Small shrubs are one of the great plants to enhance your house landscape as they can be grown in both containers and in land. Also if they are evergreen plants your landscape will be in greenery even when it is in the fall season.
So here is the list of 12 small evergreen shrubs for enhancing your landscape:
1. Blue Star Juniper (Juniperus squamata ‘Blue Star’)
Blue Star Juniper (Juniperus squamata ‘Blue Star’) is an evergreen plant with blue-gray, awl-shaped needles leaf with a white band that overlaps and it has bluish-berry-like seed cones fruit.
The Blue Star Juniper (Juniperus squamata ‘Blue Star’) prefers full sun with moist or well-drained soils. They love every kind of soil as they can grow in poor quality soil, sandy soil, and dry soil.
- Plant size: 1 to 3 feet tall with a 1- to 4-foot wide
- Growing condition: moist but well-drained soil in full sun
2. Mountain Laurel (Kalmia latifolia ‘Minuet’)
Mountain laurel (Kalmia latifolia ‘Minuet’) is a beautiful evergreen plant that lies in the rhododendron plant family. They also bloom flowers in summer from mid-June, with pale pink and bright cinnamon red colors in the interior ring.
The Mountain laurel (Kalmia latifolia ‘Minuet’) prefers full sun to light or open shade. They also need regular watering in the dry season to survive. Mid-to-late summer is the time they need to be watered regularly.
- Plant size: 1 to 3 feet tall with a 1- to 4-foot wide
- Growing condition: moist but well-drained soil in full sun
3. False Cypress ‘Golden Mop’ (Chamaecyparis pisifera)
False Cypress ‘Golden Mop’ (Chamaecyparis pisifera) is an evergreen plant with a yellow-needled leaf that is native to Japan. They are slow-growing plants that take up to 10 years to grow properly.
False Cypress ‘Golden Mop’ (Chamaecyparis pisifera) is a low-maintenance plant that needs full sun or partial shade and mostly grows on medium moisture, well-drained soils
- Plant size: 2 to 5 feet tall with a 2 to 5 foot wide
- Growing condition: medium moist but well-drained soil in full sun or partial shade
4. Dwarf Azalea (Rhododendron japonicum ‘Amoena’)
Dwarf Azalea (Rhododendron japonicum ‘Amoena’) is an evergreen plant that has pink-colored flowers. They bloom from April to May and need acidic soil to grow properly.
- Plant size: 3 to 4 feet tall with a 10 to 15 cm wide
- Growing condition: Partial shade, dappled shade with moist but well-drained acidic soil
5. Dwarf Alberta Spruce (Picea glauca ‘Conica’)
Dwarf Alberta Spruce (Picea glauca ‘Conica’) is a 10-foot dwarf tree that is mostly suited for cold winters, cooler summers, and low humidity places. They can also be grown on land and in containers.
They are small cone-shaped gymnosperm shrubs with leaves that are short, sword-shaped, and light green.
- Plant size: 3 to 13 feet tall with a 1 to 10 feet wide
- Growing condition: well-drained, neutral soils in full sun
6. Gem Box Inkberry Holly (Ilex glabra ‘Gem Box’)
Gem Box Inkberry Holly (Ilex glabra ‘Gem Box’) is a North American native evergreen plant. They are round ball-shaped with dark green leaves which are small in size. But when they grow fully they have red leaves on top of them which gives them an attractive look.
- Plant size: 5 to 10 feet tall with a 3 to 4 feet wide
- Growing condition: full sun to part shade, medium to wet, well-drained, acidic soils
7. Japanese Holly ‘Compacta’ (Ilex crenata ‘Compacta’)
Japanese Holly ‘Compacta’ (Ilex crenata ‘Compacta’) which has a deep green leaves that are evergreen. They will look great in your fountains, and garden borders and work well when planted in mass. They also have small black fruit with rich dark green foliage with low maintenance.
- Plant size: 6 to 8 feet tall with a 6 to 10 feet wide
- Growing condition: any well-drained soils in full sun or partial sun
8. Little Giant Dwarf Arborvitae (Thuja occidentalis ‘Little Giant’)
Little Giant Dwarf Arborvitae (Thuja occidentalis ‘Little Giant’) is a small evergreen globe-shaped shrub that has a bright green feathery foliage color leaf. It is the perfect plant for fountains and hedges.
- Plant size: 4 feet tall with a 4 feet wide
- Growing condition: well-drained soil and full sun
9. Japanese Skimmia (Skimmia japonica)
Japanese Skimmia (Skimmia japonica) is a plant that produces white flowers with red fruit but you will need both male and female plants. They are one of slow-growing plants with greenish bark, leathery green leaves, and fragrant flowers.
USDA Growing Zones: 7a to 8b Color Varieties: White, cream flowers, bright red berries Sun Exposure: Full or partial shade Mature Size: Height: 2 to 7 ft.; Width: 3 to 5 ft.
- Plant size: 2 to 7 feet tall with a 3 to 5 feet wide
- Growing condition: moist, humus-rich, well-drained soils and full sun or partial sun
10. Dwarf English Boxwood (Buxus sempervirens ‘Suffruticosa’)
Dwarf English Boxwood (Buxus sempervirens ‘Suffruticosa’) is a classic shrub that works well in both container and land. They look great when grown on a border or hedge and groups slowly till 2 to 3 feet.
- Plant size: 2 to 3 feet tall with a 2 to 4 feet wide
- Growing condition: moist, well-drained loamy soil and full sun or partial sun
11. Winter Heath (Erica carnea)
Winter Heath (Erica carnea) is a low-growing evergreen shrub that is attractive all year round and covers the ground very well. It blooms white, pink, or purple colored flowers in the winter and blooms for six month straight.
- Plant size: 6 to 12 inches tall with a 12 to 18 inches wide
- Growing condition: full sun in sandy, acidic, medium moisture, well-drained soils
12. ‘Emerald ‘n’ Gold’ (Euonymus fortunei ‘Emerald ‘n’ Gold’)
‘Emerald ‘n’ Gold’ (Euonymus fortunei ‘Emerald ‘n’ Gold’) is an evergreen plant that has two colors in its leaves. They grow green in the center from their steam and yellow or gold outside. It is also one of the well-spreading plants and covers the ground properly.
- Plant size: 1 to 2 feet tall with a 3 to 4 feet wide
- Growing condition: well-drained soil and partial or full shade
Also Read: Nutrient-Rich Harvest: Top 10 Leafy Greens for Your Garden