Evergreen shrubs keep their leaves year-round and are essential for any garden. They provide a refreshing touch of green in winter and prevent the space from looking bare. As the garden’s backbone, they add structure and can be shaped into balls, mounds, columns, or pyramids. Their steady presence highlights more vibrant plants, like summer-flowering perennials or shrubs with stunning autumn colors.
Not all evergreens stay green; some have shades of grey, purple, gold, or variegated patterns. Many also offer the added charm of seasonal flowers.
Spacing evergreens evenly throughout the garden helps unify the space. These shrubs work well as permanent foundation plantings around a home’s base, lining pathways, or framing entrances. Many form excellent hedges to create privacy or define garden rooms. They also serve as effective windbreaks and ground cover. Smaller evergreen shrubs thrive in pots, alone or with seasonal bedding plants.
Best Evergreen Shrubs You Must Plant In Your Garden
The best time to plant evergreens is in spring or autumn. If you’re unsure which to choose, here are our 10 favorite evergreen shrubs for inspiration.
Evergreen Azalea
Most azaleas lose their leaves in winter, but some varieties, like Encore azaleas, stay evergreen. These varieties grow denser, more compact, and lower than their deciduous counterparts. They often spread wider than they grow tall. Their leaves remain small, usually no longer than 1 to 2 inches. Most evergreen azaleas bloom in early to mid-spring, with some reblooming in summer and fall. They offer a stunning range of flower colors, including white, purple, pink, red, and reddish-orange, but not yellow.
Boxwood
Boxwoods are broadleaf evergreens with tiny leaves and a dense growth habit. They are ideal for formal hedges. These slow-growing shrubs rarely exceed five feet in height and are often kept shorter through regular trimming. While commonly used for low hedges, they also work well as foundation plantings, adding structure and elegance to any landscape.
Camellia
Camellia is the queen of the Southern garden. It dazzles with single, double, or semi-double blooms in shades of pink, lavender, white, salmon, red, yellow, and bicolor. Once established, it thrives for generations, growing larger and more vibrant each year. To encourage bigger flowers, remove all but one bud from each cluster. Prune immediately after flowering to promote branching and ensure a fuller shrub.
Indian Hawthorne
For an evergreen shrub that needs little pruning, consider Indian hawthorn. It produces soft pink flowers in spring that later develop into bluish-purple fruits. It is available in various sizes and suits mixed borders and foundation plantings. Once established, it thrives in dry conditions, making it a low-maintenance choice for any landscape.
False Cypress
False Cypress, also known as Sawara cypress, is admired for its whimsical golden foliage. It is a needled evergreen shrub with stringy, arching, whip-like branches that add texture and movement to the landscape. It is often used in foundation plantings, rock gardens, or as a standout specimen in small spaces.
Holly
Holly shrubs add vibrant color to any landscape with their glossy green or variegated leaves and clusters of red or yellow berries. Plant at least one male holly nearby to ensure an abundant berry display, as holly plants are either male or female. Check the plant label before buying to find the best pollinator for your variety. These low-maintenance shrubs need minimal pruning and can be shaped into hedges or topiaries for a polished look.
Japanese pittosporum
Japanese pittosporum thrives in milder climates and coastal areas. It is an excellent choice for hedges, foundation plantings, or privacy screens. Its dark green or green-and-white foliage adds visual interest, while small, highly fragrant white flowers bloom in spring. This low-maintenance shrub adapts well to pruning, allowing for easy height control, and it withstands sandy soil and salt spray, perfect for seaside gardens.
Nandina
Heavenly bamboo, or nandina, is a low-maintenance evergreen shrub prized for its delicate, bamboo-like foliage and striking red berry clusters. It is drought-resistant, ideal for slopes or hillsides, and spreads easily in the landscape. However, it is invasive in several regions, so check local guidelines before planting or opt for seedless varieties to prevent unwanted spreading.
Winter Creeper
Winter creeper is a broadleaf evergreen shrub known for its striking variegated foliage, featuring green centers and golden edges. This low-growing shrub reaches about two feet in height while spreading to four feet, making it a versatile ground cover for sun and shade. With support, it can even climb a low wall. However, watch out for Euonymus scale, a common pest that may require management.
Cryptomeria
Who can resist an evergreen with such a charming name and adorable form? Cryptomeria, or Japanese cedar, stands out with its soft, touchable foliage and versatile growth habits. It ranges from compact three- to four-foot dwarfs to towering 50-foot giants. It brings color and texture to the garden, with ‘Globosa Nana’ being a particularly appealing cultivar thanks to its year-round beauty.
