The joy of having small evergreen plants in your garden all seasons can never be matched. Some small plants are evergreen and can flourish all season with minimal care.
Picking the evergreen small plant for your garden can be a challenging task, especially if you are a beginner. Most plants are green and the at the end of the season they start loosing color. This change can be caused by several factors, and some are out of your control.
However, if you don’t want to pick a plant that won’t be evergreen, then you will find this list helpful to you as you begin gardening. Evergreen plants are naturally small, some are small from adapting to living in harsh conditions, while other small evergreen plants are bred and hybridized by gardeners.
10 small evergreen plants for your garden
With more people coming up with indoor garden ideas, the demand for evergreen small plants has increased. As such, we will provide you with the details of the best evergreen plants that you can have at home.
The small evergreen plants come in different shapes, sizes and colors. You can plant them in beds, borders, foundations plantings, containers, or as ground covers. Find the best plant that can suite the conditions of your area.
Here is a list of the evergreen plants:
- Kalmia Latifolia
- Blue Star Juniper
- Emerald ‘n’ Gold
- Helleborus Orientalis
- Pachysandra Terminalis
- Thuja Occidentalis
Kalmia Latifolia (Mountain Laurel)
Mountain Laurel is an evergreen shrub that originated from the woodlands. It grows in a hardiness level of 4 to 9 with a spread of 5 to 15’ and a height of 5 to 15’. It requires part shade and acidic soil with medium to high moisture presence.
Once all these conditions are met, the plant is ready to bloom. The flowers mostly bloom in May and June. As they grow, they form different clusters on the branches. Also, the flowers differ in color from white to dark pink, but they have a simple shape and shiny appearance.
To regain its small evergreen features, you have to care for it. The care involves pruning dead flowers to avoid spreading to other parts.
Blue Star Juniper (Juniperus squamata)
Blue star Juniper is a foliage plant that looks like a small tree. It grows in areas with a hardiness level of 4 to 8. The requirements for it to grow is exposure to full sun, average to medium moisture content, and well draining soil.
The plant grows to a height of about 3 feet and a spread of about 4 feet. It is known to grow like a shrub, then creating a small bush. You can mass the green foliage to form a ground cover.
Emerald ‘n’ Gold (Euonymus fortunei)
The Emerald ‘n’ Gold is an evergreen small plant that shows different colors in its leaves. It has derived its name from the color of the leaves, whereby you have emerald at the center and gold at the margin of the foliage.
The plant grows about 2 feet tall and around 2 to 4 foot spread. It works well in areas with hardiness level of 5 to 8. The planted area should have direct exposure to full sun or part shade. The soil should be well draining and contain average to medium moisture content.
Even though it is among the small evergreen plants, it’s invasive and can spread to other areas of the garden. Make sure you prune it to prevent the spreading.
Helleborus Orientalis (Helleborus x hybridus)
The Helleborus Orientalis is a popular plant for its winter flowering. It is an evergreen small plant and requires minimal care when growing. The flowers grow into a range of different colors including white, pink, and red.
The flower blooms during winter, which is like between February and April. After it blooms, it starts to shed off the dark green leaves to leave space for the growing stalks. So, when you notice the plant blooming, start pruning the older leaves to leave space for new leaves.
The plant grows to a height of about 45 cm. It requires neutral to alkaline soil and some shade to grow.
Pachysandra Terminalis
Pachysandra is a small evergreen plant that grows low in the ground with a height of about 20 cm. It has rosettes of serrated, glossy leaves that spread slowly above the ground to a wide area of about 1.5 m. they are good plants to act as ground cover or as a boundary plant.
The plant grows well in areas with full dun or part shade. It can grow in any type of soil. Other than that, it grows small white flowers during the spring.
Thuja Occidentalis (Little Giant Dwarf Arborvitae)
The little giant dwarf arborvitae grows well in areas with a hardiness level of 3 to 8. In its variety, it is the smallest growing plant as others can grow up to 40 feet, this once can only attain a height of 4 feet and a mature spread of also 4 feet.
Just like other small evergreen plants, it maintains the foliage color and texture throughout the year. When it grows, it forms a rounded, neat form that covers its short stature. You can plant it in areas with tight spaces or foundation beds.
The plant requires access to full sun, soils with acidic to alkaline conditions and medium moisture content. Also, ensure that you fertilize it in early spring to provide it with enough nutrients.
Gem Box Inkberry holly (Ilex glabra)
Photo from proven winners
Inkberry holly is a plant with dark green foliage that tends to have red growth in the spring. The foliage has fine texture and small leaves that are packed together to create a dense growth.
The plant grows in hardiness zones of 5 to 9. It requires exposure to full or partial shade. So, you can plant it indoors or on the balcony. Also, it can grow to a height of 3 feet and a spread of 3 feet.
The best plant to plant the evergreen small plants is in a container, garden rooms, or on a landscape in masses.
Leucothoe
Image by Thompson & Morgan
Among the small evergreen plants, the Leucothoe is a different plant that likes soil rich in nutrients, acidic and in a container. Also, it is small, thus it grows well in a shade without exposure to direct sunlight.
It has different colors that emerge with a new growth. The colors turn from white to shades of red, then green. It is a good plant to have at home in a pot.
Conclusion
With the few varieties highlighted above, keep in mind that there are many more small evergreen plants that you can find in commercial nurseries. Regardless of the plant you choose for your garden, you must know how to care for them over long periods.
What Garden Plants are Hard To Kill?
Where To Plant A Banana Tree At Home In The Yard
