The Best Evergreen Shrubs for Year-Round Cover in Your Yard

Adding evergreen shrubs to your garden provides cover, structure, color, and interest all year long. From variegated varieties with stunningly patterned leaves, to those that produce beautiful blooms, to fruit-bearing cultivars, we share some of the best evergreen shrubs.

1. Wintercreeper

This neat, slow-growing shrub is prized for its fabulous variegated foliage. Wintercreeper has a variety of different uses in the garden, where it may be used as edging, groundcover, in containers, or as a self-clinging vine. Some varieties make ideal rounded specimen bushes, while others creep slowly, clinging to tree trunks like ivies.

With small, dark green leaves, the most striking varieties have white or gold edges. Some types of wintercreeper also produce attractive pink and orange fruits for added interest in the garden through winter.

2. Azalea

Producing beautiful blooms in springtime, azalea benefit from pruning immediately after flowering. In addition, form-ruining shoots of growth can be removed as late as September.

An evergreen variety of azalea offers thicker leaves for greenery year-round. Autumn Lily is an excellent evergreen choice, producing a profusion of creamy-white blooms in spring, reaching 4 feet at maturity with a similar spread.

3. Juniper

Suitable for zones 4 through 9, juniper is deer resistant. Varieties range from creeping bushes that provide excellent groundcover to colossal specimens growing up to 25 feet tall. Preferring full sun, juniper is a great choice to add structure to the garden, be it as a hedge for privacy, or to cover a bare slope.

4. Yew

So far as handsome, reliable evergreens go, the yew takes some beating. Producing soft foliage and attractive red berries, the shrub is great for attracting wildlife to the garden. Although yew seeds can be consumed by birds with no adverse health repercussions, they are toxic to humans, so families with young children may wish to avoid them.

Yews respond well to pruning and shearing, and are a great choice for topiary, since they can be shaped into virtually any shape. Resistant to most common ailments, Tauntonii is an excellent choice for informal areas, reaching up to 4 feet high at maturity.

5. Blue Holly

Partial to full sun, blue holly is suitable for zones 5 to 7, growing up to 10 feet tall and 4 feet wide. It is sought after for its glossy blue-green leaves, providing year-round, impenetrable cover. Every spring, tiny white flowers give way to masses of bright red berries. However, a male holly plant must be planted near a female plant in order for berries to form.

6. Mahonia

This popular evergreen shrub is ideal for those seeking a tough, edgy addition to the garden that does not disappoint in terms of visual appeal. Appearing like a short, stubby cross between sumac and holly, mahonia’s fantastic colors and fruits add a great accent to its dark, shiny leaves.

Mahonia is another great choice for those seeking an evergreen shrub that will keep out unwanted visitors, its sharp, pointed leaves ideal as a hedge. Soft Caress has less of an edge than other cultivars, growing happily in a shadier spot.

7. Gardenia

In addition to its eye-catching, exquisitely fragranced blooms, gardenia is also prized for its dark green glossy foliage. Gardenias are an irresistible, heat-loving evergreen that is native to tropical and subtropical Africa, Asia, Oceania, and Australasia.

Gardenias can be quite temperamental to grow, requiring full sun to light shade. In hot climates, they do best with full morning sun and afternoon shade, and benefit from their roots being covered by organic mulch.

Gardenias can be grown in containers in moist, well-drained soil, with at least an inch of rainwater or equivalent watering each week, ensuring the soil is consistently damp but not waterlogged. Gardenias prefer acidic, nutrient-rich soil and high humidity.

8. Viburnum

The viburnum genus incorporates serval evergreen options, quickly filling up space in the yard. It is crucial to do your homework before purchasing a viburnum however, since some cultivars can be colossal when fully grown, while others produced skin irritants when pruned. Flowering evergreen varieties are a solid choice for the garden, showing considerable resistance to pests and diseases.

9. Japanese Aralia

Reaching up to 10 feet in height, Japanese aralia is an impressive choice for a subtropical style garden. The bold, architectural evergreen’s rich, dark leaves have a span of up to 18 inches, each divided into nine lobes. In fall, globes of white flower clusters appear, followed by a profusion of black berries in spring.

Tolerant of sun or partial shade, popular varieties include Variegata, a cultivar with white leaf tips, and Spider’s Web, which is sought after for its attractive speckled foliage.

10. Mugo Pine

A popular addition to rock gardens and Asian themed yards, mugo pine will thrive in virtually any dry, rocky area. A slow-growing species, this reliable evergreen stays small and contained. With a bit of patience, mugo pine makes a striking statement piece, as well as providing attractive background color. Hardy and self-reliant, it is the perfect option for a low-maintenance yard.