White Candle plants light up Florida landscapes.
White Candle plants will glow if you keep them nice and warm and in the shade. Seems pretty obvious but that’s because they shine their brightest when not competing with the bright sun. These perennials love being the star of the show and will reward you with pristine white blooms if you cater to their star status.
Whitfieldia elongata, aka White Candle plant
White Candle plants are not temperamental. You just have to plant them in the right place and take care of them. For instance, Zone 10 works best. No sustained cold temps, please. And heaven forbid, don’t let them dry out between waterings. If you get all this right, these African shrubs will add a lush tropical look to your landscape that’s sure to elicit glowing praise from your neighbors.
Plant your White Candle plants where they can glow.
White Candles tolerate early morning light but are most happy when growing in bright shade. Cold wind is a limiting factor, as they’re not cold friendly. Planting in a protected area works best. These perennials insist on moist but well-drained acidic soil. Again, don’t let them dry out. Other than that, they are easy care and will reward you with frothy white blooms almost all year long.
Design considerations: pairings and placement
ArtisTree Landscape Designer Brian Clouser recommends using White Candles as an understory plant, particularly as an edging plant or second layer. “I prefer them as a second layer because they can get a bit leggy if they aren’t allowed to flow or fall out from the base,” he says. “They have a bit of a loose cottage look which I really like.”
Clouser pairs White Candles with shade-loving and traditional southern plants. He suggests cat palms, variegated ginger, Ti plants, crotons, philodendrons, Apostles’ Iris, Triostar Stromanthe or wart fern. For locations where there’s a bit more sun, you can pair your White Candles with copperleaf, viburnums, azaleas (where deer aren’t an issue) and foxtail fern.
Are White Candle plants a match for your landscape?
Find out by meeting with an award-winning ArtisTree designer. But first things first. Get your landscape growing and glowing by completing ArtisTree’s landscape design questionnaire. Then give us a call at 941.488.8897, ext. 312. We’re eager to hear what you have in mind.
Contact ArtisTree
Contact ArtisTree Landscape Maintenance & Design at 941.488.8897 and let’s get your dream landscape project started. We proudly serve Sarasota, Manatee and Charlotte counties.
ArtisTree also provides complete landscape maintenance services for HOA communities throughout Southwest Florida. Contact Michael Casper at 941.488.8897 for your custom proposal.