Bring on the Evergreens!

Natalie Carmolli for Proven Winners® ColorChoice®

When the perennials have gone to bed and the deciduous shrubs are down to bare branches, evergreens are the plants that keep the garden looking fresh. They give it structure, privacy, and a welcome splash of color in January.

Evergreens come in two main types. Needled or scale-leaved evergreens, like arborvitae and juniper, are conifers, meaning they bear cones. Broadleaf evergreens, like boxwood and holly, hold onto their glossy, flat leaves all year. Both have a place in the landscape, and both have some exciting varieties you’ll want to meet.

Sting® arborvitae: the exclamation point

If you have a tight spot that needs height, Sting arborvitae (Thuja occidentalis) is your answer. This native Eastern arborvitae grows 15-20' tall but just 12-18" wide, giving it a sleek, sword-like silhouette that fits where almost nothing else will.

Eastern vs. Western arborvitae: Eastern arborvitae (Thuja occidentalis) is native to eastern North America and is the hardier cousin of Western arborvitae (Thuja plicata) from the Pacific Northwest.

Use it as a bold vertical accent in a mixed border, line a narrow side yard with it for a slim living screen, or plant one in a large container as a dramatic "thriller." It holds its tight, columnar form on its own, so pruning is rarely needed. Sting grows in full sun to part sun and is hardy in USDA zones 3-8.

New for 2027: Sasquatch® Dark Green arborvitae

Some landscapes call for a gentle giant, and next year they get one. Sasquatch Dark Green arborvitae (Thuja occidentalis) is a big, beautiful privacy tree that reaches 20-30' tall and 6-10' wide with an upright, uniform shape.

Sasquatch arborvitae originally hails from Canada, so it comes by its toughness honestly. It is hardy down to USDA zone 2 and is quite resistant to winter burn. Better still, it creates no cones. Instead of spending energy on seed production, Sasquatch puts all of it into growing a full, lovely tree, and it grows faster than many other evergreens as a result.

Cedar Rapids™ false cypress: for deer country

If deer treat your arborvitae like a salad bar, look to false cypress. Cedar Rapids (Chamaecyparis pisifera) is a deer-resistant evergreen with feathery, lime-green foliage and a dense, pyramidal habit. It grows fast to 25-30' tall and 12-15' wide, making it a great choice for a privacy screen or a standout specimen. It needs no pruning and grows in full sun to part shade in USDA zones 4-8.

NewGen® boxwood: the classic, built tougher

Few shrubs say "timeless garden" like boxwood, but boxwood blight and leafminer have made plenty of gardeners nervous about planting it. The NewGen series was developed and tested in North America, so its resistance has been proven against the pests and diseases that actually occur here. These are hale and healthy boxwoods you can plant with confidence.

Use them for low hedges, parterres, foundation plantings, or neat little globes in containers. Shear them for a formal look or let them stay soft and natural.

Boxwood look-alikes: Strongbox® and Gem Box® inkberry holly

Want the tidy, rounded look of boxwood in a native package? Inkberry holly (Ilex glabra), delivers the same polished effect with some distinct benefits. Its small, glossy leaves and natural rounded shape make it an easy swap for boxwood, but because it is a holly, blight and leafminer simply aren't on its radar. It offers good deer resistance, too.

Strongbox inkberry holly forms a broad, rounded mound 2-3' tall and wide, with green leaves that stay full all the way to the ground. It grows faster than boxwood, resists winter burn, and can be sheared into a crisp hedge or left in its natural shape. Hardy in USDA zones 5-9.

Gem Box inkberry holly has a dense, ball-shaped habit 2-3' tall with delightful red-tipped new growth in spring. It tolerates salt, making it a smart pick for tricky spots near driveways. Hardy in USDA zones 5-9.

Inkberry holly prefers moist, acidic soil and full sun to part sun. Plant either one as a low hedge, an edging along a walk, or a foundation shrub.

Plan now, plant in spring

Here's a tip worth remembering: spring is the best time to plant or move evergreens. Unlike deciduous shrubs, evergreens keep their foliage all winter, so they keep losing moisture through their leaves even when the ground is frozen and their roots can't replace it. A fall planting doesn't give new roots enough time to settle in before that stress hits. Planting in spring gives them a full growing season to get established before their first winter.

That makes fall the perfect time to dream and plan. Whether you need a slim accent, a classic hedge, a native boxwood stand-in, or a towering privacy screen, there's an evergreen for the job. As with any new plant that tickles your fancy, ask the folks at your local nursery or garden center to bring them in come spring.

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