When you think of evergreens, your mind might go to Christmas trees and conifers like Pines and Spruces. One thing to keep in mind is not all evergreens are conifers, and not all conifers are evergreens!
The vast majority of conifers are evergreen - hence the strong association. However, you do have exceptions like Bald Cypress or Dawn Redwood that drop all their needles in the fall and grow a new set in the spring.
While conifers make up a large portion of our evergreen plants, there are also some very distinctive broadleaf evergreens. In our region, this includes, plants like Boxwoods, many species of Hollies, Laurels, Rhododendrons, some types of Magnolias, Cotoneasters, Yucca, and more. You might see evergreen vines like Vinca, Wintercreeper, or English Ivy. There are also semi-evergreens like some Viburnums or perennial Lenten Rose that often hold their foliage over the winter.
There are many species and exciting differences to discover among evergreens. This guide will focus on the shared caring for qualities and common tips, with special attention toward medium-sized evergreen shrubs like Boxwoods, Arborvitae, and Juniper.
Keep in mind that for some of your smallest and largest evergreens, you may also want to check out the information on Tree Care and other pages as well.
Once established, there are many factors that can impact how often and how much to water, including plant species, temperature, amount of shade, humidity, wind, season of planting, soil type, slope, and more. That’s why for long-term care, the best approach is to simply keep an eye on your plants for signs of stress and check the soil periodically.
Evergreens won't wilt as dramatically as some of your other plants, so it can be easy to miss the symptoms of underwatering until it's severe.
The dense foliage on your evergreens can prevent the rain from ever reaching the base and roots of the new plant. This makes watering at the base with your supplement water even more important.
It's important not to fertilize shrubs and trees heavily during establishment, because the influx of those nutrients will signal to the plant to put more growth into its foliage instead of its roots. During establishment, the root system should always be the top priority.
Many evergreens are susceptible to fungal issues, such as Needle Cast on Spruces or Phytophthera on Boxwoods, which first develop in the soil around the tree or shrub. You can help prevent this with horticultural practices like regular mulching, pruning to promote good airflow, preventing overwatering, and foliar sprays.
The vast majority of evergreens prefer sunny sites and most will perform best and avoid issues with disease and sparse growth better by being kept in full sun. A few of the exceptions that can handle more shade than their peers are Boxwoods, Yew, Hemlocks, and Laurels.
Many coniferous shrubs and trees are given the label "dwarf", and when looking at a plant tag you'll likely see information for the "mature" or even "maximum" size. This can be a bit deceiving, because in most cases dwarf conifers don't ever "top out" or stop growing - they simply grow extremely slowly. The "mature sizes" on labels are often standardized to the size the plant is expected to reach by the time it's 10 years old. As a result, dwarf conifers are often planted in spaces that are too small for the size they'll reach. This can put stress on the plant as it ages and can create a hassle as they crowd other plants or areas of your house and yard. Always research the growth rate (how many inches per year of new growth is expected) as well as the overall size before deciding where to plant your dwarf plants.
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