indirect sunlight.
• Substrate: You can use a general potting mix amended with compost.
• Watering: Water the plant once or twice weekly by flooding its substrate.

13. Licorice Plant (Helichrysum Petiolare)

Looking for a white shrub? The licorice plant is a shrub that can act as ground cover. It is also beautiful in pots. It grows little white leaves that grow to become light green or grey. In 2013, the licorice plant won the award of garden merit from the Royal Horticultural Society.

• Size: This plant can grow to reach 1-2 feet (30—60 centimeters) tall and 3-4 feet (90—120 centimeters) wide.
• Temperature and USDA hardiness zone: Grow your licorice plant in zones 10-12. The temperature should never fall below 55 degrees Fahrenheit (10 degrees Celsius).
• Humidity: It can grow well in 50 percent humidity.
• Light: Grow your licorice shrub in full sun. 
• Substrate: The substrate should have a neutral pH. Make sure that it is well-drained.
• Watering: It has low watering needs. You can water it once or twice weekly.

Conclusion

White leaf plants are not just beautiful, they can make your garden look very clean and pure. There are many types of white leaf plants, so you must choose one that is suitable for your environment.

Snow queen pothos, nerve plant, polka dot plant and painted leaf begonia are plants that you can grow both indoors and outside, so you want to consider starting with them. Just while keeping in mind the growing requirements of your choice.

After discovering the angelic plants in this article, which plant would you like to start with?