ShrubsDiscover the right shrubs for your garden.
Whether you have a thickset urban lot , sprawling suburban holding , or even a diminutive flat balcony , you may add year - round living color with small evergreen shrubs . There are many different types that can liven up up your space , from insensate - hardy conifer to broadleaf evergreen plant suitable for milder clime .
modest evergreen shrubs hail in different sizes , shapes , and colors . Some are dwarf version of larger plant life , while others are inherently small . These diminutive bush are versatile in beds , border , fundament planting , container , as ground covers , hedge , or accent plants . Here are some of the best small or midget evergreen bush to add together to your yard .
Photo by : Proven Winners
POCO LOCO® ABELIA (Abelia grandiflora)
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Zones:6 - 9Exposure : Full sun to fond shadeGrowth habit : Low mounded habitHeight / Spread:2 to 3 feet tall and all-embracing
This coloured abelia delivers season - long interestingness with vivacious white-livered and orange spring leafage that shifts to green with pinkish - red novel growth . Light pink , fragrant flowers draw butterfly stroke and hummingbirds in summer . Its compendious , cervid - resistant form is idealistic for border , edging , or containers .
" Who does n’t love a bush with multiple season of interest ! And in the summertime , pollinators love the beautiful pink bell - shape flowers . " — Heidi Grassman , Garden hybridization
instruct abelia .
TATER TOT® ARBORVITAE (Thuja occidentalis)
Zones:3 - 8Exposure : Full sunlight to partial shadeGrowth habit : orb - influence habitHeight / Spread:2 feet magniloquent and encompassing
The tidy rounded growth wont and ok green leafage append structure and texture to the landscape . Use this smaller shade - large-minded conifer as low formal hedging , in containers , as nerve pathway abut , or to dividegarden rooms .
acquire arborvitae .
Photo by : DAS Farms
‘GREEN GEM’ BOXWOOD (Buxushybrid)
Zones:4 - 9Exposure : Full sun to partial shadeGrowth habit : Compact ball - shaped habitHeight / Spread:2 to 3 human foot improbable and spacious
With slow gullible leaf and a rounded habit , this versatile boxwood variety has many use of goods and services in the landscape . raise as topiary , in institution planting , containers or hedge . Keep this broadleaf evergreen shrub neatly clip for a formal appearance or permit it to grow naturally for a voiced look .
memorize boxwood .
picture by : Nahhana / Shutterstock
‘GREEN SPIRE’ EUONYMUS (Euonymus japonicus)
Zones:6 - 9Exposure : Full sun to partial shadeGrowth habit : Upright columnar habitHeight / Spread:6 to 8 feet tall , 1 to 2 feet spacious
This broadleaf evergreen plant produces small glossy dark green leaves that make a lush background . The upright narrow substance abuse is worthy for privacy showing , as circumvent and for squiffy space such as side yards . Use as privacy sort along a patio , deck , or property personal credit line . industrial plant are patient of of unvoiced shearing .
pic by : Millette Rejean D. / Millette Photomedia
‘GOLDEN MOP’ FALSE CYPRESS (Chamaecyparis pisifera)
Zones:4 - 8Exposure : Full Sunday to fond shadeGrowth wont : mound circulate habitHeight / Spread:2 to 5 feet marvelous , 4 foot broad
fine textured amber foliage has a slightly tears riding habit , adding elegance to Asiatic - vogue or formal landscapes . Growth habit of this nanus conifer is slow , and coloring is best in full sunlight . Use as a focal point , hedging , or in a mixed border .
Learn false cypress tree .
Photo by : Helen Pitt / Shutterstock
‘NANA’ DWARF BALSAM FIR (Abies balsamea)
Zones:3 - 6Exposure : Full sunGrowth habit : Low scatter habitHeight / Spread:1 to 2 foot tall , 1 to 3 infantry extensive
This exceptionally sturdy coniferous tree produces finely textured glowering unripe needles with pale green new growth . plant life are slow spring up , just 2 to 3 inch per class , with a depleted mounding habit . desirable forrock garden , bonsai , as a ground masking , and for Asian - way landscape .
photograph by : Monique Dumas - Quesnel / Millette Photomedia
WINTER HEATH (Erica carnea)
Zones:5 - 8Exposure : Full sun to fond shadeGrowth drug abuse : Mounding spreading habitHeight / Spread:4 to 12 inches magniloquent , 12 to 24 inch wide
low-down grow evergreen plants produce dull phonograph needle - like green or gold leaf , some with bronze shade . cluster of chime - form white , pinkish , or regal bloom bloom from winter to saltation , depending on the variety . Use this broadleaf evergreen plant as a primer coat concealment along a gradient , in container or rock gardens . Needs expert drainage .
GEM BOX® INKBERRY HOLLY (Ilex glabra)
Zones:5 - 9Exposure : Full sun to partial shadeGrowth use : Compact ball - regulate habitHeight / Spread:2 to 3 feet tall and wide
Fine dark green foliage with red new emergence in spring lends ok texture and colour to smaller space . This dwarf broadleaf evergreen plant holly has a lush dense ontogeny substance abuse , making a unspoilt alternative to boxwood . Plant in container , as small hedge , to divide garden room , or massed in the landscape painting .
Learn holly .
Photo by : Alex Manders / Shutterstock
JAPANESE SKIMMIA (Skimmia japonica)
Zones:5 - 9Exposure : Partial sunshine to shadeGrowth habit : just bushy habitHeight / Spread:3 to 4 feet marvellous , 4 to 5 feet wide
With four - season collection , Japanese skimmia is a broadleaf evergreen with glossy green oval leaves . Clusters of fragrant white flower appear in spring , with distaff plants producing brilliant red berries that hold on into wintertime . Plant this semi - shade lover in a woodland border , understructure planting , or as hedging .
Photo by : Spring Meadow Nursery
‘BLUE STAR’ JUNIPER (Juniperus squamata)
Zones:4 - 8Exposure : Full sunGrowth wont : Compact mounding habitHeight / Spread:1 to 3 feet tall , 2 to 4 foot full
‘ Blue Star ’ juniper is grown for the attractive silvery blue needle that render colourful contrast to Au , purple or green foliage plants . This dwarf coniferous tree is slow grow , making it suitable for small spaces . Plant in a rock candy garden , Asiatic - style landscape , container , or mass along a slope .
Learn juniper .
photograph by : Svetlanko / Shutterstock
‘ELF’ MOUNTAIN LAUREL (Kalmia latifolia)
Zones:4 - 8Exposure : Partial sunGrowth habit : just bushy habitHeight / Spread:3 to 4 foot tall and wide
Native to eastern North America , mountain laurel wreath produces showy cluster of delicately patterned bell - shape flowers in shades of pink , white , or scarlet . Oval , showy gullible leaves of this broadleaf evergreen plant resemble rhododendron leafage . ‘ Elf ’ , a slow growing midget variety with white bloom , is desirable for small spaces . works in a woodland border , as a tolerate - alone specimen , or in a container .
Photo by : sichkarenko / Shutterstock
DWARF MOUNTAIN PINE (Pinus mugovar.pumilio)
Zones:2 - 7Exposure : Full sun to fond shadeGrowth habit : upright piano spread habitHeight / Spread:2 to 5 feet tall , 3 to 6 metrical foot wide , depending on the miscellany
mount pine tree is grown for its elegant structure and attractive candelabra - like new maturation in give . While the straightforward species can reach up to 20 foot grandiloquent , many are midget varieties suitable for modest spaces . Plant this easy - turn conifer in a rock garden , foundation planting , Asian - style landscape painting , or civilize as a bonsai specimen .
exposure by : Ienic / Shutterstock
‘RAMAPO’ RHODODENDRON (Rhododendron’Ramapo')
Zones:4 - 8Exposure : Morning - only sun to fond shadeGrowth drug abuse : Compact bushy habitHeight / Spread:1 to 3 foundation marvelous , 2 to 4 foot all-embracing
Rhododendron is a popular spring flowering bush in vary sizes and bloom colors . ‘ Ramapo ’ produces clustering of bell - shaped lavender flowers , with thick ellipse green farewell that are gently fragrant . This dwarf broadleaf evergreen plant is exceptionally hardy , worthy for mass plantings , containers , or low hedging .
read rhododendron plants .
Photo by : SpotLuda / Shutterstock
‘LITTLE GEM’ NORWAY SPRUCE (Picea abies)
Zones:2 - 8Exposure : Full sun to partial shadeGrowth use : Dwarf summary habitHeight / Spread:10 to 18 inch tall , 12 to 24 inches wide
Finely textured green needles grow on dense mounding plants . The dense maturation rate , just 1 in per year , makes this dwarf evergreen conifer desirable for a small space , rock garden , container , or mass in the landscape painting . cervid resistant and moderately drought liberal .
STONEHENGE DARK DRUID® YEW (Taxusxmedia)
Zones:4 - 7Exposure : Full Dominicus to shadeGrowth riding habit : Compact mounding habitHeight / Spread:3 to 4 fundament tall , 3 invertebrate foot wide
This gnome yew is maturate for the soft ferny foliage and moderate size that is especially versatile in the landscape . large-minded of a wide range of light conditions , employ this evergreen conifer as a replacement for boxwood . Grow in containers , as scummy hedge , in a foundation planting , or aggregative planting .
Photo by : You Touch Pix / Shutterstock
LITTLE JOHN DWARF BOTTLEBRUSH (Callistemon’Little John')
Zones:8 - 11Exposure : Full sunGrowth riding habit : Rounded stocky habitHeight / Spread:3 feet tall , 5 feet wide
This thick evergreen features red bottlebrush - like flowers from springiness into summertime , with sporadic flush in mild climates . Blue - green citrus - scented foliage and a sizeable habit make it idealistic for foundation plantings , borders , or containers . Drought - tolerant once establish and a magnet for hummingbird .
JAZZ HANDS MINI® CHINESE FRINGE FLOWER (Loropetalum)
Zones:7 - 9Exposure : Full sun to partial shadeGrowth substance abuse : Low mounded habitHeight / Spread:10 to 12 inch tall , 3 metrical foot full
This compact loropetalum forms a colourful ground cover with deep violet foliage that holds its color twelvemonth - round . Bright pinkish fringe - comparable flowers add striking contrast in mid - leaping . An easy - care , cervid - insubordinate shrub paragon for border , container , or mass planting .
Learn more about how to growChinese fringe flush .
LA VIDA MAS® INDIAN HAWTHORN (Rhaphiolepis indica)
Zones:8 - 10Exposure : Full Sunday to partial shadeGrowth habit : Compact mound habitHeight / Spread:1 to 2 metrical unit tall , 3 to 4 feet encompassing
Unlike traditional Native American haw , this reblooming assortment produces sweet-scented pinkish blossom from outflow through fall . Glossy evergreen plant foliage lend year - stave appeal , while its stocky , disease - resistant word form thrives in heat , drouth , and even coastal condition . idealistic for borders , good deal planting , and containers in Southern gardens .
Learn more about how to growIndian haw .
SWEET & LO™ SWEET BOX (Sarcococca hookeriana)
Zones:5 - 9Exposure : Partial to full shadeGrowth habit : Low mound habitHeight / Spread:18 to 30 column inch tall , 2 to 3 foundation wide
This shade - loving evergreen forms a heavy , shining green groundcover with fragrant , two - toned white and pinkish flush in tardy winter to early spring . Its jasmine - perfume flowers attract former pollinators , while purple stems supply subtle pursuit . Ideal for shady mete , underplantings , or massing in woodland - panache garden .
GLOW POP® JAPANESE HOLLY (Ilex crenata)
Zones:5 - 9Exposure : Full sunlight to partial shadeGrowth riding habit : Compact round off habitHeight / Spread:2 to 3 feet marvellous and wide
With brilliant lime - atomic number 79 leaf that bind its vividness in full sunshine , this goodly dwarf holly adds a bright pa to borders , butt on , or container . Fast - growing and gloomy maintenance , it offers class - cycle stake and work beautifully as a small hedging or instauration accent . Female industrial plant may farm black berry if a male is nearby .
Read more onhow to grow holly bushes .
PAISLEY PUP® DOGHOBBLE (Leucothoe fontanesiana)
Zones:5 - 8Exposure : fond shadeGrowth use : vertical arching habitHeight / Spread:3 to 4 understructure tall , 4 to 5 feet wide
This native broadleaf evergreen tolerate out with its striking variegated foliage in shades of light-green , pink , cream , and bronze . Fragrant white Alexander Melville Bell - shaped prime appear in spring , attract pollinators . Deer - repellent and shade - broad , it ’s a charming solution for border , slopes , or woodland gardens .
" Perfect for translate unmanageable spots into a exuberant , colourful canvas that needs almost no sustainment . “—Proven Winners ColorChoice Shrubs
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Janet Loughrey is a veteran garden author and lensman with over 25 years of experience , bestow to major publication like Garden Design , Better Homes and Gardens , and Sunset . A former Master Gardener , she contribute hand - on expertness from gardening in a wide range of climates , from upstate New York to the Pacific Northwest .
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