7 Evergreen Wonders of the Plant World

The importance of green space in our urban environments, as far as in our personal lives, is at the forefront of our heads today more than ever. Street curbs are being turned into rain gardens; community plots are blanketing former parking lots; parks are popping up in the very incongruous postindustrial sites. On each square inch of those victories, it’s imperative to guarantee an inspired and durable plant selection.

I believe that such a vital goal in planting design starts by securing solid bones: evergreen plants that provide construction and year-round interest — because off-season soil, yet fertile, rather looks like mucky dirt. Past overplanted rhododendrons and pieris, vinca and nandina, let’s discover seven top-notch evergreen plants for discerning gardeners.

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Bear’s Breech
(Acanthus mollis)

No need to build Corinthian columns and plinths to rightfully enjoy acanthus (Acanthus mollis) in the garden. The model where the Greek decorative element originated, the acanthus foliage provides a bold, clean and durable appearance. It may die down through the spells but will sprout back. Together with cast-iron plant, described next, I utilize acanthus in large planters deprived of sunlight.

USDA zones: 6 or 7 to 11 (find your zone)
Water demand: Wet to moist dirt
Light demand: Partial sun to dappled shade
Mature size: 4 feet tall and wide
Seasonal interest: Year-round
When to plant: Spring or summer

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Cast-Iron Plant
(Aspidistria elatior)

A staple in the American South, cast-iron plant (Aspidistria elatior) is often sold as an indoor plant elsewhere. For me personally it is now essential for its darkest porches, in which it thrones year-round without flinching. It’s indestructible, so the common name was really well chosen.

The majority of the time it’s green all the way through, but some of the many collector’s selections occasionally trickle down to the trade, like this mesmerizing variegated one dubbed ‘Asahi’. Using its clearly upright growth habit and its compact, lush foliage, cast-iron is a standout.

USDA zones: 7 to 11
Water demand: Well-drained dirt
Light demand: Dappled to complete shade
Mature size: 2 1/4 feet tall and wide
Seasonal interest: Year-round
When to plant: Anytime

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Bessia
(Beesia deltophylla)

Dear buddy and plant explorer extraordinaire Daniel J. Hinkley is to thank you for the wide introduction and promotion of Bessia(Beesia deltophylla). This more compact grower deserves a prime place in unethical planters (as shown in this Vancouver garden) as far as in formal bedding and thoughtful woodlands.

Heart-shaped, its thick glossy leaves stay healthy appearing year-round. For extra cleanliness, I remove the gangly scapes produced through summer.

A few peeps will be left with such a green plant, but I rejoice in knowing that in spite of the weather ups and downs, my Bessia will tough it via. Loyalty, my buddy; that is what it’s all about.

USDA zones: 6 or 7 to 9
Water demand: Moist but well-drained soil
Light demand: Partial to full shade
Mature size: 1 foot tall and wide
Seasonal interest: Year-round
When to plant: Anytime

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Upright Yew
(Taxus x press)

In comparison with broadleaf evergreens, coniferous evergreens are, generally speaking, that far hardier. From the warmer reaches of North America in addition to on the majority of its West Coast nicely into Canada, broadleaf evergreens abound.

In colder reaches, however, the selection is much thinner — boxwood, euonymus, hollies and leucothoes are a few of the more demanding contenders. Yet there is more to conifers than blue spruces and hedging cedars.

An all-time favorite is yew, upright (Taxus x press, shown here) or creeping. Its nice, dark green foliage has nothing to envy of almost any exotics.

USDA zones: 4 to 8
Water demand: Moist but well-drained soil
Light demand: Full to partial sun
Mature size: Variable
Seasonal interest: Year-round
When to plant: Spring to fall

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Mexican Orange
(Choisya ternata)

Mexican strawberry (Choisya ternata) must be the one evergreen plant I use the most. While I strive to refrain from falling back into the same plants over and over, this enchanting and flexible shrub is hard to resist.

Obviously rounded and complete, easily maintained to a more compact size, generously covered in superbly fragrant clusters of white blossoms, Choisya is as near perfection as it gets. There is even a golden-leafed version named ‘Sundance’ and a filigree-leaved hybrid called ‘Aztec Pearl’.

USDA zones: 7 to 9
Water demand: Well-drained dirt
Light demand: Full to partial sun
Mature size: 5 feet tall and wide
Seasonal interest: Year-round
When to plant: Spring or summer

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Pachysandra
(Pachysandra axillaris ‘Windcliff’s Fragrant’)

It’s far from my intention to recommend infinite blankets of covers. A default design stroke of too many designers and architects, ground covers could be counterproductive and, yes, a pain to keep. There are, however, areas — at the foundations of shrubs, along paths — where ground covers are all welcome.

Of the more recent candidates is this gorgeous pachysandra (Pachysandra axillaris ‘Windcliff’s Fragrant’). Eons from the oh-so-common Japanese pachysandra (Pachysandra terminalis), this one is slightly taller, thankfully a bit looser and clad with diminutive yet exceptionally fragrant flowers in the fall and again in late winter. A must-have plant.

USDA zones: 6 to 9
Water demand: Moist to well-drained soil
Light demand: Partial sun to full shade
Mature size: Up to 1 foot tall; spreads
Seasonal interest: Year-round
When to plant: Anytime

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Helleborusternii

In the past few years, there’s been an avalanche of newer winter-blooming hellebores. While some really represent a fantastic improvement, there is one older selection I profoundly cherish: Helleborus x sternii. For its compact habit, it has such outstanding foliar attributes and parsimonious purple-tinted blossoms I haven’t consigned this one to oblivion yet. Call me conservative if you will, but this hellebore is a keeper.

USDA zones: 6 to 9
Water necessity: Well-drained dirt
Light demand: Full sun to dappled shade
Mature size: 1 1/4 feet tall and 1 1/2 feet wide
Seasonal interest: Year-round
When to plant: Anytime

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