Landscaping Enhancements: Discover 4 Stunning Indigenous Evergreen Shrubs for a More Attractive Yard
The quest for privacy in gardens and outdoor spaces can be effortlessly achieved with native evergreen shrubs and trees. Here's a roundup of some of the best options that offer year-round screening, attractive foliage, and varying cultural benefits.
Southern Magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora)
Southern Magnolia is a tall evergreen tree, known for its huge, fragrant, white flowers and rich green leaves. This tree makes a great privacy screen, but it requires a decade or two to reach its mature size of 75 feet tall with a dense canopy. A cultivar of Southern Magnolia, Little Gem, is a smaller, compact tree, ideal for those seeking a more manageable size. Southern Magnolia thrives in USDA zones 5-9.
Inkberry Holly (Ilex glabra)
Inkberry Holly is an evergreen holly that grows naturally in the eastern and south-central regions of the country. It grows multiple trunks to 10 feet tall and 8 feet wide, with glossy green leaves on top and lighter green, dull leaves below. Each Inkberry Holly bush has either male or female flowers, and both are required to form berries. This shrub attracts wild birds and mammals, and is the host plant for Henry's elfin butterfly larva. Inkberry Holly is resilient and adaptable, thriving in sunny or shady backyards and gardens, and is hardy in USDA hardiness zones 5-10.
Blueberry Delight Juniper (Juniperus communis)
The Blueberry Delight Juniper is a small native evergreen shrub with two-tone needle-like foliage (forest green on the upside, blue-silver on the underside). This shrub is incredibly tolerant of different types of soil and, if massed, will spread to provide groundcover for small mammals and birds. The Blueberry Delight Juniper prefers full sun and is hardy in USDA hardiness zones 3-6, growing to two feet tall and one foot wide. 'Alpine Carpet' from Green Promise Farms is a compact variant of the Blueberry Delight Juniper, hardy enough for less-forgiving areas like slopes and rocky soils.
American Holly (Ilex opaca)
American Holly is a showy holly with red or orange berries and lobed, pointy leaves, growing to 30 feet tall and 15 feet wide. This tree attracts wild birds and mammals, and is the host plant for Henry's elfin butterfly larva. American Holly thrives in USDA zones 5-9, in full sun and a site with moist, acidic soil. American Holly is a good alternative to boxwood for those seeking a native evergreen shrub.
American Arborvitae (Thuja species)
American Arborvitae varieties such as American Pillar and Green Giant Arborvitae grow tall and narrow, making them excellent for fences and narrow property lines. The North Pole® Arborvitae (Thuja occidentalis) is also notable for its deep green foliage and columnar shape, ideal for narrow screening. These trees offer year-round privacy.
Other native evergreen shrubs worth considering for privacy hedges include Waxleaf ligustrum (Ligustrum japonicum), which is tough, evergreen, drought-tolerant once established, and forms a dense leafy screen quickly. Sweet gale (Myrica gale) is ideal for wetter areas, supports native pollinators, fixes nitrogen in the soil, and requires minimal pruning.
In summary, these plants offer year-round screening with attractive foliage and varying cultural benefits depending on site conditions. Whether you're looking for a fast-growing option like Waxleaf ligustrum, a resilient choice like Inkberry Holly, or a tall, narrow tree like American Arborvitae, there's a native evergreen shrub or tree to suit your needs.
- For those who appreciate a mix of home-and-garden and home-and-garden-related lifestyle elements, considering native evergreen shrubs and trees such as the Southern Magnolia, Inkberry Holly, Blueberry Delight Juniper, American Holly, or American Arborvitae can offer privacy, attractive foliage, and various cultural benefits in your outdoor spaces.
- When planning your home-and-garden to create a tranquil outdoor haven, exploring options like the Southern Magnolia for a tall privacy screen, Inkberry Holly for resilience and attracting wildlife, or the Blueberry Delight Juniper for groundcover might be ideal choices to harmonize lifestyle and garden endeavors.
