Types of Evergreen Shrubs

Shrubs are smaller than trees. Though they don't have a single stem like trees, they have several branches which make them look bushy. Various types of shrubs like flowering and non flowering, evergreen and deciduous are used to enhance the beauty of outdoor as well as indoor gardens. Some shrubs require full sun, some partial sun; while some grow well in shade. Shrubs play an important role in gardening and landscape designs. Low growing evergreen shrubs are used for low hedges or for defining the edges in all types of gardens. Small shrubs are an invariable part of formal and informal gardens. Evergreen and flowering shrubs are the most sought after varieties of shrubs. Identifying the shrubs becomes easier if you try to analyze them with the help of their leaves and flowers.

Various Types of Evergreen Shrubs

Evergreen shrubs usually have green leaves but some varieties have red, purple, orange, yellow and silver leaves. So they can be classified as shrubs with green leaves and shrubs with colored leaves. Similarly, flowering and non flowering shrubs can be considered as main types of these shrubs. Shrub identification by flowers is very easy. Junipers, yews and arborvitae are some of the common types of evergreen shrubs. You may classify these shrubs as shrubs that have needle leaves and shrubs that have broad leaves. Some of them are used for fencing and hedging while some are used for covering the ground. The following chart describes some of the most common evergreen shrubs that are used for landscaping. You can click on the image to have an enlarged view.

Examples of Evergreen Shrubs

Evergreen Shrubs	Description	Image
Kurume Azalea	Grow 4 to 6 feet tall, flowers are lavender, pink, orange, red, and white, do not need bright sunlight, may grow under trees, some produce hose-in-hose blossoms.
Viburnum	Native to Northern hemisphere, Viburnum rhytidophyllum is a popular evergreen species, known for its large, dark green leathery leaves that have wrinkled surface
Pachysandra	Evergreen groundcovers or sub-shrubs (dwarf shrubs), leaves are alternate and leathery with toothed margin
Boxwood	Native to western and southern Europe, leaves are rounded or lanceolate, leaves are opposite and leathery too, excellent for hedging.
Mountain Laurel	Flowering evergreen shrub, broad leaf shrub that exhibits lustrous green foliage, grows well in full sun as well as partial shade, some varieties like Madeline produce double layered flowers
Rhododendron Bush	Can be evergreen or deciduous, national flower of Nepal, leaves are large and broad, leaves can be as wide as 12 inches, known for stunning beauty of flowers and leaves
Oleander Bush	Evergreen shrub, but it is poisonous, produces clusters of pink flowers at the end of each branch
Balsam Fir	Nana is the dwarf variety of balsam fir tree. Flat topped evergreen shrub used for fencing, Piccolo has deep green needle leaves, enhances the beauty of rock garden
Japanese Yew (Taxus cuspidata)	Japanese plum yew is known for its dark green muscular foliage, grows well in full sun or partial sun, some grow into a mound like structure.
Spruce	Dwarf hybrid varieties of tall spruce trees are available these days, e.g. Serbian spruces, Norway spruce, White spruce, etc. known for eye-catching looks

Mountain laurel, holly, yew, chokeberry make beautiful hedges. You can plant hydrangea, spruce, yew, azalea, holly along the edges of your house. They are commonly used to hide stone foundations of houses. Almost all types of evergreen shrubs are popular because they require minimum maintenance. With occasional pruning, you can make them grow in whatever shape you want. I hope you have the most beautiful garden in your yard.