Broadleaf Evergreen Shrubs

Broadleaf evergreen shrubs provide color year round, making winter interest in the garden easy. The following evergreen shrubs are all broadleaf shrubs with foliage in shades of green.

Evergreen Viburnum (Viburnum Pragense) – Evergreen viburnums are beautiful broadleaf evergreen shrubs that provide four seasons of interest in the garden. Viburnum pragense is hardy to zone 6 and has shiny green leaves with white felt undersides all year providing plenty of winter color. Large white flower clusters appear in the summer and are followed by bright berries lasting through the winter. This broadleaf evergreen shrub is a medium to large shrub and prefers sun to part shade.

Camellia Shrubs (Camellia spp.) – Camellias are charming shrubs with glossy evergreen broadleaf foliage. Some camellias are hardy to zone 6 but some are only hardy through zone 8 so see the Camellia Plant Profile details for more information. Camellia shrubs prefer slightly acidic soil and are covered in large flowers fall through spring depending on the variety.

Mountain Laurel ‘Freckles’ (Kalmia latifolia ‘Freckles’) – A native evergreen shrub, the mountain laurel prefers acidic soil with good drainage and part shade to full shade. The mountain laurel is a broadleaf evergreen shrub and ‘Freckles’ has white flowers with maroon specks on the petals that truly look like freckles. ‘Freckles’ is a compact evergreen shrub growing only 3-6′ tall.

Green Gem Hardy Boxwood (Buxus ‘Green Gem’) – One of the hardiest broadleaf evergreen shrubs, the ‘Green Gem’ boxwood is hardy to zone 3b with protection or zone 4 unprotected. A fragrant shrub, this boxwood is a compact 2’x2′ and keeps its rounded shape with little to no pruning. Glossy evergreen leaves and inconspicuous but fragrant white blooms are added features of this broadleaf shrub. Protect the shrub from drying winter winds.

Hardy Gardenia (Gardenia jasminoides ‘Kleim Hardy’) – Gardenias are broadleaf evergreen shrubs but are not typically as hardy as this ‘Kleim Hardy’ which will survive winters to zone 7. The jasmine scented flowers make excellent cut flowers each spring and are pure white, single form blooms. This compact evergreen shrub grows 3-4′ and prefers part shade. This gardenia variety is used in china for tea flavoring.

Other evergreen shrubs that add winter interest to the garden include shrubs with variegated foliage, evergreen shrubs with colored foliage not the typical green color, and conifers. Weeping form evergreens also add winter interest through both color and silhouette. See all six ways to use plants in the garden for winter interest.