Evergreen shrubs

Evergreen garden shrubs help form the backbone of any garden. They provide a year round foliage display, act as screens or hedges as well as feature plants in the border. But just to make things interesting not all 'evergreen shrubs' have green foliage, many are coloured or variegated, some are flowering, others have insignificant flower, the list of different qualities is a long one.

Ranging from small low growing shrubs that act a ground-cover plants or fillers in the border to larger feature evergreen plants.

Many smaller shrubs, including some with narrow upright habit are well suited to narrow spaces or small gardens, while others will grow well in shade.

With so many varieties available we provide a guide to some of the best evergreen shrubs for the UK garden.

Aucuba japonica 'Variegata'

For a year round slash of color in the garden this is a great shrub. Glossy green leaves splashed with gold, no wonder they call it 'the gold dust plant'.

A compact and fairly dense growing plant Aucuba japonica 'Variegata' produces red berries in autumn and will reach 2-3m depending on conditions.

Looks great in the garden border between camellia japonica.

Viburnum Tinus

Tough, easy to grow, evergreen that can also be used to form a hedge.

Cultivars such as Viburnum Tinus 'Eve Price' with its white flowers in winter and Viburnum Tinus 'Gwenllian' are very popular in the UK.

Viburnum all appreciate a well drained humus rich soil, growing to 3 - 4m Viburnum are easy to prune, not fussy about soil and cope with wind and seaside conditions... a great plant.

More great evergreen shrubs.

• Buxus
  For a small evergreen hedge, buxus varieties are an excellent choice.
  
  
• Daphne odora
  For fragrance in the winter Daphne odora is the plant.
  
  
• Camellias
  Fantastic flowers, glossy green foliage
  
  
• Rhododenrons
  Again great flowers, however some have magnificent textured foliage as well, interest all year round. And these evergreens come in sizes from small shrubs to very large specimens.
  
  
• Drimys winteri (wintersbark)
  Glossy foliage and nice white flowers
  
  
• Ilex x altaclerensis 'Golden King'
  A variegated holly, looks great with is bright yellow and green foliage.
  
  
• Itea ilicifolia
  The long catkins in winter remind us of Garrya eliptica.

Remember that some shrubs that are listed as 'evergreen' will be deciduous in the UK :