The dark bluish-green, spiny leaves of the blue holly produce interesting patterns in form and texture. The smaller leaved Japanese holly is excellent for foundation and low hedge plantings. Its bright, shiny evergreen foliage is most pleasing to the eye, particularly when the leaves glisten in the sunlight following a rain. The boxwood is a good choice for formal clipped or informal evergreen hedges and foundation plantings. In most cases, boxwood looks better when it is allowed to grow unclipped in a natural fashion.
Broadleaf evergreens can serve the landscape in many ways.
They can be used in shrub borders and foundation plantings, and the larger plants make excellent specimen plants. As ground covers, broadleaf evergreens offer one of the most extensive uses of all evergreens, broad or narrow. These ground covers can be grown in sun or deep shade as long as they do not have to compete with a competitive root system such as that of a Norway maple. Broadleaf evergreens tend to look their very best when used in naturalistic plantings with a few deciduous shrubs and trees for contrast. To grow healthy broadleaf evergreens in northern landscapes, the gardener must select the right site and then practice a few simple cultural techniques.