Choose the Right Evergreen Shrubs for Your Yard
The right kind of shrub will offer years of low-effort beauty and charm to your landscape.
When deciding how to best design the landscape for your yard or garden, a good place to start is with evergreen shrubs. When selected correctly for your USDA Hardiness Zone and for your space, these shrubs will provide a framework, allowing you to create welcoming spaces in one area, hide unsightly utility boxes or pipes in another, and otherwise define the space.
More importantly, these shrubs invite beneficial wildlife to your yard. "Evergreens are one of the best ways to support wildlife in your landscape or garden, particularly birds, by providing winter shelter and coverage," says Natalie Carmolli, public relations specialist for Proven Winners ColorChoice Shrubs. "They create a solid framework for deciduous and semi-evergreen plants, and add to a balanced garden design."
Another benefit of evergreen shrubs is that they can control erosion, especially when planted on slopes and provide thermal regulation when planted strategically around homes, says Carmolli. A 2024 study even found that evergreen shrubs can help mitigate the effects of air pollution.
When Is The Best Time of Year to Plant Evergreens?
Evergreens are best planted in early fall though they can also be planted in the spring. Summer and winter plantings should be avoided. Fall is best because it gives the shrubs time to establish a good root system before the cold weather sets in or before they start trying to grow in earnest, during the summer.
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Azalea
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
Hardiness Zones: 3 to 9
Read more: How to Grow Azalaeas
Rhododendron
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
Hardiness Zones: 4 to 9
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
Hardiness Zones: 3 to 8
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
Hardiness Zones: 3 to 8
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
Hardiness Zones: 5 to 7
Read more: How to Grow Holly Bushes.
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
Hardiness Zones: 4 to 11
Southern Magnolia
Southern magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora) is the iconic tree of the South. With thick, waxy leaves and dramatic creamy white blooms, this is one tree that's hard to ignore in the landscape. Give it plenty of room to spread.
Why We Love It: Gorgeous almost surreal-looking flowers
Hardiness Zones: 6 to 10
Get the Guide: How to Grow and Care for Magnolias
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
Hardiness Zones: 4 to 9
Read more: 20 Types of Boxwoods You Can Grow
American Holly
American holly (Ilex opaca) is a popular landscape plant in the Northeast. It is the one most people think of as holly, with iconic glossy evergreen leaves and red berries.
Why We Love It: Classic holly appearance
Hardiness zones: 5 to 9
Learn more: How to Grow and Care for a Holly Bush
Pyracantha
Pyracantha is a lovely shrub for winter color. Clusters of white flowers in spring turn into beautiful fall berries that birds love. However, be aware that it has very sharp thorns, which gives it its other common name of firethorn.
Why We Love It: Striking berries
Hardiness zones: 6 to 9
Read More: 30 Cold-Loving Winter Flowers to Brighten the Darkest Days
Mountain Laurel
A native evergreen shrub in eastern North America, mountain laurel (Kalmia latifolia) has glossy leaves and flowers that attract butterflies and bees.
Why We Love It: Clusters of pink or white flowers in the spring
Hardiness Zones: 4 to 9
Read more: How to Make a Pollinator Garden That Actually Works
Japanese Cedar (Cryptomeria spp.)
How can anyone resist an evergreen with such a cute name and adorable form?
Japanese cedar has interesting, touchable foliage and comes in forms ranging from dwarf (3 to 4 feet tall and wide) to gigantic (50 feet tall). It adds color and texture to any garden. 'Globosa Nana' is an especially appealing cultivar with a rounded compact shape. It's also very fast-growing!
Why We Love It: Attractive foliage with unique texture
Hardiness zones: 5 to 9
Read More: 13 Best Fast-Growing Trees for Privacy
Camellia
Like Southern magnolia, camellias give you double the bang for your buck: Thick, waxy evergreen leaves and stunning flowers that almost don't look real! They bloom at various times of year, depending on the species.
Why We Love It: Flowers from fall to spring, depending on the species
Hardiness Zones: 6 to 9
Love Pink? 14 Trees with Pink Flowers That Look Amazing
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
Hardiness Zones: 4 to 9
Abelia
In warm climates (zones 9 and warmer), abelia is evergreen. In the rest of the country (zones 8 and colder), it will shed its leaves in fall. But its glossy leaves and pretty pollinator-friendly flowers make it a must-have in the garden, no matter where you live.
It tolerates shade well, making it great for planting under trees!
Why We Love It: Pollinator magnet
Hardiness zones: 6 to 9
Read More: 15 Best Plants for Planting Under Trees
Wintercreeper
Wintercreeper (Euonymus), which is a low-growing ground cover vine or shrub comes in many different types. It adds interesting color and texture, especially to foundation plantings. Some types can be invasive, so read the tag to ensure it's a non-invasive cultivar, or cultivated variety.
Why We Love It: Fast grower
Hardiness zones: 5 to 8
Nandina
Known as heavenly bamboo, sacred bamboo or nandina, this shrub (Nandina domestica) has colorful, evergreen leaves, showy fruit that birds love, and drought and shade tolerance.
These characteristics means it's considered invasive especially in the Southeast. However, compact new cultivars are not invasive, so read the plant description and choose accordingly.
Why We Love It: Brilliant fall color
Hardiness zones: 6 to 10
India Hawthorn
India hawthorn (Rhaphiolepis indica) is a low-growing shrub with pink or white flowers in spring. Berries form by fall, and the leathery foliage takes on a purple tinge in winter.
Why We Love It: Thrives in heat and humidity
Hardiness zones: 7 to 10
Eastern Redcedar
Eastern red cedar (Juniperus virginiana) is native to the eastern U.S., but it can be grown in many different hardiness zones. It has soft, appealing texture and pretty blue berries. It's also attractive to songbirds, who love the berries!
Why We Love It: Attractive texture
Hardiness Zones: 2 to 9
Read More: 12 Plants That Attract Songbirds to Your Landscape
Southern Wax Myrtle
Southern wax myrtle, also known as bayberry (Morella cerifera) is native shrub that provides food and shelter to wildlife. It can be used as a foundation or accent plant and can be sheared to shape or left natural.
Why We Love It: Fragrant
Hardiness Zones: 7 to 10
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