What Are Large Feathery Shrubs With Blue & White Flowers?

Hydrangea

• Hydrangeas are grown as ornamentals for their large flower clusters, which bloom between July and September. The panicle (Hydrangea paniculata), smooth (Hydrangea arborescens) and oakleaf (Hydrangea quercifolia) hydrangea shrubs display white flowers. Clusters of blue flowers emerge from the bigleaf hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla). Only the panicle hydrangeas have feathery leaves. Panicles are also one of the most cold-hardy hydrangea shrubs, growing in hardiness zones 3 to 8. The height of each hydrangea varies, but the tallest shrubs grow up to 5 or 6 feet tall.

Chastetree

• Primarily grown in the eastern United States, the chastetree (Vitex agnus-castus), or chasteberry, is a large-sized shrub that grows between 15 to 20 feet when mature. The base width of the chastetree is 10 to 15 feet. Chastetree stalks produce clusters of white and blue or lavender flowers in the summer. This shrub's stalks and flowers both have feathery textures. The chasetree is a deciduous perennial that is able to grow in cold hardiness zones 7 and 8. The Shoal Creek and Abbeville Blue cultivars feature blue flowers, while white-flowered chastetrees include Silver Spire and Alba.

Lilacs

• Native to Europe, the common lilac (Syringa vulgaris) reaches heights of 8 to 15 feet, while its width ranges between 6 and 12 feet. Common lilac flowers come in a variety of colors, including blue and white. This shrub's flowers grow in clusters on upright stalks. The common lilac's flowers have an aromatic fragrance. The leaves of common lilacs and its relative, the cutleaf lilac have light, feathery leaves. Most of the flowers on cutleaf lilacs are white. Both shrubs are deciduous, meaning their leaves are only green during the spring to mid-fall.

Desert False Indigo

• The desert false indigo (Amorpha fruticosa) is a large shrub cultivated in Southern California, the American Southwest and the East Coast. Horticulturists plant desert false indigos as ornamental shrubs. This shrub grows between 3 to 10 feet high. Desert false indigo branches have 11 to 25 light, feathery leaves, which range between 4 to 8 inches long. During the summer, the desert false indigo produces clusters of dark blue flowers on the shrub's 3- to 6-inch long, upright spikes. One Amorpha fruitcosa cultivar, Albiflora, features clusters of white flowers. Desert false indigo flowers exude a sweet fragrance.