White Oriental Flowers

Sampaguita

• Native in habitat from Bengal to Ceylon and Burma, the sampaguita (Jasminum sambac) is also the national flower of the Philippines. Sampaguita produces dainty, highly fragrant, white flowers throughout the summer and almost continuously in tropical climates. Sampaguita's fragrant, little white flowers burst through the shiny, evergreen leaves of this scrambling shrub. Flowers reach a diameter of approximately one inch and appear in clusters containing up to a dozen blooms. Flowers adopt a pinkish tint as they age. The Filipino culture uses sampaguita blossoms in garland making and as the primary flower in floral arrangements for wedding ceremonies and vigils for the dead. Filipinos also present the flower as religious offerings and tokens of welcome, gratitude and accomplishment.

Indian Lotus

• Indian Lotus (Nymphaea lotus) is an aquatic perennial from the Nelumbonaceae species of plants. Nymphaea lotus distributes itself in parts of southeast Asia, tropical Africa and Europe. Find this white, oriental blossom floating upon ivy-colored leaves in the ponds of India, Bangladesh and China. Lotus blossoms are white and sometimes take on shades of pink. Nymphaea lotus grows best in clear, warm, still and slightly acidic waters. The blossom, seeds, leaves, stems and roots of this white flower also offer curative properties effective in the treatment of subcutaneous parasitic infections, dysentery, hemorrhoids, diarrhea and other stomach troubles.

Shogetsu Flowering Cherry

• Shogetsu flowering cherry (Prunus serrulata Shogetsu) produces stunning clusters of fragrant, white cherry blossoms (sakura), Japan's unofficial national flower. Shogetsu is one of several hundred different cherry tree varieties in Japan. This cultivar of the flowering cherry produces blossoms consisting of about 20 to 30 petals. Shogetsu is a late-bloomer and flowers in mid-to-late April. Showy blossoms blanket the tree's bronze branches in white before dark green leaves emerge in the spring. Shogetsu flowering cherry grows best in full sunlight and rich, evenly moist, well-drained soil. Under ideal conditions, Shogetsu flowering cherry grows to about 20 feet tall and has a life expectancy of at least 50 years.

Fuji White

• Ballon flower and Fuji white are common names for Platycodon grandiflorus, a cultivar within the Campanulaceae species of plants. This flower originates from Korea where it goes by the name Doraji; you can also find Platycodon grandiflorus throughout China, East Siberia and Japan. Doraji produces puffy, balloon-like buds that transform into white, star-shaped blossoms; flowering occurs from June through September. Sunny to lightly shaded areas please this herbaceous, drought-tolerant perennial. Butterflies frequently visit gardens where Doraji grows and pollinate on its white, fragrant flowers.