Archive for the ‘Evergreen’ Category

‘Furman’s Red’ Sage For Long Blooming Period

Texas sage (Salvia greggii) is a low bushy native perennial or woody shrub. It is native to Texas south to Mexico and varieties come in white, red and purple. It has proven to be exceptionally cold hardy (USDA hardiness zones 5b-9). Furman’s Red sage is a superior cultivar here in the Southern Appalachian region.Flowering is best in spring, less […]

Oriental Spruce Stands Up to Southern U.S. Heat and Humidity

Oriental spruce (Picea orientalis) stands as a tall spire in the urban landscape. A mature tree may reach 50 to 60 feet tall and makes a narrow stature or footprint of 15 to 25 feet in spread. Lateral branches uniquely bend downward while the growing tips sweep gracefully upward. Annual growth rate is slow at 12-15 inches. Two-thirds of the short dark green needles lay flat. Needles are lustrous on the […]

Nandinas Are Never Old-fashioned

                Aka “heavenly bamboo”, nandinas (Nandina domestica) are broadleaf evergreen shrubs with several landscape attributes that include white spring flowers, color changing leathery foliage, and enormous clusters of colorful berry fruits in fall and winter (USDA hardiness zones 6-9). This member of the Barberry family (Berberidaceae) is native to Japan, China […]

Japanese Holly Fern

Japanese Holly Fern (Cyrtomium falcatum ‘Rochfordianum’) is a handsome, evergreen fern for gardens in USDA hardiness zones 6-11. It earns its name from its stiffly erect holly-like fronds. Individual fronds are vase-shaped, 1 to 2 ½ feet long with glossy, leathery, serrated, holly-like compound leaflets (pinnae). The slender, arching fronds arise from erect, scaly rhizomes […]

Native Partridgeberry

  Partridge berry (Mitchella repens) is cherished for its evergreen foliage, spring flowers and fall-winter colorful berries (USDA Zones 4–8). This native groundcover is frequently spotted in moist woodlands along banks of streams and on dry slopes in the eastern and central North America as far west as Minnesota and south to northern Texas and Florida. This […]

Distyliums As Cherry Laurel Or Holly Substitute

Hybrid distyliums (Distylium myricoides × racemosum) are compact evergreen shrubs for full sun to partial shade USDA hardiness zones 7 to 9. They are heat and drought tolerant, and are not fussy, growing in average soil with subpar drainage. Distyliums are members of the witchhazel family (Hamamelidaceae). Their tiny reddish-maroon flowers appear in late January through March, but offer little ornamental value in the […]

Three Easy Care Foliage Plants For Your Home

  Chinese Evergreen (Aglaonema), Dumbcane (Dieffenbachia), and Calthea (Calthea spp.) are three similar looking  tropical house plants (USDA hardiness zones 8 through 11). Likely, you have seen these easy to grow foliage plants inside restaurants, shopping malls, offices, and at the public library. They grow in medium to low light areas of the home or […]

American Holly For Year-round Interest

American Holly (Ilex opaca) is a pyramidal evergreen tree that deserves to be planted more for multiple reasons. It is native to the eastern and central U. S. and is easily identified by its spiny green leaves (USDA hardiness zones 5 to 9). It grows slowly to 15 to 35 feet, sometimes taller.  The leathery, deep […]

Widely Planted Norway Spruce

Norway spruce (Picea abies) is a large pyramidal evergreen conifer. It is native to the mountains of northern and central Europe where it often matures to 100 feet or more in height. In the cool temperate areas of the U.S. and Canada, Norway spruce is widely planted, typically reaching 50 to 80 feet tall at maturity (USDA hardiness […]

Stylish Boulevard Cypress

            A twist here…a turn there, that’s the unique growth of Boulevard Cypress (Chamaecyparis pisifera ‘Boulevard’). It is a popular medium-sized evergreen shrub for home and commercial landscapes (USDA hardiness zones 5-9).  Boulevard cypress exhibits a twisted pyramidal form with soft, silvery blue foliage that also grows in a slightly twisted manner. The fine, […]