Variegated Evergreen Shrubs for Year Round Color

Evergreen shrubs add color to the garden year round and often become the foundation around which we plan the rest of our garden landscape. The wonderful thing about these evergreens is that they already provide stunning color accents because each of these evergreen shrubs have variegated foliage with two different colors.

Carol Mackie Daphne (Daphne x burkwoodii ‘Carol Mackie’) – Cream and Green – Zones 4-8. This daphne plant is a beautiful evergreen or semi-evergreen shrub that adds a welcome and subtle change of color. The Carol Mackie’s leaves are green with creamy-white edges and the foliage is evergreen in most areas. This pretty evergreen shrub also features fragrant spring flowers in pale pink or lavender. Carol Macki daphne is also a compact shrub that grows only to 3′-4′ tall and 4′ wide. The daphne prefers full sun or part shade in moist well-drained soil. More difficult to propagate than to grow, and toxic if ingested, daphne shrubs appreciate a layer of mulch and some winter protection.

Wintercreeper Euonymus (Euonymus furtunei ‘Emerald and Gold’) – Yellow and Green – Zones 5-10. A creeping evergreen shrub with oval leaves, this euonymus adds color and interest to the winter landscape. The evergreen shrub has foliage that is green with large yellow margins that can be tinged with pink in the winter. The wintercreeper grows only 2′ tall but over 4′ wide and can be trained up a trellis or fence, or allowed to as a sprawling shrub, or even with trailing stems. Euonymus tolerates sun or shade and any soil condition as long as the soil is well-drained. The trailing euonymous stems are also easy to root and take cuttings from.

Variegated Jacob’s Ladder (Polemonium caeruleum ‘Snow and Sapphire’) – Pure-White and Green – Zones 3-9 (with care). Polemonium shrubs do best in part shade and in zones 8 and 9 it is a must that they are provided shade or the plant with die back. ‘Snow and Sapphire’ is an improvement on other polemonium plants because it can tolerate the heat better than other cultivars, but bright shade is still best. The leaves of the polemonium are crisp and gorgeous looking, green with bright white edges and the flowers that appear early each summer are a bright sapphire blue. ‘Snow and Sapphire’ will grow about 2′ tall and 1 ½’ wide. An interesting fact about this evergreen shrub is that the plant is attractive to cats that will come and roll in the plant if you bruise the foliage and release the scent. Jacob’s Ladder is not known to be poisonous.

Variegated Adam’s Needle (Yucca filamentosa ‘Color Guard’) – Yellow and Green – Zones 4-10. This evergreen yucca plant is an amazing cultivar known as ‘Color Guard’ because the upright foliage leaves are yellow with green edges. Hardy and long-lived the yucca plant tolerates dry conditions after it is established the first couple seasons. Full sun is preferred but part shade is tolerated though the yucca plant won’t grow as large. Yuccas grow 2-3′ tall and 3-4′ wide with upright or slightly arching evergreen foliage. The yucca plant also have tall flower stalks that appear once the plant has reached maturity and grow about 4-5′ tall. The yucca flowers last for several weeks and are fragrant as well as attractive to butterflies. The evergreen yucca does equally well in cold weather, hot weather, wind or drought.

Variegated English Holly (Ilex aquifolium variegata) – Green and Silver-White – Zone 3-7b. A large evergreen shrub, the English Hollies have long been a winter interest icon. With this holly plant however, instead of dark green leaves, we have dark green leaves with silvery white edges. Left unpruned this holly plant will grow to tree size at least 20′ tall and 10′ wide, however with regular pruning you can keep the holly as a dense evergreen shrub 8’x8′. Provide the holly with some winter wind protection in northern areas. If you want the shrub to produce red berries you’ll need both a male and female holly plant. Otherwise just enjoy the shrub for the lovely variegated evergreen foliage it provides to any sun or shade area of the garden.

Other evergreen shrubs that add winter interest to the garden include shrubs with broadleaf evergreen 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.

Do you have a favorite variegated evergreen shrub? Come to the discussion board and tell us about it!