Evergreen Shrubs: 29 Picks for Hedges, Privacy, Shade and Flowers

The best evergreen shrub is the one sized for its job and hardy past your coldest winter. For a low, boxwood-style hedge, inkberry holly and its compact forms are the safest choice from Zone 4 to Zone 9. For a privacy screen, 'Emerald Green' arborvitae suits cold climates and 'Nellie R. Stevens' holly suits the South. Shade calls for leucothoe, sweet box, skimmia or plum yew, and spring flowers come from rhododendron, pieris and mountain laurel.

The 29 picks below are grouped by that job: low hedges and foundation beds, privacy screens, small and dwarf plants, shade, and flowers. Each entry gives zones, mature size, light, growth rate where it is documented and the one problem most likely to catch you out, and one table near the top rates them all for deer damage. After the picks come the evergreens to leave out of your region, then how to plant and winter them.

How these evergreen shrubs were chosen

Every pick has a documented hardiness range, mature size and light rating, and none is on the Georgia invasive plant list except Japanese holly and its 'Sky Pencil' form, which are flagged where they appear. Deer ratings use a four-step scale, from "rarely damaged" to "frequently severely damaged", based on what landscape professionals see in northern New Jersey; the second table below sorts the picks by that scale. A hungry herd in a hard winter will test any of them, so if browsing is your main problem, cross-check with this list of deer resistant plants. Zones are USDA hardiness zones; confirm yours with the plant hardiness checker.

Sizes are mature sizes, not the size on the nursery tag. Where size varies with climate or cultivar, the full range is given.

Zones and sizes from botanical garden and extension plant records; dwarf yew sizes are Minnesota-grown dwarf cultivars.

Northern New Jersey deer damage ratings. Dwarf yaupon, Distylium, 'Green Giant', wax myrtle, camellia and loropetalum are not rated there.

Broadleaf or needled: where each kind survives winter

Broadleaf evergreens need a sheltered spot, while needled conifers take more wind and sun. The difference comes down to water. An evergreen keeps losing moisture through its foliage all winter, and on a bright, windy day with the ground frozen or dry, the roots cannot replace it. The result is winter burn: brown leaves or needles, worst on the newest growth, on windswept corners, beside roads and on the southwest side of buildings. Plants set out the previous year are the most vulnerable.

Broad, flat leaves lose water fastest, so boxwood, holly, rhododendron, pieris and Oregon grape do best on the north or east side of a house, or behind a fence or larger planting that breaks the wind. Small young plants die from winter injury more easily than large old ones. Conifers such as arborvitae, juniper and yew handle exposure better but are not immune: arborvitae browns in exposed sites, and dwarf Alberta spruce is among the conifers that brown most heavily.

A few shrubs sold as evergreen only hold their leaves in mild winters. Glossy abelia is semi-evergreen to deciduous where it gets cold, and severe winters can kill its tops. If year-round foliage is the point, choose one of the true evergreens below instead.

Low hedges and foundation shrubs

For a clipped hedge or a row beneath windows, inkberry holly is the most dependable broadleaf evergreen in the eastern half of the country. In Zones 7 to 9, dwarf yaupon and Distylium take over. These are also the main replacements for boxwood, which now faces two serious threats: boxwood blight, a fungal disease with no cure, and the box tree moth, an invasive caterpillar spreading through the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic and Midwest.

Inkberry holly

Inkberry holly (Ilex glabra) is a spineless, small-leaved holly native to the eastern United States, hardy in Zones 4 to 9 and growing 5 to 8 ft (1.5–2.4 m) tall and wide. It tolerates wet soil and part shade and grows slowly. For a low hedge, choose a compact form. 'Gem Box' stays 2 to 3 ft (60–90 cm) in Zones 5 to 9 and suits containers. 'Shamrock' reaches 3 to 4 ft (0.9–1.2 m) and is hardy to Zone 4. 'Compacta' is another boxwood look-alike. Inkberry yellows in neutral or alkaline soil, and the species suckers into colonies, which the cultivars do less.

Japanese holly

Japanese holly (Ilex crenata) has small, glossy, spineless leaves and is widely recommended as a boxwood substitute in Zones 5 to 8. The species grows slowly to 5 to 10 ft (1.5–3 m); 'Helleri' stays 2 to 4 ft (0.6–1.2 m) tall and 3 to 5 ft (0.9–1.5 m) wide for edging. It can struggle where summers are hot and humid, yellows in alkaline soil, and attracts spider mites and root nematodes. Most important, Georgia lists it as an invasive species, so in the Southeast check your state list and consider inkberry or dwarf yaupon instead.

Dwarf yaupon holly

Dwarf yaupon holly (Ilex vomitoria 'Nana') is the Southeast's answer to a low hedge. This native holly has tiny leaves and grows quickly to 3 to 5 ft (0.9–1.5 m) tall and 3 to 6 ft (0.9–1.8 m) wide in Zones 7 to 9. Yaupon tolerates more drought than most hollies and takes sun or part shade. In a site colder than Zone 7, protect the roots with winter mulch.

Distylium

Distylium is a slow-growing broadleaf evergreen for Zones 7 to 9 with no significant pests, and deer and rabbits leave it alone. Choose the cultivar by height. 'Vintage Jade' grows about 3 ft (90 cm) tall and 4 ft (1.2 m) wide, and 'Blue Cascade' 4 ft (1.2 m) each way. For a taller hedge, 'Emerald Heights' reaches 6 ft (1.8 m) and 'Linebacker' 8 to 10 ft (2.4–3 m). Small red flowers appear in February and March. It grows in full sun to light shade, looser in shade, and needs only light tip pruning in June. Expect some winter leaf browning at the cold end of its range.

Korean and littleleaf boxwood

Boxwood is still the classic formal hedge, but plant it only with a blight and moth plan. No boxwood is immune to blight. The cultivars with the fewest symptoms in trials include 'Green Beauty', 'Winter Gem', 'Wintergreen', 'Northern Emerald' and 'Wedding Ring'. English boxwood ('Suffruticosa') and 'American' are among the most susceptible. Korean boxwood is the hardiest type, to Zone 4, at 2 to 4 ft (0.6–1.2 m); 'Wintergreen' stays near 2 ft (60 cm) tall and 3 ft (90 cm) wide. All grow slowly. 'Green Velvet' grows 3 to 4 ft (0.9–1.2 m) and resists winter bronzing, but it is not among the blight-tolerant cultivars, so plant it only where blight has never been found. Boxwood is toxic to dogs, cats and horses.

Privacy screens and tall hedges

For a screen, choose by width as much as height: 'Emerald Green' arborvitae and 'Sky Pencil' holly fit narrow strips, while 'Green Giant' arborvitae and American holly need room to spread. A single pest or disease can run down a row of one species, so mixing two or three of these, in clusters of three or five, slows its spread.

'Emerald Green' arborvitae

'Emerald Green' arborvitae (Thuja occidentalis 'Smaragd') is the standard narrow screen for cold climates, hardy to Zone 2 or 3, depending on the rating, and south to Zone 7. It grows slowly to 12 to 14 ft (3.7–4.3 m) tall but only 3 to 4 ft (0.9–1.2 m) wide. Unlike many conifers it tolerates soil from pH 6.0 to 8.0, but it is not drought tolerant and wants moist, well-drained soil in sun or part shade. Annual light shearing keeps it in bounds. Deer are its weakness, since American arborvitae is among the plants they damage most, and heavy snow and ice can split its stems.

'Green Giant' arborvitae

'Green Giant' arborvitae (Thuja standishii × plicata) grows fast into a screen 40 to 60 ft (12–18 m) tall and 12 to 18 ft (3.7–5.5 m) wide in Zones 5 to 8. It is somewhat deer resistant and may be the best arborvitae for a windbreak. Its foliage turns bronze in winter. This is a tree, not a shrub, and at that width it cannot fit a 10-foot (3 m) planting strip. For other fast screens, and why Leyland cypress fails, see the guide to fast-growing trees.

'Nellie R. Stevens' holly

'Nellie R. Stevens' holly, a cross of English and Chinese holly, grows quickly into a dense cone 15 to 25 ft (4.6–7.6 m) tall and 8 to 12 ft (2.4–3.7 m) wide in Zones 6 to 9. It handles heat well, can be trained as a small tree, and sets berries without a male pollinator, unlike most hollies. Plant it in full sun to part shade in slightly acidic, well-drained soil. The leaves are spiny, and it can suffer from leaf miner, scale and yellowing in alkaline soil.

American holly

American holly (Ilex opaca) is the native Christmas holly, a slow evergreen for Zones 5 to 9. In gardens it reaches 15 to 30 ft (4.6–9 m) tall and 10 to 20 ft (3–6 m) wide. Only female plants berry, and only with a male holly within pollination range. Site it away from cold winds in moist, acidic soil. The leaves are spiny, and the leaves and berries are mildly toxic to dogs, cats and horses.

'Sky Pencil' holly

'Sky Pencil' holly is a slow, columnar Japanese holly 4 to 10 ft (1.2–3 m) tall and only 1 to 3 ft (30–90 cm) wide, and it stays narrow without pruning. That makes it the pick for a tight side yard or flanking a door in Zones 6 to 8. It is a female clone of Japanese holly, so it shares the species' dislike of hot, humid summers, its mite and nematode problems, and its invasive listing in Georgia.

Wax myrtle

Wax myrtle (Morella cerifera) is a fast-growing native for screens in Zones 7 to 10. Expect 10 to 15 ft (3–4.6 m) of height and 8 to 10 ft (2.4–3 m) of spread, and eventually as much as 20 to 25 ft (6–7.6 m) tall. It tolerates both drought and wet soil in full sun to part shade, and deer leave it alone. In a cold winter its leaves can brown, and leaf anthracnose is the disease to watch for.

Leyland cypress, and screens for the West

Leyland cypress is left off this list on purpose, because it reaches 60 to 70 ft (18–21 m) and its cankers are hard to treat on a tree that size. In the South, 'Green Giant' arborvitae, 'Nellie R. Stevens' and other large hollies, and fragrant tea olive, which grows to about 25 ft (7.6 m), are the usual replacements.

In California, toyon (Heteromeles arbutifolia) makes a screen or hedge in full sun to part shade. It gets through dry summers, though it sets more berries with occasional irrigation, and fire blight and Entomosporium leaf spot are its main diseases. Where soil is alkaline, most broadleaf picks on this page, including inkberry, the hollies, rhododendron, pieris, camellia and loropetalum, turn yellow. There, lean on American arborvitae, which prefers neutral to alkaline soil, and creeping juniper, which adapts to a wide range of soils and to hot, dry sites. Oregon grape holly covers shade on an east or north side.

Small and dwarf evergreens, including pots

The shortest evergreens are ground-hugging conifers, which stay under 18 inches (45 cm) while spreading several feet; the compact hollies and boxwoods in the hedge section above fill the 2- to 4-foot range. These three picks cover sunny slopes, cold gardens and specimen spots. For more low spreaders, see these ground cover plants.

Creeping juniper

Creeping juniper (Juniperus horizontalis) is a very cold-hardy ground-hugger native to North America, hardy in Zones 3 to 9. It grows at a medium rate to 6 to 18 inches (15–45 cm) tall and 5 to 8 ft (1.5–2.4 m) wide in full sun, and it tolerates drought. 'Wiltonii', sold as Blue Rug and in some catalogs as Wilton Carpet, stays 4 to 12 inches (10–30 cm) tall and spreads faster. Keep it out of shade and wet soil, where it rots; tip blights and cedar-apple rust, which spends part of its life cycle on junipers, are its other problems.

Russian cypress

Russian cypress (Microbiota decussata, also sold as Siberian cypress) is a low, spreading conifer that takes part shade as well as sun. It is hardy from Zone 2 south to Zone 7 and grows at a slow to medium rate, 6 to 18 inches (15–45 cm) tall and 3 to 12 ft (0.9–3.7 m) across. Expect its foliage to turn bronze-brown in winter. It falters in hot, humid summers and in poorly drained soil.

Dwarf hinoki cypress

Dwarf hinoki cypress (Chamaecyparis obtusa 'Nana Gracilis') builds a dense, slow pyramid for Zones 4 to 8, in full sun or light shade. It matures at 3 to 6 ft (0.9–1.8 m) tall and 2 to 4 ft (0.6–1.2 m) wide. It suits a foundation corner or a large pot. Juniper blight, root rot and bagworm are its main problems.

What to plant in a pot, and a dwarf to doubt

For a pot left outside all winter, choose a shrub rated one to two zones colder than your own. Roots in a container are far more exposed to cold than roots in the ground. Use a pot at least 14 inches (36 cm) across, made of a material that survives freezing and thawing: wood, cast iron, fiberglass or polyurethane. Plastic can turn brittle in sunlight. By that rule, 'Gem Box' inkberry, hardy to Zone 5, makes a sound year-round pot shrub to about Zone 6 or 7, and dwarf hinoki cypress, hardy to Zone 4, works a zone colder.

Dwarf Alberta spruce is often bought as a small cone for pots and doorways, but it matures at 10 to 13 ft (3–4 m) tall and 7 to 10 ft (2.1–3 m) wide. It also browns badly from winter drying, and repeated mite infestations can seriously injure it, so plant it only where a cone that size will fit.

Evergreen shrubs for shade

In part to full shade, the most reliable evergreens are leucothoe, sweet box, skimmia, Oregon grape holly and plum yew, all of which deer rarely damage. Yew is the classic shade conifer, but deer browse it hard and it can kill a dog, cat or horse that eats it. For perennials and ferns to plant beneath them, see these shade plants.

Drooping leucothoe

Drooping leucothoe (Leucothoe fontanesiana) is a native shrub with arching stems that grows 2 to 3 ft (60–90 cm) tall in Zones 5 to 8, and up to 6 ft (1.8 m) in some gardens. It takes part to heavy shade, holds slopes against erosion, and hangs white flower clusters in May. Give it room for air to move, since crowded plants get leaf spot. Its leaves and flowers are highly poisonous, and it is toxic to dogs, cats and horses.

Sweet box

Dwarf sweet box (Sarcococca hookeriana var. humilis) grows 1 to 2 ft (30–60 cm) tall and 2 to 4 ft (0.6–1.2 m) wide in Zones 6 to 8, with fragrant white flowers in March and April. The full-size species, S. hookeriana, reaches 4 to 5 ft (1.2–1.5 m). The dwarf grows at a medium rate in part to full shade. Because sweet box belongs to the boxwood family and can carry boxwood blight, never plant it where blight has killed boxwood.

Japanese skimmia

Japanese skimmia (Skimmia japonica) forms a compact dome for Zones 6 to 8, 3 to 4 ft (0.9–1.2 m) tall and 4 to 5 ft (1.2–1.5 m) wide. Fragrant creamy flowers open in April. It grows slowly and needs part to full shade. It is rated moderately poisonous if eaten, so site it away from children's play areas and pets.

Japanese aucuba

Japanese aucuba (Aucuba japonica) has bold, glossy leaves and tolerates heavy shade and clay where little else will. It grows slowly to 6 to 10 ft (1.8–3 m) tall in Zones 6 to 9, and dwarf forms are sold as boxwood substitutes. It dies back in cold winters at the north edge of its range and rots in wet soil.

Oregon grape holly

Oregon grape holly (Mahonia aquifolium) is a Pacific Northwest native 3 to 6 ft (0.9–1.8 m) tall in Zones 5 to 8, with fragrant yellow flowers in April followed by blue berries. It grows slowly in part to full shade and is non-toxic to dogs, cats and horses. Its holly-like leaves are spiny, and it scorches when sited in winter sun and wind. Do not confuse it with leatherleaf mahonia, which is invasive in the Southeast.

Japanese yew

Japanese yew (Taxus cuspidata) and Taunton yew (Taxus × media) are the conifers for part sun to full shade in Zones 4 to 7. Dwarf forms stay 3 to 4 ft (0.9–1.2 m) tall and 5 to 6 ft (1.5–1.8 m) wide. They grow slowly and burn in exposed winter sites, their roots rot in wet soil, and deer browse them heavily. The needles, bark and seeds are highly toxic to dogs, cats and horses and can cause sudden death from heart failure.

Plum yew

Japanese plum yew (Cephalotaxus harringtonia) looks like yew but deer rarely damage it, which makes it the shade conifer to choose where deer roam. It grows slowly to 5 to 10 ft (1.5–3 m) tall and wide in Zones 6 to 9, in part to full shade. It is rated moderately poisonous, so it is not a pet-safe swap for yew.

Flowering evergreen shrubs

For flowers on an evergreen, rhododendron, azalea, mountain laurel and pieris carry spring in cooler regions, while camellia, holly osmanthus and loropetalum flower in Zones 7 to 9. Most in the first group need acidic soil and shelter from winter sun. Combine them with deciduous shrubs and perennials using these border planting layouts.

Rhododendron

Catawba rhododendron (Rhododendron catawbiense) and its hybrids are among the hardiest large rhododendrons, flowering lavender-pink from April to June in Zones 4 to 8. They grow 6 to 10 ft (1.8–3 m) tall and 8 to 12 ft (2.4–3.7 m) wide. For the coldest gardens, the compact 'P.J.M.' stays 3 to 5 ft (0.9–1.5 m) and survives -35°F (-37°C). Both want soil at pH 5.0 to 5.5 and filtered light, ideally morning sun and shade after about 1 p.m. All parts are toxic to dogs, cats and horses.

Evergreen azalea

Evergreen azaleas give low mounds of spring color for foundation beds. 'Hino-crimson' is among the hardiest of the Kurume types, and 'Girard's Crimson' is similar; both grow 2 to 4 ft (0.6–1.2 m) tall in Zones 5 to 8 and flower crimson in April and May. They need part shade, and many gardens need a protected site and winter protection. They share rhododendron's toxicity to pets and horses.

Mountain laurel

Mountain laurel (Kalmia latifolia) is an eastern native whose rose-to-white May flowers are marked with purple. It grows 5 to 15 ft (1.5–4.6 m) tall and wide in Zones 4 to 9, though it is only marginally hardy in Zone 4. Give it part shade and moist, acidic soil. Its leaves carry the same grayanotoxins as rhododendron, and it poisons dogs, cats and horses.

Japanese pieris

Japanese pieris (Pieris japonica) hangs chains of white flowers in April from buds visible since fall, and deer rarely touch it. It grows slowly, is hardy in Zones 5 to 8, and ranges from about 5 ft (1.5 m) in the lower Midwest to 9 to 12 ft (2.7–3.7 m) in favorable sites. It tolerates heavy shade but needs shelter from winter sun and wind to avoid scorched leaves and killed flower buds. Lace bug is a serious pest in the East, and the plant is highly toxic to pets and horses. Mountain pieris (Pieris floribunda), 4 to 6 ft (1.2–1.8 m) tall, is hardier, to Zone 4.

Sasanqua camellia

Sasanqua camellia (Camellia sasanqua) flowers in fragrant white to pale pink from September to December on a dense shrub 6 to 10 ft (1.8–3 m) tall and wide in Zones 7 to 9. It grows fast enough for a flowering hedge, in full sun to part shade. Watch for petal blight, leaf spots, root rot and yellowing in alkaline soil. The slower Japanese camellia flowers from winter into spring and is non-toxic to dogs, cats and horses.

Holly osmanthus

Holly osmanthus (Osmanthus heterophyllus), also called false holly, has spiny, holly-like leaves and fragrant white flowers in September. It grows slowly to 8 to 10 ft (2.4–3 m) tall in Zones 7 to 9 and tolerates drought, clay and part shade. It has no serious pests beyond occasional scale and aphids. In Zones 8 to 11, fragrant tea olive (O. fragrans) gives a larger fragrant screen of 10 to 15 ft (3–4.6 m) or more.

Loropetalum

Loropetalum (Loropetalum chinense), or Chinese fringe flower, blooms in March and April in white on the species and pink or red on its selections. It grows at a medium rate to 6 to 10 ft (1.8–3 m) tall in Zones 7 to 9; dwarf selections such as 'Purple Pixie' and 'Purple Diamond' are used for low hedges. Poorly drained clay rots its roots, and neutral to alkaline soil turns its leaves yellow.

Glossy abelia

Glossy abelia (Abelia × grandiflora) earns its place by flowering pink or white from summer into fall. It grows at a medium rate to 2.5 to 8 ft (0.8–2.4 m) tall in Zones 6 to 9 and takes sun or part shade. It is only semi-evergreen: it drops leaves in cold winters, and severe cold can kill the tops, though new shoots come back from the base.

Evergreens to avoid or use with care

Several widely sold evergreens are invasive in parts of the country, and some are poisonous to birds, pets or livestock. The table lists where each is a problem and what to plant in its place.

Listings from the Georgia Invasive Species Council and Washington's noxious weed board, plus South Carolina's invasive plant council for nandina; check your own state's list before planting.

Heavenly bamboo deserves its own warning. Its berries contain cyanide compounds that kill birds, cedar waxwings most often, and wildlife carry its seed into natural areas. If you want its look, choose a low-fruit or fruitless selection such as 'Fire Power' or 'Gulf Stream' rather than a berrying one, and keep in mind that low-fruit types still poison dogs, cats and horses that eat them.

English cherry laurel (Prunus laurocerasus) is not a listed noxious weed in Washington, but it sits on the state's Monitor List of plants that are spreading and need watching. Outside the Pacific Northwest, the low form 'Otto Luyken' tolerates shade, but shot-hole fungus is common enough that it is not recommended in Georgia. Its leaves and seeds are cyanogenic and toxic to people and livestock.

Planting, spacing and winter care

Plant evergreens with their mature width in mind, set them at the right depth, and get them into winter with moist soil. Use the plant spacing calculator to work out how many shrubs a hedge of a given length needs.

1. Space by mature width. Set plants for the width they will reach, not the width of the pot. Screens planted tight for quick cover crowd each other at maturity, which cuts air flow and invites disease. A 'Green Giant' that spreads 12 to 18 ft (3.7–5.5 m) is badly overcrowded at 3 ft (90 cm) apart. For faster cover, plant two staggered rows, which can be spaced wider than a single row.
2. Put broadleaf evergreens on a sheltered side. North and east exposures, or a spot behind a fence or larger shrubs, protect holly, boxwood, rhododendron and pieris from winter wind and afternoon sun.
3. Match the soil. Inkberry, rhododendron, mountain laurel and pieris need acidic soil and turn yellow without it; arborvitae tolerates pH 6.0 to 8.0. Fix poor drainage first, because root rot kills yew, juniper, loropetalum and aucuba.
4. Plant rhododendrons and azaleas high. Set the root ball about 2 inches (5 cm) above the surrounding soil, since too shallow is far safer than too deep. Mulch with 2 inches (5 cm) of hardwood chips or 4 to 6 inches (10–15 cm) of oak leaves, kept off the stems.

Keeping evergreens green through winter

Water deeply in fall so shrubs enter winter with moist soil, and water again whenever a winter dry spell runs longer than about a month. Feed broadleaf evergreens only in spring; fertilizer in summer or fall pushes late, soft growth that freezes. For rhododendrons and azaleas, feed in May and stop after July 1. Anti-transpirant sprays applied in October or November may reduce winter burn, but treat them as a supplement to watering and good siting. On arborvitae, bagworm is the most common pest: pick off the bags by hand, or spray Bt in June while the larvae are young.

Boxwood blight and box tree moth

Boxwood blight has no cure once a plant is infected. Its spores travel on tools, shoes, clothing, animals and fallen leaves, and they persist in soil and leaf litter. Do not add new boxwoods to an existing planting, and do not replace dead boxwood with sweet box or pachysandra, which can carry the same disease. Preventive fungicide sprays can reduce infection, but they are costly and have to be repeated.

Box tree moth has been confirmed in Delaware, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia, and it can kill boxwood outright. Look for missing leaves, webbing, caterpillars, droppings and pupae. Cut out infested branches, or cut a badly infested plant to its base so it regrows from the roots. Double-bag all boxwood debris in plastic for the trash rather than composting it, and report a suspected find to your Cooperative Extension office or state plant regulators.