In winter, most plants have lost their green. Wherever the eye looks, there are only shades of gray. By planting evergreen shrubs, you can also create relaxing splashes of green color in the cold season, which set beautiful accents in the garden and still provide privacy and wind protection.

Evergreen trees ensure green in the garden - even in winter

What are evergreen trees?

Evergreen plants keep their leaves or needles all year round, rather than shedding them in the fall and re-sprouting in the spring. A distinction must be made between so-called evergreen trees, whose leaves dry up in autumn but remain on the tree as frost protection and are often only completely shed in spring. But even evergreen trees shed their leaves or needles from time to time, namely when they have reached a certain age. This is usually the case after about three to five years, but varies depending on the type and variety. The variety of evergreen trees and shrubs is very large, with both coniferous and deciduous trees for the garden.

Evergreen hardy deciduous trees

Although there are many evergreen deciduous trees, there are no hardy deciduous trees in this country. Instead, it is mostly shrubs, which, however - depending on the species and variety - are grafted onto a half-stem or standard and are thus raised to become a small tree. These include the Portuguese laurel (Prunus lusitanica), the common box (Buxus), which is native to us, as well as the holly (Ilex) and the ivy (Hedera). The species mentioned are generally very tolerant of pruning and are therefore also suitable for hedges.

Evergreen conifers

On the other hand, if you are looking for a real, evergreen tree, you will find it among the conifers. These can create wonderful effects in the garden, for example through bizarre growth, an unusual needle color or bright red fruit decoration. Conifers come in a variety of sizes, making them suitable for both small and large gardens. Most species are quite undemanding in terms of their location and easy to care for. The most beautiful hardy conifers include the following:

  • silver fir (Abies alba)
  • Norway spruce (Picea abies)
  • Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris)
  • Yew (Taxus baccata)
  • Occidental tree of life (Thuja occidentalis)
  • Common juniper (Juniperus communis)
  • Lawson's cypress (Chamaecyparis lawsoniana)
  • Hinoki cypress (Chamaecyparis obtusa)

Evergreen rhododendrons

Many rhododendrons - not trees, but large shrubs - are evergreen and also inspire with a lush flower decoration in spring. Evergreen species suitable for the garden are, for example

  • Beautiful rhododendron (Rhododendron calophytum)
  • Fortune's Rhododendron (Rhododendron fortunei)
  • Excellent Rhododendron (Rhododendron insigne)
  • Ward's rhododendron (Rhododendron wardii)

Rhododendrons do best in acidic soil with a pH between 4.5 and 5. Most garden soils need to be patched with peat or rhododendron soil before planting.

tips

Evergreen plants still need water in winter. It is therefore advisable to water them from time to time, provided the ground is frost-free. This is particularly useful when the winter is rather dry and the plants are already letting their leaves droop.

Category:

Trees