Widespread Use Of Shrubs As Evergreens

Since they produce leaves or needles all year long, evergreen shrubs are the preferred plants for year-round yard attractiveness. Yews and other evergreen shrubs that produce needles are excellent for creating hedges because they can be shaped precisely and have thin, closely spaced needles. The similar method may be used with boxwood, a broadleaf evergreen plant with little leaves, however it begs to be well-sheared into rectangular walls. Other evergreen plants are striking enough to be specimens on their own.

Here are some common evergreen bushes for landscaping.

Wintercreeper

A broadleaf evergreen shrub called a euonymus called "Emerald 'n' Gold" has variegated leaves with golden borders and green centers. This shrub only grows to a maximum height of two feet and may spread out to a maximum width of four feet. Being adaptable, it may be utilized in both sunny and shaded areas as a ground cover. If help is given, it will climb a little wall. In the coldest regions of its hardiness zone, the leaf might fall off in the autumn and turn pinkish-red. Remember that Euonymus scale might be a significant bug issue.

 

Boxwood

Boxwood is a broadleaf evergreen shrub with small, densely clustered leaves that is a great option for formal hedges. It is prized for its tightly coiled, tightly packed leaves that are ideal for shaping with garden shears or electric hedge trimmers.

shrubs with a slow growth rate that seldom grow taller than five feet and are often maintained cut much shorter. Despite the fact that these shrubs are often evergreen, they do not like strong winter winds since they may burn the leaf. Boxwoods may be utilized as foundation planting shrubs in addition to being a typical low hedge plant.

 

Canadian Hemlock

A small, lacy-needled coniferous evergreen, the Canadian hemlock is sometimes referred to as the eastern hemlock. The species prefers dark settings. There are little variants that serve as shrubs and large types that may reach heights of up to 70 feet that are used as landscaping trees. When appropriately pruned, the shrubby forms create a thick living wall, making them suitable as privacy screens.

Canadian hemlocks do best in more temperate climates, however they may struggle a bit in regions south of USDA hardiness zone 6. Before cultivating this plant, be sure no Hemlock Woolly Adelgid (HWA), a microscopic sap-sucking insect, is present in the area. Other hemlock species could be a better option if HWA is a significant issue in your region.

Rhododendron

Since azaleas and rhododendrons belong to the same genus, it might be challenging to tell them apart. While some azaleas are evergreen, the rhododendron family, with its leathery green to bronze leaves that persist throughout winter, is the most typical broadleaf evergreen. Compared to azaleas, rhododendrons often have bigger bushes and leaves. Rhododendron flowers contain 10 stamens, compared to an average of five for azalea flowers.

Rhododendrons are a versatile plant that may be used as a single specimen, in clusters for shrub islands and woodland gardens, or as a foundation plant. They are not appropriate for use as hedges because of their free, airy growth pattern.

 

Cypress

The Sawara cypress, popularly known as the needled evergreen shrub "Golden Mop," is appreciated for its wacky golden leaf. The needles used in "Golden Mop" are awl-shaped rather than sharp.

The "Golden Mop" variety of the C. pisifera species is a mounded shrub type with a sluggish growth rate that takes 10 years to reach its maximum size of five feet. Because of its stringy, arching, whip-like branches, it is often used in foundation plantings, rock gardens, and as a display shrub in limited areas.