Evergreen Shrubs

Evergreens are some of the lowest maintenance plants for your landscape. In addition, they provide year-round color and structure. There are two types of evergreen shrubs for our area, broadleaf types (think ‘leafy’ such as boxwood and holly) and needled types (think pine and juniper). Since both hold onto their foliage in winter—a drying, windy time in Colorado-- be sure to give them winter water for best results. Also, make sure you site your shrub in the location it prefers. Some prefer morning sun in protected locations while others can take exposed, sunny spots.

Broadleaf Evergreen Shrubs
Needled Evergreen Shrubs

TIP: Some evergreen shrubs respond well to an anti-transpirant spray (such as Wilt Pruf), to help protect agains winter dessication.

** Please Note: In stock availability of specific varieties listed below will vary depending upon time of season and sales.

Broadleaf Evergreen Shrubs

	Boxwood (Buxus) Green Mountain Boxwood Height: 5’ Spread: 3’ Exposure: Shade or morning sun Other Notes: Upright form. Glossy dark green leaves. May be pruned to maintain shape and/or used as a hedge. Protect from windy locations. Zone 5.
	Green Velvet Boxwood Height: 3’ Spread: 3’ Exposure: Shade or morning sun Other Notes: Round, mounding form. Good winter color, may be used as a hedge. Protect from windy locations. Zone 5.
	Winter Gem Boxwood (Korean Boxwood) Height: 2'-3’ Spread: 2'-3’ Exposure: Shade or morning sun Other Notes: Rounded shape and deep green leaves. May be used as a low hedge. Protect from windy locations. Slow growing.
	Broom, Spanish Types (Cytisus) Spanish Gold Broom Height: 3’-5’ Spread: 4’-6’ Exposure: Sun to Part Sun Other Notes: Leafless shrub with slender green branches and a rounded shape. One of the hardiest brooms for our area. Bright yellow flowers appear in Spring. Zone 4
	Euonymus Although adaptable to full sun, all appreciate protection from winter sun and winds. Emerald Gaiety Height: 4’-5’ Spread: 4’-5’ Exposure: Prefers light shade location but will also adapt to full shade or full sun. Other Notes: Green leaves with white margins. Slow growing. Irregular spreading habit is easily shaped with light pruning. Leaves tinge pink in Fall.
	Manhattan Height: 3’-5’ Spread: 3’-5’ Exposure: Shade or morning sun is best Other Notes: Glossy, dark green leaves. Ideal for an informal hedge or specimen plant. Protect from winter wind.
	Gold Leaf Varieties: Emerald 'N Gold Height: 2’ Spread: Up to 5’ Exposure: Prefers light shade but will also adapt to full shade to full sun. Other Notes: Dark green leaves with a bright gold margin. Slow growing. Low, spreading branches make a good evergreen groundcover. Easily shaped with light pruning. Leaves tinge pink in Fall.
	Moonshadow Height: 2'-3' Spread: 3'-4' Exposure: Prefers light shade but will also adapt to full shade to full sun. Other Notes: Variegation of deep green leaves with a deep gold margin. Slow growing. Low, spreading branches make a good evergreen groundcover. Easily shaped with light pruning.
	Grape Holly (Mahonia) Oregon Grape Holly (aquifolium) Height: 5’-6’ Spread: 5’-6’ Exposure: Shade to morning sun Other Notes: Medium green holly-like leaves turn bronze red in the Fall. Yellow flowers in spring are followed by blue berries in mid-summer.
	Compact Oregon Grape Holly *Height:* 3’-3’ Spread: 3’-3’ Exposure: Shade to morning sun Other Notes: A dwarf version of standard Oregon Grape Holley. All the same wonderful qualities in a smaller package.
	Creeping Mahonia (repens) Height: 12”-18” Spread: up to 4’ Exposure: Shade, morning sun, or full sun. Other Notes: Low spreading type of grape holly. Makes a wonderful groundcover with pretty fall colors of purple-red tones. Yellow flowers in spring followed by blue berries in mid-summer.
	Holly (Ilex) Combo Pots (Male) / (Female) Height: 4’-6’ Spread: 4’-6’ Exposure: Shade to LIGHT morning sun Other Notes: Deep green leaves. Extremely slow growing. Very pretty holly berries are produced only on female shrubs and require pollination from a male. (can plant multiple female shrubs to one male shrub) Prefers a moist location.
	Sky Pencil Holly Height: 8'-10' Spread: 2' Exposure: Shade to LIGHT morning sun Other Notes: Great as a tall and narrow vertical accent for shade. Prefers a moist location. Zone 5.
	Kinnikinnick a.k.a. Bearberry (Arctostyphylos) Height: 4"-12" Spread: 3' and up to 6' Bloom Color: White tinged with pink bell-shaped dainty flowers Season of Bloom: Spring Other Notes: A low growing woody groundcover. Flowers are followed by small red fruit. Glossy bright green foliage turns reddish in winter. Evergreen, shrubby ground cover. Can planted in shade, part sun, or sun.
	Manzanita (Arctostyphylos x coloradoensis) Variety: 'Panchito' Height: 10"-15" Spread: 3' and up to 6' Bloom Color: Tiny white bell-shaped flowers Season of Bloom: Spring Fall Foliage: Red-purplish in good light Other Notes: A low growing woody groundcover. Outstanding selection of a native, broadleaf evergreen from the Uncompaghre Plateau in western Colorado. Tiny, waxy, white, urn-shaped flowers are very appealing. Small red berries can be produced on established plants. Plant in well-drained soil. Drought tolerant once established. Can also be grown in part sun.
	Pyracantha / Fireweed Gnome Height: 4’-6’ Spread: 3’-4’ Exposure: Shade, morning sun, full sun Other Notes: White spring flowers are followed by showy clusters of bright orange berries that hold through winter. Plant in a place where it won’t receive drying winter winds. A good candidate for espalier against a wall or fence.
	Yucca Yucca filimentosa (Adam's Needle Yucca) Height: 3' Spread: 3’-4' Exposure: Full sun. Other Notes: Traditional drought tolerant yucca. Creamy yellow flower spikes in summer. Drought tolerant. ** Photo Courtesy Fisher Farms
	Yucca 'Bright Edge' *Height:* 3' Spread: 3’-4' Exposure: Full sun. Other Notes: A decorative variegated yucca. Leaves are edged in bright yellow. Drought tolerant. Creamy flower spikes in summer.

Needled Evergreen Shrubs

Arborvitae (Thuja)

Woodward Globe

Height: 3’-5’

Spread: 3’-5’

Exposure: Does best in shady or morning sun locations.

Other Notes: Deep green in summer. Takes on a bronze color in winter. Rounded form. Plant in a place where it will not receive a lot of wind exposure as this causes browning. Prefers a moist spot.

Juniper

Junipers are a versatile group of evergreens. Some stay very low to provide a wide groundcover while others are tall and can be used as evergreen screens. Some have a silvery blue cast while others are deep green. They all do well here and are quite drought tolerant once established. However, Colorado has very drying winter winds that can be tough on evergreens. Although they do well in a windy, exposed spot—it is essential to give them winter water for best performance.

Low Creeping Type Junipers

Blue, green, and golden foliage types. Note: Some WILL change color in winter.

	Blue Chip Height: 8"-12” Spread: 4’-6’ Exposure: Sun Other Notes: Very low growing with a moderate spread. Silvery blue foliage has an arching habit. Turns a plum color in the winter.
	Blue Star Height: 18”-24” Spread: 3’-4’ Exposure: Sun to Part Sun Other Notes: Dwarf form with silvery-blue needles that are shorter than other types of juniper. They cluster into a star-like shape. Does best when planted in a location that is protected from winter wind.
	Buffalo Height: 12”-18” Spread: 6’-8’ Exposure: Sun Other Notes: Low growing with a large spread. Bright foliage gives a blast of green especially in the height of winter. Juniper berries are blue.
	Gold Strike *Height:* 6" low groundcover type Spread: Up to 3' Exposure: Part sun is best Other Notes: Striking yellow foliage creates a cheerful glow in the garden. This type will do best in well-drained soil with consistent moisture. Grow in a part sun location for best color.
	Hughes Height: 12”-18” Spread: 6’-8’ Exposure: Sun Other Notes: Low growing variety with a large spread. Steel-blue foliage during warm months. Takes on a purple tinge in winter.

Taller Hedge Type Spreading Junipers

Old Gold

Height: 3’-4’

Spread: 4’-6’

Exposure: Sun

Other Notes: New growth is a bright yellow. Good shrub for contrast.

Sea Green

Height: 6’-8’

Spread: 6’-8’

Exposure: Sun

Other Notes: Lush green foliage with a dense, vase-shaped habit. This variety is sometimes offered as a trained 'pom pom' style juniper.

Pine (Pinus)

Mugo Pine Varieties

	Big Tuna Mugo Pine *Height:* 6’-15’ Spread: 6’-10’ Exposure: Sun Other Notes: A large shrub or small tree. Deep, dark green, and DENSE! Very nice selection for a smaller space. Upright, broad shape at maturity. Showy buds in winter stand out against deep green foliage. Plant in well drained soil.
	Mops Height: 3' Spread: 3' Exposure: Sun Other Notes: Grows in a low dense dome shape. Dwarf in habit. Stays compact even without annual pruning. Plant in well drained soil.
	Pumilio (P. mugo pumilio) Height: 3'-5' Spread: 3'-6' Exposure: Sun Other Notes: Dwarf, bright green color in all seasons. Attractive mounded shape that can be maintained by pruning. Especially nice in early summer when new candles of growth appear. Very hardy and rugged.
	Valley Cushion Mugo Pine *Height:* 1’ Spread: 4’ Exposure: Sun Other Notes: While most Mugo pines can get large, this unique dwarf mugo spreads wide but stays short. A slower grower at only 3"-5" per year, this small evergreen would fit in most gardens. It is also very hardy, down to -40 degrees.
	White Bud Mugo Pine *Height:* 3’ Spread: 4’ Exposure: Sun Other Notes: Dark green needles with a short, broad form. Derives its name from the fact that, in winter, each terminal bud is covered in white resin. Against the green needles, this trait gives it a ‘frosted’ effect. Plant in well drained soil.

Spruce (Picea)

Globe Blue Spruce

Height: 3’-5’

Spread: 4’-5’

Exposure: Sun to Part Sun

Other Notes: Beautiful round shrub form of blue spruce. Requires winter water and likes consistent moisture during the growing season.

Yew (Taxus)

Upright Yew / Hick's Yew

Height: 10'-12'

Spread: 3'-4'

Exposure: Shade or morning sun.

Other Notes: This is an upright type of yew. Dense growth can provide a shade-loving screen. Foliage and yew seeds within the bright red berries are poisonous. Keep away from children.

Spreading Yew / Densiformis

Height: 4’-6’

Spread: 4’-6’

Exposure: Shade or morning sun.

Other Notes: Dense rounded form. Provide consistent moisture and site in a location that is protected from drying winter winds. Caution: Foliage and yew seeds within the bright red berries are poisonous. Keep away from children.