Evergreen Shrubs

When to Plant Evergreen Shrubs

The best time to plant evergreen bushes is spring or fall, but this varies greatly depending on your location. In warmer locations avoid summer, but embrace winter planting! Cold climates should try to plant evergreens at least 6 weeks before the ground freezes or wait for spring. Learn more on how to care for Evergreen shrubs.

Are There Flowering Evergreen Shrubs?

Warmer climates, from zone 7 and up, will have the best choices in evergreen flowering bushes with Loropetalums, Camellias, Gardenias and Azaleas. Several varieties of Azalea can actually grow in zone 6 as well. Pieris Mountain Fire and Delaware Valley Azalea are great blooming evergreens for colder climates down to USDA growing zone 5.

What are the Fastest Growing Evergreen Shrubs?

Wax Myrtles can grow 3 to 5 feet in one year. Nellie Stevens Holly, Oakland Holly, and Wavy Leaf Ligustrum can grow 2 to 3 feet per year. Some varieties of Nandina and Camellia can grow 1 to 2 feet per year.

When to Prune Evergreen Shrubs

Most evergreen bushes can be safely pruned in early spring before new growth emerges. However, flowering evergreen plants should be pruned after they are done flowering to avoid pruning off flower buds. Bushes used as hedges or privacy screens can be pruned in late spring after new growth has emerged; this affords you easy yearly pruning of a maintained hedge.

What Evergreen Shrubs are Deer Resistant?

Boxwoods, Junipers, Mugo Pines, and most Holly bushes are all deer resistant evergreen shrubs. Deer also tend to avoid broadleaf flowering evergreen bushes, Distylium, Japanese Pieris, Ligustrum, and Camellia. Learn More about our Deer Resistant Evergreen Shrubs.

What Evergreen Shrubs Grow Well in Shade?

Boxwoods, Camellias, Azaleas, Distylium, and many Hollies and Junipers can grow in part shade. For heavy to full shade loving evergreen bushes look to the Gold Dust Aucuba, Pieris Mountain Fire, Green Mountain Boxwood, Japanese Plum Yew, and the Hicks Yew. Learn More

Small (up to 3 feet tall)

• Blue Pacific Juniper
• Blue Rug Juniper
• All Gold Shore Juniper
• Dwarf Japanese Garden Juniper
• Purple Pixie Loropetalum
• Nandina Flirt
• White Gumpo Azalea
• Dwarf English Boxwood
• Soft Touch Holly
• Autumn Fire Encore Azalea
• Firepower Nandina
• Mr. Bowling Ball Arborvitae
• Blue Star Juniper
• Kleim's Hardy Gardenia
• Wintergreen Boxwood
• Crimson Fire™ Loropetalum
• Autumn Angel Encore Azalea
• Autumn Sunset Encore Azalea
• Vintage Jade Distylium

Dwarf evergreens are great for groundcovers, mixed beds, mass plantings, and borders. These petite plants fit just about anywhere.

Medium (3 to 6 feet tall)

• Frost Proof Gardenia
• Gold Mop Cypress
• Winter Gem Boxwood
• Johanna Azalea
• Baby Gem Boxwood
• Sunshine Ligustrum
• Golden Euonymus
• Fire Chief Arborvitae
• August Beauty Gardenia
• Autumn Amethyst Encore Azalea
• Grey Owl Juniper
• Slowmound Mugo Pine
• Green Mountain Boxwood
• Hot Flash Camellia
• Pieris Mountain Fire
• Autumn Twist Encore Azalea
• Shishi Gashira Camellia
• October Magic Dawn Camellia
• Dwarf Burford Holly
• Jazz Hands Variegated Loropetalum

These bushes are excellent for foundation and group plantings and hedges.

Large (over 6 feet tall)

• American Boxwood
• Dark Pink Kanjiro Camellia
• Fragrant Tea Olive
• Gold Dust Aucuba
• Governor Mouton Camellia
• Greensboro Red Camellia
• Heavenly Bamboo Nandina
• Hicks Yew
• Japanese Plum Yew
• Howardi Ligustrum
• Marie Bracey Camellia
• Mugo Pine
• Nellie Stevens
• Oakland Holly
• Sky Pencil Holly
• Steeds Holly
• Wavy Leaf Ligustrum
• Wax Myrtle
• Yuletide Camellia

Evergreen bushes that grow 6 feet tall or larger are often called privacy shrubs. They make excellent privacy screens, windbreaks, and hedges.