In most residential landscapes, we commonly find evergreen plant material. The general term evergreen refers to those plants which hold their foliage throughout the year. Actually, these plants do drop foliage, but not before new foliage has developed so the change is usually subtle. Evergreens are useful and visually attractive for several reasons. They add interest and color all year long, provide a means to screen or direct views in the winter time when other plants have lost their visual density from foliage loss, provide interesting forms and textures in our landscape, block cold winter winds, and shelter wildlife.
Evergreens can take the form of trees, shrubs, and ground covers.
Some rhododendrons and English ivy are considered evergreen in our region. We think of pine, spruce, and fir when describing needle or scale-like evergreen foliage. And we are quite familiar with evergreen shrubs such as yews and junipers. We sometimes take for granted evergreens because they are so widely used in our landscape, but there are many unique varieties which can provide new interest. The following are just a few examples of some interesting evergreens that you can use in your landscape.