25 Evergreen Shrubs That Add Year-Round Beauty to a Landscape
Give your garden or landscape some evergreen attraction!
We love the beauty of flowering shrubs and flowering trees, but we'd also never be without evergreens in our gardens. Evergreens add structure, texture, and year-round color to every landscape, no matter where you live. They also offer food and shelter to wildlife and birds, bringing life and beauty to the otherwise drab winter garden.
There are thousands of evergreens in every size and form, so you'll find one for any style or type of garden. Some take extreme cold, while others do best in warm climates. Read the plant tag or description so you choose one that's suited to your USDA Hardiness zone. (Find your zone here.)
Most also need full sun, which is considered 6 or more hours of direct sunlight per day. A few will tolerate shade, but always double-check the tag to be sure about what you're buying.
Another often-overlooked factor? Mature size! Pay attention to how tall and wide the plant gets, especially if you're considering a fast-growing shrub. What looks like a tidy, little quart or gallon-sized plant now will grow--and probably faster than you think.
You don't want to plant it too close to your house, roofline, or utility lines. That would create maintenance issues and force you to prune several times a year. Most evergreens shouldn't need to be pruned if they have enough space. You should never try to prune something to make it fit the space (that's just a losing battle)! Choose the right plant for the spot from the beginning.
Ahead, our favorite evergreens for every type of garden style:
Pyracantha
Bright white blooms and glossy green foliage make this evergreen a winner. It works well as a barrier hedge, too, because of its thorny branches.
The berries, which come in shades of red or orange, persist into winter, so you'll get double the beauty.
Why We Love It: Striking winter color
False Cypress
This cold-tolerant shrub has graceful limbs and flat, lacy needles. Many varieties grow in a pyramidal or roughly pyramidal shape, which makes a nice, low-maintenance accent plant.
Why We Love It: Soft fern-like needles
Privet
Long used for formal hedges in Europe, this handsome shrub makes a wonderful screen.
It has pretty, fragrant white flowers in spring. It thrives in warmer climates.
Why We Love It: Can be pruned or left natural
Pittosporum
This mounding evergreen shrub grows well in warm climates. It has solid green or variegated foliage with orange-scented blossoms.
Why We Love It: Good border or accent plant
Cherry Laurel
The shiny leaves of this evergreen add interest to the dull winter landscape. Plus, it has pretty linear flowers in spring that have a delicious almond or cherry scent.
Why We Love It: Sweet springtime scent and shiny leaves
Pieris
Also called Japanese andromeda, this beautiful evergreen has clusters of blooms in late winter. It's also one of the few evergreens which tolerates mostly shade.
Why We Love It: Gorgeous clusters of winter flowers
Gardenia
With glossy green foliage and stunning creamy-white or ivory flowers, this evergreen belongs in every warm climate garden. The fragrance is divine, too!
Why We Love It: Lush, fragrant flowers
Hemlock
Dense branching and finely-textured foliage make this shrub a winner as a specimen or planted in a mass to create an interesting screen. Unlike many evergreens, most tolerate some shade.
Why We Love It: Graceful appearance with cute little cones
Mirror Bush
This evergreen has super-shiny leaves in shades of bright lime green or pink! It's suited only to warm climates, but in colder parts of the country, you can keep it potted and bring indoors to enjoy as a houseplant over the winter.
Why We Love It: Interesting, shiny leaves
Inkberry
Upright branches and a cute round shape make this lesser-known native holly a good plant for foundation planting or along walks.
Why We Love It: Good substitute for boxwood
Blue Holly
Featuring sharp, pointy leaves and bright red berries, this is the type of holly most commonly associated with the holidays. Make sure you have both “female” and “male” plant types so berries will form.
Why We Love It: Winter color and a classic holiday feel
Arborvitae, Pyramidal Form
These pyramidal forms include many different heights, ranging from a few feet to 30 feet tall or more. Bonus: Most don’t need shearing to maintain their conical shape!
Why We Love It: Hardy and fast-growing evergreen
Arborvitae, Globe Form
These rounded arbs are so fun to grow! Many stay in the 12- to 24-inch-tall range, so you can tuck them just about anywhere in the landscape.
Why We Love It: Doesn't need to be sheared to keep its round shape
Wintercreeper
This lovely shrub has a mounding form, making it an attractive foundation planting. Many types have variegated leaves.
Why We Love It: Evergreen shrub for shade
Azaleas
These shrubs with glossy green leaves put on a show in early spring with lovely shades of pinks, peach, coral, purple, or white flowers. Some types re-bloom. Make sure to purchase an evergreen (not a deciduous) variety if you want it to retain its foliage year-round.
Why We Love It: Evergreen shrub with beautiful spring flowers
Juniper
Junipers come various shapes and sizes with colors ranging from blue-green to gold. Some are creeping varieties, while other types are more upright.
Why We Love It: Extremely cold-hardy evergreen
Boxwood
Tiny rounded leaves that keep their deep green color through the coldest months make boxwood an all-time favorite for landscapes. Most types can be sheared into a hedge, ball form, or left to grow in a more naturalized shape.
Why We Love It: Classic shrub that works in many garden settings
Rhododendrons
Showy flowers in brilliant purples, pale pinks, and snowy whites pop against shiny green leaves on this evergreen. Once only available in warm climates, some new varieties are cold-tolerant. They prefer dappled shade.
Why We Love It: Evergreen flowering shrub
Yew
This shrub has dense yet finely textured foliage and attractive reddish bark. There are both low-growing types that work as groundcovers and upright varieties, which make a handsome hedge.
Why We Love It: Cold-hardy evergreen shrub
Spruce Trees
These conifers come in an array of options from dwarf to gigantic. The weeping forms are especially lovely. Look for dwarf varieties if you're short on space.
Why We Love It: Evergreen shrubs in many interesting shapes
Arricca Elin SanSone has written about health and lifestyle topics for Prevention, Country Living, Woman's Day, and more. She’s passionate about gardening, baking, reading, and spending time with the people and dogs she loves.
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