Evergreen shrubs and hedges are cold-hardy, important landscape specimen plants

Alongside the landscape importance of trees are the shrubs that grow in our gardens, parks, landscape foundations, roadsides, and commercial landscapes. Thousands of different varieties of shrubs are grown to grace lawns, gardens, and borders, but only a few varieties are available to purchase at your local nursery for planting and growing. Many shrubs are selected and grown on the basis of smart purchasing for flowering hedges, cold hardy evergreens, non-flowering hedges, berry bushes, and deciduous shrubs. Many bushes shine with brightly colored leaves in fall and winter.

Although it is common for some shrub stems to die from shade, they will be renewed by new shoots; And like trees, shrubs live for years and are considered good property, a long-term investment, and a permanent fixture in the landscape.

Planting shrubs as privacy hedges will typically mature to a point in four or five years where the privacy screen will be vigorously solid and dense enough to hide whatever is behind it.

Some shrubs thrive in dry soil; others in moist soils, but most shrubs and hedges are in between and require well-drained growing areas. All other possible growing extremes are important for planting shrubs and hedges, such as altitude, shade, wind exposure, and relative soil fertility levels. Azaleas, for example, grow well under the shade of most trees, including pines, and will rapidly deteriorate and soon die if planted to grow in full sun. Azaleas must have organic matter incorporated into the soil to thrive, and the proper acidity (pH) of the soil is necessary for azalea plants to live. Pine straw is often effective in keeping azaleas free of weeds. The long rows of blooming azalea plants are often dramatic when planted under pine trees, when azalea blooms show off their sprawling blooms. The shallow root system of azaleas requires considerable watering during periods of drought to ensure a large number of azalea blooms, the spring season following summer droughts.

small evergreen shrubs

Evergreen shrubs are an important option to consider for planting, to ensure the presence of green color during the gloomy days of winter. Many gardeners want an evergreen shrub as a hedge to maintain privacy when cold weather arrives. Anise, Illicium florianum grows in small hedges in resorts like Sea Island, Georgia, and exotic red flowers and liquor aromas rise from the leaves in the summer. Acuba japonica variegata ‘Gold Dust’ is also called the Gold Dust plant. Acuba is an interesting low-growing shrub to plant and grow alongside brick buildings. Cleyera, Ternstroemia gymanthera, is an interesting shrub for coastal areas, because Cleyera shrubs are very tolerant of saltwater spray, and the waxy green leaves have a unique tropical appearance in the landscape. Boxwood, Buxus microphylla asiaticum, is also saltwater tolerant with dense coloration in zones 5 through 9. Boxwood is one of the most important and popular shrubs to buy in the US, requiring many years to reach 3 feet in height. Boxwood plants are commonly planted in rows along walkways. Larger boxwood plants do well in group plantings in front of buildings

Eleagnus, Eleagnus pungens, is one of the fastest growing shrubs and makes an excellent barrier hedge or privacy fence that can grow up to 10 feet tall. Eleagnus is saltwater tolerant and can be grown in containers in commercial locations. Interstate highway landscaping is filled with large groupings and plants of Eleagnus, Eleagnus pungens, shrubs to minimize car fumes and truck road noises.

Holly bushes are distinctively variegated, highly adaptable and versatile in the landscape. The most popular hollies are: Burford Holly, Ilex cornuta; Carissa Holly, Ilex cornuta ‘Carissa’; Dwarf Chinese Holly, Ilex cornuta; Dwarf Japanese Holly, Ilex crenata; Helleri Holly, Ilex crenata; Needle Holly, Ilex cornuta ‘Embroidery’; Sky Pencil Holly, Ilex crenata ‘Sky Pencil’; Savannah Holly, Ilex x attenuata; Stokes Dwarf Holly, Ilex vomitoria ‘Stokes Dwarf’; Dwarf Yaupon Holly, Ilex vomitoria; Weeping yaupon, Ilex vomitoria pendula.

Japanese aralia, Fatsia japonica, is more commonly called Fatsia. In landscapes, Fatsia is often planted and grown in large groups near shady home entrances or under shade trees for that bold tropical look. Fatsia can be planted as a large specimen plant, or Fatsia in containers will grow as a bush as a houseplant. Philodendron selloum is often used as a Fatsia, and can grow into an attractive large specimen plant on slender, woody-looking trunks (stems). The hybrid Philodendron, Xanadu, is also used as Japanese aralia, Fatsia, and Philodendron selloum, but is primarily used as an indoor or outdoor container plant. The deep-lobed, waxy green leaves are very cold hardy, and even if Philodendron is growing outside in Zone 5 – 10, it will spring back to life from vigorous roots in the spring after freezing to the ground.

Pittosporum tobira can be grown as an outdoor plant or as a shrub in containers. Pittosporum plants display bright green leaves year round and grow best in low light shaded areas. The flowers are small, white and very fragrant, like the aromatic crushed leaves. Florists use stems and leaves as fillers in flower arrangements. Pittosporum bushes don’t grow quickly, but they can eventually form an excellent privacy hedge to block out car noise and smoke emissions. Because Pittosporum tobira shrubs are saltwater tolerant, these shrubs are popularly used in landscaping on Sea Island, Georgia. Large specimens of Pittosporum tobira are used as small evergreen trees, subtly presenting an exotic and tropical appearance. Pittosporium tobira “Variegata” has white and light green variegated leaves with fragrant white flowers, which bloom in the summer. The variegated leaf form of Pittosporum tobira does not burn in strong sunlight, like most variegated shrubs.

Large evergreen shrubs

Large evergreen shrubs sometimes become eclectic little trees after many years. These large evergreen shrubs provide the garden with specimen appeal, privacy, and cold-hardy, evergreen color. Arizona Cypress is also called Carolina Sapphire, Cupressus glabra ‘Carolina Sapphire,’ and is a fast-growing evergreen, which can grow 20-30 feet with fine-textured, silvery-blue leaves. The leaves grow thread-like in very hot areas and will survive drought or stress well.

The arborvitae, Thuja occidentalis, is an evergreen shrub native to the United States that can grow almost anywhere in the US. The dark green leaves of the arborvitae, Thuja occidentalis, can turn yellow, orange or maroon during winter, but green color is restored in cold zones Strong Tolerance, 2 – 8, in spring. Other species of trees of life are: Emerald, Thuja occidentalis ‘Emerald’; Little Giant, Thuja occidentalis ‘Little Giant’; Little Golden Giant, Thuja occidentalis ‘Little Golden Giant’; Aurea Nana, Thuja occidentalis ‘Aurea Nana’;

The blue Italian cypress, Cupressus sempervirens ‘Glauca’, will qualify as one of the most important specimens, evergreen trees used in landscapes. The trees do not grow fast, but are cold hardy in zones 7 to 11. The dense leaves are branched and grow in a large column, 3 to 4 feet wide. Italian cypress can grow up to 40 feet outside, and Italian cypress grown in large containers can be shipped quickly by truck or UPS. The Italian cypress, Cupressus sempervirens ‘Glauca’ can draw architectural attention to large buildings. Italian cypress trees are often planted on commercial benches, lining large sidewalks, or memorial gardens.

Leyland cypress, Cupressocyparis leylandii, is a fast-growing shrub, most often planted as a privacy hedge, but in many cases it can become a large Leyland cypress tree that can reach 130 feet. The Leyland cypress bush (tree) is a fast-growing intergenetic hybrid. Erosion control can be obtained quickly by planting these vigorous Leyland cypress bushes to quickly embed their roots into the soil and cool the soil.

Podocarpus macrophylla and Podocarpus nagi are the most commonly cultivated Podocarpus shrubs. Cutting Podocarpus is a common plant practice to create a sculpted appearance. Podocarpus can be grown as an edging plant for walkways, but after many years it grows into a small 10-foot evergreen. Salt water and cold hardy tolerance of Zone 7 – 10 make Podocarpus the best choice for any landscaped garden.

Wax Myrtle or Bayberry, Myrica cerifera, normally grows as a native American plant in woodlands, but nursery-grown plants will provide a fast-growing screen that spreads by underground shoots. Birds and wildlife love this plant to nest and seek protection. The waxy gray berries are fragrant and are commonly used to scent candles with a woody scent. All parts of wax myrtle bushes are fragrant and grow to block noise and noxious fumes from automobiles. Very old wax myrtle plants grow into exotic-looking small trees, which are aromatic specimens in the landscape. Wax myrtle bushes, Myrica cerifera, are a commonly grown naturalized plant enthusiastically used as a cold and salt water tolerant hedge or landscape tree at the famous resort hotel on Sea Island, Georgia.

Copyright (c) 2006 Patrick Malcolm