| Next to the landscape importance of trees is that of | | | | cornuta; Dwarf Japanese Holly, Ilex crenata; Helleri |
| shrubs that grow in our gardens, parks, landscape | | | | Holly, Ilex crenata; Needlepoint Holly, Ilex cornuta |
| foundation, street borders, and commercial | | | | 'Needlepoint'; Sky Pencil Holly, Ilex crenata 'Sky Pencil'; |
| landscapes. Thousands of different varieties of | | | | Savannah Holly, Ilex x attenuata; Stokes Dwarf Holly, |
| shrubs are grown to ornament lawns, yards, and | | | | Ilex vomitoria 'Stokes Dwarf'; Dwarf Yaupon Holly, |
| borders, but only a few varieties are available to buy | | | | Ilex vomitoria; Weeping Yaupon, Ilex vomitoria |
| at your local nursery for planting, and growing. Many | | | | pendula. |
| shrubs are selected and grown on a basis of | | | | Japanese Aralia, Fatsia japonica, is most commonly |
| intelligent buying of flowering hedges, evergreen cold | | | | called Fatsia. In landscapes, Fatsia is often planted and |
| hardiness, non-flowering hedges, berry shrubs, and | | | | grown in large groups near shaded house entrances |
| deciduous shrubs. Many shrubs glow with brightly | | | | or underneath shade trees for that bold tropical look. |
| colored leaves in the fall and winter. | | | | Fatsia can be planted as a large specimen plant, or |
| Evergreen shrubs often are planted to grow as a low | | | | containerized Fatsia will grow as the shrub as an |
| ornamental hedge, such as: Juniper, Holly, Anise, | | | | indoor plant. Philodendron selloum is often used like |
| Boxwood, Aucuba, Pittosporum, and Wax Myrtle. | | | | Fatsia, and can grow into a large, attractive specimen |
| Large evergreen shrubs that, after many years of | | | | plant on slender, woody-looking trunks (stems). The |
| growing, are Arizona Cypress, Arborvitae, Thuja | | | | Philodendron hybrid, Xanadu, is also used like |
| occidentalis, Thuja orientalis; Bamboo, Eleagnus, | | | | Japanese aralia, Fatsia, and Philodendron selloum, but |
| American Holly, Italian Cypress, Several tall Juniper | | | | largely is used as an indoor or outdoor container plant. |
| cultivars, Leyland Cypress, Podocarpus, and Wax | | | | The waxy, deeply-lobed green leaves are very cold |
| Myrtle, Myrica Cerifera. Some large landscape | | | | hardy, and even if Philodendron is growing outside in |
| evergreen shrubs are planted as specimen plants, | | | | Zone 5 – 10, it will come back to life from |
| Bamboo trees, Italian cypress, Philodendron, | | | | vigorous roots in the spring after freezing to the |
| Philodendron selloum, Philodendron x "Xanadu", and | | | | ground. |
| Podocarpus. | | | | Pittosporum tobira can be grown as an outside plant |
| Although it is common for some shrub stems to die | | | | or as a containerized shrub. Pittosporum plants |
| from shading out, they will be renewed by new | | | | displays bright green leaves year and grows best in |
| shoots; and like trees, shrubs live for years and are | | | | shady areas of low light. The flowers are small, white, |
| considered a good property, longtime investment, | | | | and very fragrant, like the aromatic crushed leaves. |
| and a permanent fixture in the landscape. | | | | Florists use stems and leaves as fillers in floral |
| Usually planting shrubs as privacy hedges will mature | | | | arrangements. Pittosporum shrubs are not fast |
| to a point in four to five years, that the privacy | | | | growing, but eventually can form an excellent privacy |
| screen will be vigorously solid and dense enough to | | | | hedge to block out automobile noise and fume |
| hide whatever lies behind it. | | | | emissions. Because Pittosporum tobira shrubs are salt |
| Some flowering shrubs being to bloom in late winter, | | | | water tolerant, these shrubs are popularly used in |
| such as the fragrant Tea Olive, Azalea, Camellia, and | | | | landscaping at Sea Island, Georgia. Large specimens |
| Ligustrum followed by the Abelia, Banana Shrub, | | | | of Pittosporum tobira are used as evergreen small |
| Hydrangea, Red Bottle Brush, Bridal wreath, and | | | | trees, that subtly present an exotic, tropical |
| Yellow Rose of Texas. Most shrubs finish flowering | | | | appearance. Pittosporium tobira "Variegata" has |
| by mid-summer, when flower buds are formed to | | | | variegated white and light green leaves with fragrant |
| bloom next year. | | | | white flowers, blooming in the summer. The |
| Some shrubs thrive in dry soils; others in wet soils, | | | | variegated leaf form of Pittosporum tobira is not |
| but most shrubs and hedges fall in-between and | | | | burned by strong sunlight, like most variegated |
| require well drained growing areas. All other possible | | | | shrubs. |
| growing extremes are important for planting shrubs, | | | | Large Evergreen Shrubs |
| and hedges such as altitude, shade, wind exposure, | | | | Large evergreen shrubs sometimes grow into small |
| and soil relative fertility levels. Azaleas, for instance, | | | | eclectic trees after many years. These large |
| grow well underneath the shade of most trees, | | | | evergreen shrubs provide the garden with specimen |
| including Pine trees, and will decline fast and soon die, | | | | attractiveness, privacy, and evergreen, cold hardy |
| if planted to grow in full sun. Azaleas must have | | | | color. Arizona Cypress is also called Carolina Sapphire, |
| organic matter incorporated into the soil to thrive, | | | | Cupressus glabra 'Carolina Sapphire', and is a fast |
| and the proper acidity (pH) of the soil is necessary | | | | growing evergreen, that can grow 20 - 30 feet with |
| for azalea plants to live. Pine straw is often effective | | | | fine textured, silver-blue leaves. The leaves grow |
| to keep azaleas weed free. Long lines of blooming | | | | threadlike in very hot areas, and will survive well in |
| azalea plants are often dramatic when plant | | | | droughts or under stress. |
| underneath pine trees, when the azalea flowers being | | | | Arborvitae, Thuja occidentalis, is an American native |
| to display their expanding blooms. The shallow root | | | | evergreen shrub that can grow almost anywhere in |
| system of azaleas require substantial watering during | | | | the U.S. The dark green leaves of Arborvitae, Thuja |
| dry spells to insure plenty of azalea flowers, the | | | | occidentalis, can turn yellow, orange, or maroon |
| spring season following summer droughts. | | | | during winter, but the green color is restored in |
| Small Evergreen Shrubs | | | | Zones of cold hard tolerance, 2 - 8, in the spring. |
| Evergreen shrubs are an important choice to consider | | | | Other arborvitae species are: Emerald, Thuja |
| for planting, in order to insure green color presence | | | | occidentalis 'Emerald'; Little Giant, Thuja occidentalis |
| during the gloomy days of winter. Many gardeners | | | | 'Little Giant'; Little Golden Giant, Thuja occidentalis |
| want an evergreen shrub as a hedge to maintain | | | | 'Little Golden Giant'; Aurea Nana, Thuja occidentalis |
| privacy when cold weather arrives. Anise, Illicium | | | | 'Aurea Nana'; |
| florianum grows into small hedges in resorts like Sea | | | | Blue Italian Cypress, Cupressus sempervirens 'Glauca', |
| Island, Georgia, and exotic red flowers and liquorish | | | | will qualify as one of the most important specimen, |
| aromas rise from the leaves in the summer. Acuba | | | | evergreen trees used in landscapes. The trees are |
| japonica variegata 'Gold Dust' is also called the Gold | | | | not fast growing, but are cold hardy in zones 7 - 11. |
| Dust plant. Acuba makes an interesting low growing | | | | The dense leaves are branched and grow into a large |
| shrub to plant and grow next to brick buildings. | | | | column, 3 -4 feet wide. Italian cypress can grow to |
| Cleyera, Ternstroemia gymanthera, is an interesting | | | | 40 feet outside, and large container grown Italian |
| shrub for coastal areas, because Cleyera shrubs are | | | | cypress trees can be shipped quickly on semi-trucks, |
| very tolerant of salt water spray, and the waxy | | | | or by UPS. Italian Cypress, Cupressus sempervirens |
| green leaves have a unique tropical appearance in the | | | | 'Glauca' can draw architectural attention to large |
| landscape. Boxwood, Buxus microphylla asiaticum, is | | | | buildings. Italian cypress trees are often planted at |
| also salt water tolerant with dense coloring | | | | commercial banks, bordering large walkways or |
| throughout the zones 5 - 9. Boxwood is one of the | | | | memorial gardens. |
| most important and popular shrubs to buy in the U.S, | | | | Leyland cypress, Cupressocyparis leylandii, is a fast |
| notably as a neat, clean grower, Boxwood is not fast | | | | growing shrub, that most often is planted as a |
| growing, thus requiring many years to reach 3 feet in | | | | privacy hedge, but in many cases can grow into a |
| height. Boxwood plants are commonly planted in | | | | large Leyland cypress specimen tree that might reach |
| rows along walkways. Larger boxwood plants work | | | | 130 feet. The Leyland cypress shrub (tree) is a fast |
| nicely in group plantings in front of buildings | | | | growing intergenetic hybrid. Erosion control can be |
| Eleagnus, Eleagnus pungens, is one of the fastest | | | | obtained fast by planting these vigorous Leyland |
| growing shrubs and grows as a superb barrier hedge | | | | cypress shrubs to embed their roots rapidly into the |
| or privacy fence that can grow up to 10 feet tall. | | | | soil and cool the earth. |
| Eleagnus is salt water tolerant, and can be grown in | | | | Podocarpus macrophylla and Podocarpus nagi are the |
| containers at commercial locales. Interstate highway | | | | most commonly grown shrubs of Podocarpus. |
| landscaping is filled with large groupings and plantings | | | | Shearing Podocarpus is a common plant practice to |
| of Eleagnus, Eleagnus pungens, shrubs to minimize | | | | create a sculptured look. Podocarpus can be grown |
| automobile fumes and truck highway noises. | | | | as a border plant for walkways, but after many |
| Holly shrubs are distinctively varied, very adaptable, | | | | years, grows into a 10 foot, small, evergreen tree. |
| and versatile in the landscape. The most popular | | | | The salt water and cold hardy tolerance of Zone 7 - |
| hollies are: Burford Holly, Ilex cornuta; Carissa Holly, | | | | 10 makes Podocarpus a top choice to buy for any |
| Ilex cornuta 'Carissa'; Dwarf Chinese Holly, Ilex | | | | landscape garden. |