Low-Maintenance Evergreen Shrubs
Evergreen shrubs form a framework for a garden, offering year-round structure, subtle colour, and seasonal interest. The varieties below are chosen for being truly low maintenance — minimal pruning, resilient in varied soils and climate, and easy to establish.
Top tips: Before buying evergreen shrubs for your garden, consider:
Check its hardy rating. Most evergreen shrubs are fully hardy. For example, Euonymus is H5 hardy, which is ideal around the UK compared with another popular shrub, Ceanothus, which is H3/H4 hardy and so not suitable for all gardens. Shrubs are expensive; if your garden is in a colder, wetter part of the country, you will need to pick the hardiest of shrubs.
A size check. With all shrubs, there is a significant variation in size, even within the same group of shrubs; size can vary from under 1 meter to 4+M, and it all depends on space.
Do you want flowers? Many evergreens have excellent foliage, such as Euonymus and Hollies; others are grown for their flowers, Ceanothus, and Choisya, with lovely creamy white flowers which are sweetly scented.
Do you want to attract birds? All shrubs are of interest to our garden birds, for shelter, nesting and food. But some shrubs are more friendly than others. See my dedicated page bird friendly shrubs.
Do you need cover and privacy quickly? The Sunday Gardener has 10 fast-growing shrubs to check out for your garden.
Is your property on a main road are you concerned about pollution? Scientific research by the RHS has proven that some shrubs are good at absorbing pollutants.
Looking to buy evergreen shrubs? Suttons have over 800 varieties of evergreen shrub offered for sale online- including all the shrubs listed below- take a browse.
Top tips:
It is essential to water all shrubs regularly for several weeks after planting until they establish. The single biggest cause of shrubs failing in the first year is lack of water. Many gardeners plant shrubs in the Autumn to take advantage of the extra autumnal rains.
Check out frost hardy ratings, what they mean for you and your garden.
The Best Easy to Grow Low maintenance Evergreen Shrubs
A Green wheelbarrow symbolising easy-to-grow shrubs
Euonymus
Most (but not all) Euonymus are evergreen, and their bright foliage can lift a gloomy corner of the garden.
Key facts:
Height: 60 cm – 2 m
Soil: Well-drained, tolerates poor soils
Light: Full sun to partial shade
Maintenance: Minimal pruning; hardy year-round
Special feature: Evergreen ground cover or wall climber
Link to full guide:
A full guide to growing Euonymus fortunei →
Cistus
Cistus, common name Rock Rose, is a small to medium-sized evergreen shrub.
Key facts:
Height:1m
Soil: well-drained, no winter wet
Light: Full sun, 6 hours daily
Maintenance: easy to gro,w hardy on free draining soil
Special features: May be semi-evergreen in colder areas, summer flowering.
Garrya elliptica
Because it has lovely long tassels in winter, people also know this shrub as the silk tassel bush
Key facts:
Height 2-3m
soil: Well-drained, tolerates salt, suitable for coastal gardens
Light: Full sun to partial shade
Maintenance: Minimal pruning, easy to grow, hardy all year round
Special features:
The pictured Garrya was thriving even in a chilly car park in northern England — impressive for a plant from milder climates. Still, in your garden, plant it with some protection from biting winds.
Garrya elliptica as the Silk Tassel bush- full growing guide
Holly
Ilex aquifolium, common name Holly, is another bright evergreen with the additional benefit of berries.
Key Facts:
Height: Anything up to 15m, depending on variety.
Soil: any provided it's not waterlogged.
Light: Full sun to partial shade
Maintenance: minimal pruning and fully hardy
Special features: Holly is slow-growing, and you need a mix of male and female, and the names are confusing. Liked by birds for the berries-
Rhododendron
Rhododendrons are low-maintenance, mostly evergreen and have bright, strongly coloured flowers.
Key Facts:
Height: from 40 cms to 6m
Soil: It is essential to grow in ericaceous (acid) soil.
Light: Some Rhododendrons will grow in full sun, many are best in dappled shade.
Maintenance: minimal pruning and fully hardy
Special features: Rhododendrons will respond well to a hard prune if they do outgrow their space.
link to full growing guide Tips about planting and growing Rhododendrons.
Choisya
Choisya is a great garden shrub. It is easy to grow, evergreen with glossy leaves and lots of sweetly scented flowers in late spring and early summer.
Key facts:
Height:1.5-2.5m
Soil: No preference
Light: Best full sun, but will tolerate semi-shade
Maintenance: minimal pruning and fully hardy
Special features: lovely scented blooms in spring and sometimes a second flush in late summer.
Ceanonthus
Ceanothus is evergreen, producing a cloud of blue flowers in the spring, attractive to bees.
Key facts:
Height: Variable .5m-4m
Soil: well-drained, no winter wet
Light: Best in a sunny spot 6 hours a day
Maintenance: minimal pruning fully hardy, easy to grow
Special features: Quick-growing, short-lived shrub, around 10-15 years, the flowers are attractive to bees, and, although hardy, the shrub needs to be planted away from cold winds.
Escallonia
Escallonia has glossy evergreen leaves and attractive flowers in the late spring and early summer.
Key facts:
Height:1-3m
Light: Full sun
Soil: Any
Maintenance: minimal pruning and easy to grow
Special features: can be grown as a hedge. Not all varieties are fully hardy E. donard seedling is the most hardy. Flowers are attractive to bees
Heavenly Bamboo
Heavenly Bamboo, name Nandina domestica is not a bamboo at all but a lovely, well-behaved evergreen shrub.
Key facts:
Height .5m to 1.5m
Light: full sun or light shade
Soil: Average well well-drained is best
Maintenance: minimal pruning, fully hardy
Special features: drought-resistant, delicate arching habit with white flowers in spring and autumn berries
Viburnum tinus
Many Viburnums are deciduous, but there are two easy-to-grow evergreen varieties are V. tinus, and davidii.
Key Facts:
Height: Evergreens are large shrubs up to 1.5m
Light: sun to shade, but it will flower best with some sun
Soil: Any except very dry
Maintenance: minimal pruning, tough, fully hardy
Special features: easy to grow, resilient shrub with lovely white flowers in spring.
Mahonia
A tough shrub ideal for growing in difficult places.
Key facts:
Height: from M.repens 1m to M. Charity 2m.
Light: Prefers shade/dappled shade, tolerates sun if soil is moist.
Soil: Any, tolerant of poor soil.
Maintenance: very hardy, minimal pruning.
Special features: has spikey foliage, sometimes planted on boundaries. Yellow flowers in the winter, with some scented varieties.
Sarcococca hookeriana
Sarcococca hookeriana is a small evergreen winter-flowering shrub.
Key Facts:
Height: less than 1m
Light: tolerates full shade
Soil: Any, will tolerate dry shade once established
Maintenance: tough, easy to grow, fully hardy, no pruning required
Special features: winter flowers are highly scented, common name is sweet box
Pittosporum
Pittosporum is a slightly tender evergreen shrub.
Key Facts
Height:2-6m
Light: sun to light shade
Soil:Any
Maintenance: Easy to grow, minimal pruning, but note not all varieties are fully hardy
Special features: Many Pittosporums have delicate, variegated leaves and form a neat compact shrub.
Pyracantha
Pyracantha is an evergreen shrub, with an arching habit.
Key Facts:
Height: up to 4m, depending on variety
Light :Sun or partial shade
Soil :any, including dry soil and clay
Maintenance: A tough, grow anywhere shrub with minimal pruning and fully hardy
Special features: Lovely white flowers in spring followed by bright berries, usually orange or red, in late summer and autumn. Attractive to birds.
Pieris Japonica
Pieris japonica is a shrub with a strong spring colour.
Key Facts:
Height: up to 4,m, depending on variety.
Light: Best in partial shade
Soil: requires ericaceous soil
Maintenance: easy to grow, fully hardy.
Special features: Spring growth emerges bright red, which fades over the spring months, followed by white flowers.
Link to full growing guide, good varieties to grow and images
Osmanthus heterophyllus
This is just one in the Osmanthus genus and is also known as false holly.
Key Facts:
Height: up to 2m
Light: Full sun or partial shade
Soil: Any
Maintenance: easy to grow, fully hardy
Special features: Slow growing, with small white fragrant flowers in late summer/early autumn,
Photinia Red Robin
Photinia 'Red Robin' has bright red growth in the spring, followed by white flowers and berries.
Key Facts:
Height: 3-4.5m
Light: Sun for best foliage colour.
Soil: Any except heavy clay
Maintenance: easy to grow, fully hardy, minimal pruning.
Special features:
P. Red Robin can be grown as a hedge and a standard, as it responds well to clipping.