25 Best Evergreen Shrubs for Year-Round Greenery
They're perfect for all seasons!
Most of us agree that planting pretty, colorful flowers is the best part of gardening! But you can't have rows of beautiful blooms without a few evergreens, too. Evergreens are the perfect way to add everlasting color and interest to your garden throughout all the seasons! Plus, there are so many types of evergreen shrubs in a variety of sizes, shapes, and colors—including new dwarf varieties that are compact enough for any small space garden. And if the vibrant shades of dark green, olive, light green, and yellow weren't enough, many of these evergreen shrubs grow fun and sometimes fruitful flowers!
Even better, evergreens are typically low-maintenance plants that need little care once established. Just make sure to choose a variety that will survive winters in your USDA Hardiness zone and read the plant tag or description so you’ll know what kind of light it needs. Full sun is considered 6 or more hours per day, while part sun is about half that. When planting your shrub, dig a hole that's two to three times the size of the container, but no deeper. Set the plant in the hole; if its roots were circling around inside the pot, rough them up with your gloved hand before placing in the hole to help the plant start getting established. Replace the soil, then pat it down firmly. Water well now and throughout the first season and during any dry spells. One final word of wisdom: Make sure you know how tall and wide your shrub will be at maturity. That quart-sized container plant isn’t always going to remain tiny, so give it plenty of space—at least one plant’s worth of its mature width—away from your house or other plants.
Read on for 25 of our favorite evergreen shrubs for any garden.
Don't stop with shrubs! Add interest to your garden with these ideas:
Mountain Laurel
This broadleaf, evergreen shrub has leathery leaves and blooms pinkish-white flowers in the spring. It's shade tolerant and slow growing and can grow well in clusters in shrub borders, woodland areas, or shade gardens.
USDA Hardiness Zones: 4–9
Light: Partial shade
Color Varieties: Pink, white
Southern Wax Myrtle
This broadleaf evergreen bush thrives in a variety of light and soil conditions, including full sun to shade and average to wet and sandy soils. With its olive-green leaves, this evergreen ornamental is great when used for hedges, screens, and landscaping overall.
USDA Hardiness Zones: 7-10
Light: Full sun to partial shade
Color Varieties: Green, yellow
Korean Fir
Although this short-needled, evergreen conifer hails from South Korea, it'll be right at home in your yard! The Korean fir is speckled with tan and purple cones, so it's sure to add plenty of color to your garden.
USDA Hardiness Zones: 5-7
Light: Full to partial sun
Color Varieties: Green
Winter Heath
Whether you're a beginner or an expert gardener, this evergreen shrub will make an effortless addition to your yard! As its name suggests, Winter Heath develops urn-shaped, pink and purple blooms over the winter season. It's fast-growing and thrives in full sun and well-drained soil.
USDA Hardiness Zones: 7-9
Light: Full to partial sun
Color Varieties: Pink, cream, white
Bearberry
This hardy, petite evergreen tree grows less than one foot tall and sprouts bright red berries. Plant it exactly where you want it in your garden, as it doesn't take well to being moved.
USDA Hardiness Zones: 2-7
Light: Full to partial sun
Color Varieties: Green and red
Inkberry Holly
This native holly maintains its natural rounded shape without pruning, so it’s a great substitute for boxwood. Plant inkberry holly as a foundation planting or as a low hedge because it tops out at around 2 to 3 feet tall and wide.
USDA Hardiness Zones: 4–10
Light: Full to partial sun
Color Varieties: Bright green foliage
Camellia
This evergreen, which only grows in zones 7 or warmer, has beautiful glossy foliage and lush blooms that appear in late fall to early spring, depending on the variety. Plant a camellia where you can enjoy its dramatic, eye-catching flowers.
USDA Hardiness Zones: 6-9
Light: Partial sun
Color Varieties: Red, pink, white, yellow
Japanese Holly
The pyramidal shape of this holly makes it an excellent accent plant or container plant for either side of your entryway. It also can be trimmed into spirals or topiary form for a more formal appearance.
USDA Hardiness Zones: 5-8
Light: Full to partial sun
Color Varieties: Green foliage with white flowers
Azalea
Azaleas offer reliable springtime blooms in warm climates. Look for new types that rebloom later and throughout the season for months of color.
USDA Hardiness Zones: 5-9
Light: Partial sun
Color Varieties: White, pink, red, purple, orange, yellow
Yew
If you’re looking for a plant with great texture, this easy-care shrub is the answer. Its soft, touchable needles are irresistable! There are many different types, but dwarf varieties stay nice and tidy for foundation planting or containers.
USDA Hardiness Zones: 4-8
Light: Full sun to partial shade
Color Varieties: Dark green needles with red berries
Rhododendron
Large bunches of flowers appear on this sturdy shrub in late spring. During the rest of the year, its glossy green foliage makes a handsome backdrop for other smaller shrubs or perennials. Many types of rhododendrons are cold-hardy.
USDA Hardiness Zones: 4-9
Light: Partial shade
Color Varieties: Pink, rose, red, lavender, white, coral, yellow
Juniper
Many junipers are upright and become quite large, but some varieties are low-growing and hug the ground. Some have pretty blue-green foliage that’s a nice contrast to the other shades of green in your garden.
USDA Hardiness Zones: 4-8
Light: Full sun
Color Varieties: Silver-blue, blue-green, and light green
Arborvitae, Round Form
Arborvitae come in many different shapes and sizes, but the round forms make especially nice foundation plantings or look good in groupings. They’re also available in dwarf types that max out at 1 to 3 feet tall.
USDA Hardiness Zones: 3-8
Light: Full sun
Color Varieties: Rich, green foliage
Wintercreeper
This low-growing evergreen can be grown as a shrub or groundcover. It hugs the ground, as the name implies, and comes in green, white and green variegated, or yellow and green variegated types to add a little interest to your planting beds.
USDA Hardiness Zones: 5-8
Light: Full sun to partial shade
Color Varieties: Green foliage with golden margins
Siberian Cypress
If you’re looking for a cold-hardy evergreen that doubles as a groundcover, Siberian cypress is the solution. This plant tolerates temperatures up to -50 degrees Fahrenheit! Its lacy foliage makes it a pretty option for planting on banks and slopes or at the front of borders along walkways.
USDA Hardiness Zones: 2-7
Light: Full to partial sun
Color Varieties: Bright green and bronze-purple foliage
Pieris
Glossy green leaves accented by tons of bell-shaped blooms in late winter to early spring make this lesser-known evergreen a must-have! It’s also deer resistant and tolerates some shade.
USDA Hardiness Zones: 4-8
Light: Full to partial sun
Color Varieties: White, pink
Dwarf Hinoki Cypress
Sprays of feathery foliage make this cypress an interesting specimen plant, or plant in a mixed border. Hinoki cypress are cold-hardy and add appealing rich, green color in the winter landscape.
USDA Hardiness Zones: 5-8
Light: Full sun
Color Varieties: Golden yellow, deep green
Gardenia
The glossy leaves and beautiful, fragrant flowers make gardenia a stunning addition to your landscape. Plant it where you can enjoy the lush scent from spring to frost.
USDA Hardiness Zones: 8-11
Light: Full to partial sun
Color Varieties: White, cream, yellow
Blue Holly
This holly is the classic type associated with the holidays with sharp, pointy leaves and bright red berries. Make sure you have both “male” and “female” varieties so berries will form on the female bushes. New types of blue holly grow as a low hedge instead of a tall, upright shrub.
USDA Hardiness Zones: 3-7
Light: Full sun to partial shade
Color Varieties: Blue-green foliage, white flowers and red berries
False Cypress
This cold-tolerant shrub has fern-like foliage that make it a pretty accent plant for any garden. There are conical or more upright shapes, which require no pruning to maintain their attractive forms.
USDA Hardiness Zones: 4-8
Light: Full sun to partial shade
Color Varieties: Blue-gray, deep green, golden-yellow
Arricca Elin SanSone is a writer, editor, and content creator who specializes in lifestyle and gardening. With a background in health reporting, she applies these same research skills when writing about the science of growing things. She trials new plants in her expansive garden, and her houseplant collection consists of 60+ varieties. Arricca has written thousands of articles for publications such as Country Living, House Beautiful, Good Housekeeping, Prevention, VERANDA, Southern Living, and more. She’s happiest when digging in the dirt, baking, or spending time with the people and dogs she loves.
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