Which shrubs provide year-round visual interest?
Written by
Michael Sullivan
Reviewed by
Prof. Charles Hartman, Ph.D.Evergreen shrubs such as juniper and boxwood provide a consistent foliage presence in your garden and winter landscape, even if it snows.Deciduous stars like oakleaf hydrangea offer continuous and dynamic change: deliciously creamy summer blooms, brilliant crimson leaves, and smooth, exfoliating bark throughout the winter. Use both types together for continuous visual drama without any work!
Evergreen Standouts
- Juniper: Blue-gray needles resist deer and drought (Zones 2-9)
- Boxwood: Glossy leaves for formal hedges; prune once yearly (Zones 5-9)
- Holly: Glossy green with winter berries; thrives in acidic soil (Zones 5-9)
Seasonal Color Champs
- Oakleaf Hydrangea: White summer flowers → burgundy fall foliage (Zones 5-9)
- Beautyberry: Purple autumn berries last through frost (Zones 6-10)
- Witch Hazel: Fragrant yellow winter blooms (Zones 3-9)
Winter Interest
- Red Twig Dogwood: Scarlet stems pop against snow (Zones 2-8)
- Winterberry: Dense red berries feed birds until spring (Zones 3-9)
- Heather: Evergreen with winter blooms in mild climates (Zones 5-8)
In designing for texture, I layered red twig dogwood behind boxwood in a client's landscape. In the winter, the bright stems reflect the color of fire, while in the summer, the leafy stem creates a stark contrast. I also knew that underplanting with heather would provide a beautiful evergreen ground cover that blooms in the late winter when many plants are dormant.
Pruning is purposeful. Oakleaf hydrangea will set next year's buds in the late summer sun; trimming after July removes those flowers. Juniper needs little pruning; just shear it lightly in spring. My neighbor completely butchered her hydrangea in the fall and had to wait two seasons for it to grow enough to bloom.
The condition of your soil is significant. Holly does fine in alkaline soil, but if you have a pH test kit, you might want to test the pH, and if it is above 7 amend the soil with sulfur. Beautyberry grows well in clay, but will produce berries best if compost is added. I rejuvenated a shrinking hedge last summer by incorporating peat moss, which has tripled berry production over last year.
Begin with small adjustments. Choose to swap out just one nondescript shrub for something that can give you witch hazel for winter fragrance or heather for winter seasonal color. Years go by. You will realize that if you design your garden for low-caretaking maintenance, it can indeed be a magnificent show during any season without giving up your weekends to garden.
Read the full article: 10 Low Maintenance Shrubs for Effortless Landscapes
