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15 Low Maintenance Evergreen Shrubs For Your Garden
Your home is supposed to be your sanctuary, the place you come home to after a long day's work to relax, unwind and prepare to keep working at your best. Keeping your yard looking it's best can be a lot of, well, work. Even more so, you want your yard to look it's best all year round, not just amid spring blooms.
Planning what, and where, to plant in your yard is a crucial part of any landscaping project. Choosing the right plants for your property or project can be confusing, and that's why we've compiled this list of 15 Low Maintenance Evergreen Shrubs to help you along in your landscaping project.
1. Evergreen Azalea
2. Inkberry
3. Boxwood
When you think of the classic manicured lawn with neatly trimmed shrubs, you're most likely picturing Boxwood shrubs. Boxwood shrubs are renowned for their densely-packed leaves, and neat-rounded shape. They do require a high level of maintenance, mainly in the form of regular pruning, and as such many landscapers and property owners have begun to switch to alternatives. Still, Boxwoods bring an elegant and classic look to any yard, and function well as hedges or grouped in foundation plantings.
Boxwoods grow best in well-drained soil, and with partial shade. They can be grown in USDA hardiness zones 6-8.
You can find Boxwood for sale on Amazon here.
4. Winter Heath
Winter Heath is an early-blooming, dense shrub typically reaching heights of 6-12 inches. Preferred for its vibrant winter color, Winter Heath is a great groundcover and can be grown alone or in conjunction with other acid-loving shrubs and ornamentals.
Like other evergreen shrubs, Winter Heath prefers well-drained, acidic soils that are relatively low in nutrients. Provided the soil conditions are appropriate, Winter Heaths can be grown in a variety of climates, but perform best in USDA hardiness zones 5-7. Additionally, Winter Heath is well-known as an ornamental plant requiring relatively little care once established.
5. Oregon Grape
The Oregon grape, sometimes known as the Oregon Grape Holly, is a broadleaf evergreen shrub that is native to western North America and is the state flower of Oregon. While not a true grape, it derives its name from its purple clusters of berries which closely resemble, well, grapes. It provides color throughout the year and blooms in spring with bright yellow flowers.
The Oregon Grape can grow 3-10 feet tall and stretch to a width of 2-5 feet. The Oregon Grape requires well-draining, acidic soil for optimal growth, and can be grown in full sun or full shade. This ornamental can be grown in USDA hardiness zones 5-9.
You can find Oregon Grapes for sale on Amazon here.
6. Bearberry
7. Blue Holly
8. Leucothoe
9. Cherry Laurel
10. Yew
Yew is a common name given to a variety of shrubs and small trees. As a coniferous shrub, Yews produce cones instead of flowers. Female Yew plants will also produce small red berries when pollinated by a companion male Yew plant. Yews are an especially hardy plant and can thrive in a wide variety of climatic and soil conditions.
For optimal growth, Yews should be planted in full sun, but with proper care, they can be planted in full shade as well. Yews can grow up to 20' tall, and a width 0f 4-20' depending on the variety. Yews can be grown in USDA hardiness zones 4-7.
You can find Yews for sale on Amazon here.
11. Euonymus
12. Mugo Pine
The variety of Mugo Pine typically used in landscaping is a dwarf variety known as Mops. The Mugo Pine, native to mountainous regions throughout Europe, is often used in place of Juniper in landscaping and is noted for needle density and low growth pattern. When mature, the Mugo Pine can grow 3-5' tall and spread up to 10' wide. It is due to this quality that it is highly lauded as a relatively carefree ornamental shrub.
Mugo Pines can be grown in full sun to partial shade, and in soils that are well-draining but slightly moist. The Mugo Pine is in the middle of the road as far as soil acidity, preferring neutral to slightly alkaline or neutral to slightly acidic soils. Mature trees are quite drought-tolerant and can thrive with only occasional waterings. The Mugo Pine grows best in USDA hardiness zones 3-7.
You can find dwarf Mugo Pines for sale on Amazon here.
13. Viburnum
Viburnum, commonly known by the family name of Honeysuckle, are widespread shrubs popular with wildlife, and humans. As one of the most popular ornamental shrubs available, Viburnum's come in a wide variety of cultivars suited for all sorts of climatic and soil conditions. While variances exist, most Viburnums have white to pink flowers which are often fragrant. Viburnums work great as hedges, or in mass groupings.
Generally speaking, this plant prefers slightly acidic, fertile soil. Along with the hundreds of cultivar comes a wide variance in where they can be grown, but varieties exist that can be grown from USDA hardiness zones 2-9. You can find Viburnum for sale on Amazon here.
14. Mahonia
15. Juniper
Last, but certainly not least, on our list of low-maintenance evergreen shrubs is Juniper. Perhaps best known as the flavoring in gin, Junipers come in an enormous variety of shapes, sizes, and foliage types. Junipers can be grown as ground cover, shrubs, or even small trees depending on which cultivar is selected. Hardy and tolerant of many soil conditions, Junipers grow best in well-drained soil, and when planted in full or partial sun.
While the specific zone varies with the cultivar, Junipers, in general, can be grown in USDA hardiness zones 3-9. Due to the number of varieties available, Juniper is an especially versatile and low-maintenance shrub for any landscaping project.
You can find ground cover Junipers for sale on Amazon here.
Captivate yourself in these shrubs like wet soil and full sun.