Louisiana Landscape Guide: Evergreen Shrubs

Damon Abdi, Edwards, Ashley, Thiessen, Maureen, tmckeown, Stagg, Jason, Fields, Jeb S.

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Evergreen shrubs provide the landscape with yearlong foliage that can be used to screen off areas, create defined borders in the landscape and ensure interest throughout all seasons. The foliage is not the sole scenery provided by these plants, as the added aesthetic of fruit (hollies), flowers (azaleas) and fragrance (gardenias, sweet olives) of the plants on this list further contribute to the landscape. Evergreen shrubs are woody perennials, coming back year after year to create a lasting impression in the landscape. Your neighbors will be green with envy as you enjoy the foliage of these plants all year long.

Pink flowering bush growing in the ground.

Abelia:
Abelia x grandiflora

Pollinator attractor; fragrant

  • Maintenance: Low
  • Form: Round
  • Zones:6-9
  • Exposure: Full to partial sun
  • Soil: Well-drained

Closeup of leaves on a bush.

Aucuba:
Aucuba japonica

  • Maintenance: Low
  • Form: Round
  • Zones: 6-10
  • Exposure: Partial sun to shade
  • Soil: Well-drained

A row of pink flowered bushes in a wooded landscape.

Azalea: Rhododendron hybrid

  • Maintenance: Low
  • Form:Round
  • Zones: 6-9
  • Exposure: Full to partial sun
  • Soil: Well-drained to moist

Yellow flower sits among leaves on a bush.

Banana Shrub: Magnolia figo

Fragrant

  • Maintenance: Low
  • Form: Round
  • Zones: 7-10
  • Exposure: Partial sun
  • Soil: Well-drained

A row of pink flowered bushes in a wooded landscape.

Barberry: Berberis thunbergii

Fall color

  • Maintenance: Low
  • Form: Round
  • Zones: 4-9
  • Exposure: Full sun
  • Soil: Well-drained

Several pink flowers peek out of leaves on a bush.

Bottlebrush: Callistemon spp.

Hummingbird attractor

  • Maintenance: Low
  • Form: Round to upright
  • Zones: 8-10
  • Exposure: Full to partial sun
  • Soil: Well-drained

Wide view of boxy-shaped bushes.

Boxwood:
Buxus spp.

  • Maintenance: Low
  • Form: Round
  • Zones: 6-9
  • Exposure: Full to partial sun
  • Soil: Well-drained

A pink flower grows amid dark green leaves.

Camellia: Camellia japonica (shade); sasanqua (full to partial sun)

Pollinator attractor

  • Maintenance: Low
  • Form: Round
  • Zones: 7-9
  • Exposure: Full to partial sun, shade
  • Soil: Well-drained

Closeup of leaves on a bush.

Coastal Leucothoe: Leucothoe axillaris

Native

  • Maintenance: Low
  • Form: Spreading
  • Zones: 6-9
  • Exposure: Partial sun to shade
  • Soil: Well-drained to moist

Closeup of leaves on a bush.

Distylium: Distylium spp.

  • Maintenance: Low
  • Form: Round to upright
  • Zones: 7-10
  • Exposure: Full to partial sun
  • Soil: Well-drained

Closeup of leaves on a bush.

Chinese Juniper: Juniperus chinensis

  • Form: Round to upright
  • Zones: 4-9
  • Exposure: Full sun
  • Soil: Well-drained

Closeup of leaves on a bush.

Elaeagnus: Elaeagnus pungens

  • Form: Round to upright
  • Zones: 7-10
  • Exposure: Full sun
  • Soil: Well-drained

Closeup of leaves on a bush.

Fatsia:
Fatsia japonica

  • Maintenance: Low
  • Form: Round
  • Zones: 8-10
  • Exposure: Partial sun to shade
  • Soil: Well-drained

Closeup of leaves on a bush.

Florida Anise: Illicium floridanum

Native

  • Maintenance: Low
  • Form: Round
  • Zones: 6-9
  • Exposure: Partial sun to shade
  • Soil: Well-drained to moist

Closeup of yellow and white flowers on a bush.

Gardenia: Gardenia jasminoides

Fragrant

  • Maintenance: Low
  • Form: Round
  • Zones: 7-10
  • Exposure: Full to partial sun
  • Soil: Well-drained

Many red berry-shaped beads grow on a leafy bush.

Holly: Ilex spp.

Many native species; pollinator attractor; showy fruit

  • Maintenance: Low
  • Form: Round to upright
  • Zones: 6-10
  • Exposure: Full to partial sun
  • Soil: Well-drained to moist

A dense cluster of pink flowers grows on bushes.

Indian Hawthorn: Rhaphiolepis indica

  • Maintenance: Low
  • Form: Round
  • Zones: 8-10
  • Exposure: Full to partial sun
  • Soil: Well-drained

Closeup of leaves on a bush.

Japanese Cleyera:Ternstroemia gymnanthera

  • Maintenance: Low
  • Form: Round to upright
  • Zones: 8-10
  • Exposure: Full to partial sun
  • Soil: Well-drained

Closeup of leaves on a bush.

Japanese Ligustrum:
Ligustrum japonicum

Pollinator attractor

  • Maintenance: Low
  • Form: Upright
  • Zones: 7-10
  • Exposure: Full to partial sun
  • Soil: Well-drained

Closeup of leaves on a bush.

Loropetalum: Loropetalum chinense

  • Maintenance: Low
  • Form: Round
  • Zones: 7-9
  • Exposure: Full to partial sun
  • Soil: Well-drained

Closeup of leaves on a bush.

Mahonia:Mahonia hybrid

  • Maintenance: Low
  • Form: Upright
  • Zones: 7-9
  • Exposure: Partial sun
  • Soil: Well-drained

Closeup of leaves on a bush.

Nandina: Nandina domestica

  • Maintenance: Low
  • Form: Upright
  • Zones: 6-9
  • Exposure: Full to partial sun
  • Soil: Well-drained

Closeup of several violet-colored flowers growing on a bush.

Oleander: Nerium oleander

Fragrant

  • Maintenance: Low
  • Form: Round
  • Zones: 8-10
  • Exposure: Full sun
  • Soil: Well-drained

A sparse bush grows amid a mulchy forest area with white flowers growing on it.

Pieris:
Pieris japonica

  • Maintenance: Low
  • Form: Round
  • Zones: 5-8
  • Exposure: Partial sun to shade
  • Soil: Well-drained

Cluster of bushes.

Pineapple Guava:
Feijoa sellowiana

Showy fruit and flowers; edible fruit

  • Maintenance: Low
  • Form: Round
  • Zones: 8-10
  • Exposure: Full to partial sun
  • Soil: Well-drained

A single cluster of yellowish-white flowers grows amid leaves on a bush.

Pittosporum: Pittosporum tobira

  • Maintenance: Low
  • Form: Round
  • Zones: 8-10
  • Exposure: Full sun to partial sun
  • Soil: Well-drained

Many bushes growing in landscape.

Podocarpus: Podocarpus macrophyllus

  • Maintenance: Low
  • Form: Upright
  • Zones: 8-10
  • Exposure: Full sun
  • Soil: Well-drained

Tall bushes growing in landscape.

Sweet Olive: Osmanthus fragrans

Fragrant

  • Maintenance: Low
  • Form: Upright
  • Zones: 8-10
  • Exposure: Full to partial sun
  • Soil: Well-drained

Large bush growing amid trees.

Thuja: Thuja spp.

  • Maintenance: Low
  • Form: Round to upright
  • Zones: 2-8
  • Exposure: Full sun
  • Soil: Well-drained

Closeup of leaves on a bush.

Walter’s Viburnum: Viburnum obovatum

Native

  • Maintenance: Low
  • Form: Round
  • Zones: 7-10
  • Exposure: Full to partial sun
  • Soil: Well-drained

Large, bush tree growing in a landscaped area.

Wax Myrtle: Myrica cerifera

Native

  • Maintenance: Low
  • Form: Round
  • Zones: 7-10
  • Exposure: Full to partial sun
  • Soil: Well-drained to moist

A cluster of bushes growing.

Yellow Anise: Illicium parviflorum

Native

  • Maintenance: Low
  • Form: Round to upright
  • Zones: 6-9
  • Exposure: Full to partial sun
  • Soil: Well-drained to moist
8/2/2023 6:57:21 PM
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