Landscaping borders serve as a functional yet aesthetic barrier for your backyard or garden. And when it comes to border landscaping, low growing evergreen shrubs can be a real game-changer. These hardy, year-round plants add charm and structure to a landscape, creating seamless transitions between different garden elements. Here, we explore a collection of 14 low-growing evergreen shrubs that make perfect candidates for your border landscaping project.
Dwarf English Boxwood (Buxus sempervirens ‘Suffruticosa’)
Buxus sempervirens ‘Suffruticosa’, commonly known as the Dwarf English Boxwood, is a compact variety particularly suited for border landscaping. This evergreen stands up to 3 feet tall with a similar spread, featuring dense foliage and a slow growth habit. Utilize these shrubs for low hedges or driveway borders, creating a formal and elegant aesthetic.
Here are some care tips:
- Sunlight: Prefers partial to full sun.
- Soil: Thrives in well-drained soil.
- Watering: Moderate watering needs.
- Pruning: Requires consistent pruning to maintain shape.
Prostrate Japanese Yew (Taxus cuspidata ‘Prostrata’)
The Prostrate Japanese Yew is a low-spreading yew variety known for its versatility and adaptability. This dense foliaged shrub grows up to 3 feet tall and up to 6 feet wide, making it a great choice for garden borders and accent planting.
Caring for the Prostrate Japanese Yew:
- Sunlight: Adaptable to full sun or partial shade.
- Soil: Prefers well-drained, moist soil.
- Watering: Regular, but minimal watering necessary.
- Pruning: Prune to maintain shape and size.
Blue Star Juniper (Juniperus squamata ‘Blue Star’)
Offering a unique color variation, the Blue Star Juniper is a low-lying shrub known for its star-shaped, silver-blue foliage. Rarely growing taller than 1 foot, but spreading up to 3 feet wide, this plant adds a splash of cool hue to your border landscape.
Here are some pointers for Blue Star Juniper care:
- Sunlight: Full sun exposure leads to the best color.
- Soil: Tolerates a range of soil types but prefers well-drained soil.
- Watering: Low watering needs but requires more in periods of drought.
- Pruning: Minimal pruning needed, only to shape as desired.
Creeping Wintergreen (Gaultheria procumbens)
This dense, low-growing shrub is not only ornamental but also aromatic. The Creeping Wintergreen, named for its creeping growth habit, blooms with tiny bell-shaped flowers in summer followed by red berries in winter, creating year-round interest in a garden border.
Caring for the Creeping Wintergreen:
- Sunlight: Best in partial to full shade.
- Soil: Prefers acidic, well-drained soil.
- Watering: Moderate to high watering needs.
- Pruning: Little to no pruning required.
Cotoneaster Dammeri (Cotoneaster dammeri)
Cotoneaster Dammeri, also known as Bearberry Cotoneaster, is a fast-growing ground cover shrub. With glossy green leaves, this plant also boasts tiny white flowers in spring and red berries come winter, ensuring it remains attractive year-round.
Here’s how to care for the Cotoneaster Dammeri:
- Sunlight: Enjoys sunlight but can tolerate partial shade.
- Soil: Adaptable to various soil conditions but prefers well-drained soil.
- Watering: Regular watering as needed.
- Pruning: Prune in early spring to maintain shape and control growth.
By mixing and matching these evergreen shrubs, you can create a diverse, lively border that’s distinctive and dynamic — a cornerstone of any thriving garden.
Dwarf Calico Bush (Kalmia latifolia ‘Elf’)
The Dwarf Calico Bush is a compact shrub with a height and spread of 2 to 3 feet. This low maintenance plant exhibits an enchanting bloom of pink flowers in spring, adding a blush of color to the border of your landscape.
Key Care Instructions:
- Sunlight: Grows well in full sun to partial shade.
- Soil: Prefers acidic, well-drained soil.
- Watering: Moderate watering, keep the soil moist but not waterlogged.
- Pruning: Prune after blooming to maintain compact growth.
Sweet Woodruff (Galium odoratum)
Sweet Woodruff is a low-growing herbaceous perennial, which effectively fills in gaps between shrubs with its glossy foliage. Come May, it showcases tiny white flowers, adding to the serene beauty of the landscape.
Essential Note for Care:
- Sunlight: Prefers part shade to full shade.
- Soil: Enjoys fertile, well-drained soil.
- Watering: Regular watering routine, ensure the soil remains moist.
- Pruning: Not necessary, but you can trim to maintain shape if needed.
Snow-In-Summer (Cerastium tomentosum)
The drought-tolerant Snow-In-Summer boasts silver-grey leaves and white flowers, making it an ideal pick to add contrast and texture to your landscape. This user-friendly plant spreads fast, providing a carpet-like mat along the edge of your garden.
Caring for Snow-In-Summer:
- Sunlight: Full sun.
- Soil: Adaptable to different types of soil, including poor and sandy ones.
- Watering: Drought-tolerant, low watering needs.
- Pruning: Enhance its next bloom by cutting back spent flowers.
Bunchberry Dogwood (Cornus canadensis)
With a maximum height of 9 inches, the Bunchberry Dogwood is perfect for underplanting and ground cover. This low-growing shrub displays tiny white or pink flowers in summer and scarlet berries in the fall, adding multiseasonal interest.
Tips for Bunchberry Dogwood Maintenance:
- Sunlight: Full to partial shade.
- Soil: Well-drained, acidic to neutral soil.
- Watering: Keep the soil consistently moist.
- Pruning: No pruning required.
Spreading Myrtle (Vinca minor)
The hearty and adaptable Spreading Myrtle is an evergreen ground cover featuring glossy leaves and periwinkle flowers. This plant is often used for erosion control, due to its spread and ease of growth.
Caring for Spreading Myrtle:
- Sunlight: Partial to full shade.
- Soil: Not very picky, grows well in average soil.
- Watering: Moderate watering requirements.
- Pruning: Prune in fall or early spring to control spread and invigorate growth.
Lilyturf (Liriope spicata)
Known for its delightful spikes of lavender flowers in late summer, Lilyturf makes a stunning addition to the landscape. With a maximal height and spread of 1 foot and 2 feet, respectively, it allows for excellent ground cover.
Lilyturf Maintenance Tips:
- Sunlight: Tolerates a range of light conditions, from full sun to shade.
- Soil: Well-drained soil.
- Watering: Drought-resistant, but prefers a moderate watering schedule.
- Pruning: Cut back foliage in early spring to stimulate new growth.
Wintercreeper (Euonymus fortunei)
Wintercreeper is a versatile evergreen that impresses with its fast spread, climbing habit, and vibrant variegated leaves. Whether you’re looking to cover ground or add to the height of your border, this plant is adaptable to your needs.
Caring for Wintercreeper:
- Sunlight: Part shade to full sun.
- Soil: Tolerates a wide range of soil conditions.
- Watering: Moderate watering needs.
- Pruning: Prune as required to control spread and size.
Russian Arborvitae (Microbiota decussata)
Add intrigue to your garden with Russian Arborvitae, a low-maintenance, durable shrub known for its feathery, fern-like foliage. This sprawling plant is ideal for covering ground and adding texture to your border.
How to Nurture Russian Arborvitae:
- Sunlight: Full to partial sun.
- Soil: Prefers sandy, well-drained soil.
- Watering: Regular watering till established; drought-tolerant afterward.
- Pruning: Minimal, primarily to control size if needed.
Bearberry (Bearberry (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi)
The Bearberry boasts leathery leaves and small, bell-shaped flowers, turning your garden into a picturesque landscape. Furthermore, it is particularly useful in preventing soil erosion, making it a practical and attractive choice for border landscaping.
Taking Care of Bearberry:
- Sunlight: Full sun to light shade.
- Soil: Prefers acid, sandy, well-drained soil.
- Watering: Regular watering, especially in dry summers.
- Pruning: Prune to control spread if necessary.
Key Takeaway:
- Low-growing evergreen shrubs provide a functional and aesthetic touch to border landscaping.
- Variety in shrub choices, such as the Dwarf English Boxwood and the Spreading Myrtle, adds diversity and visual interest to the garden.
- Successful landscape cultivation requires understanding each plant’s specific need for sunlight, soil type, watering, and pruning.
- The choice of shrub can depend on the gardener’s need, such as ground cover, preventing soil erosion, or introducing vibrant foliage to the landscape.
Gardening is the slowest of the fine arts, but the results of patience and careful cultivation are an enchanting, blossoming setting that you’ll love to call your own. These low-growing evergreen shrubs, with their unique qualities and varying requirements, can make your garden a vibrant, living work of art, thriving throughout the year. Happy gardening!
FAQs
Q: How do I control the spread of my low-growing shrubs?
A: Prune your shrubs regularly to maintain their shape and control their spread. However, keep in mind that pruning needs can vary from shrub to shrub.
Q: What should I do if my shrub isn’t blooming as well as I’d hoped?
A: Check that you’re adhering correctly to its specific care instructions. The plant might need more sunlight, different soil, more frequent watering, or less aggressive pruning.
Q: Can I plant different kinds of low growing evergreens together in my border?
A: Absolutely! In fact, mixing and matching can add variety, texture, and color to your border landscape. Just make sure their care requirements are compatible.
Q: What if my yard doesn’t get much sunlight, can I still use these shrubs for my border?
A: Yes, many low-growing evergreens like the Spreading Myrtle thrive in partial to full shade. You just need to choose the right plants for your specific conditions.
Q: Do these shrubs attract any specific wildlife to my garden?
A: Some shrubs may attract certain types of birds or beneficial insects due to their flowers or fruits. For example, bearberry (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi) typically attracts bees and butterflies.
We hope you found this guide helpful. Don’t forget to share the article and explore more posts on our website. Happy gardening!
