If you are looking for an evergreen tree for your garden, you will primarily find conifers. On the other hand, evergreen deciduous trees are mostly shrubs, although they are sometimes offered as half-stems or standard trees and are therefore trained as trees.
Which evergreen trees are suitable for the garden?
Evergreen trees for the garden can include Lawson's cypress, Hinoki cypress, common juniper, blue maiden pine, European yew, western arborvitae, winter oak, laurel cherry, winter privet or holly. Be careful: some are highly poisonous.
Lawson's Cypress (Chamaecyparis lawsoniana)
Lawson's false cypress is often planted as a hedge, but is also suitable for solitary and group planting. Instead of the actual species, we plant some of the extremely numerous varieties.
Hinoki Cypress (Chamaecyparis obtusa)
This tree, which is sacred in the Japanese Shinto religion, is rarely found here. However, there are some very interesting for the garden, mainly weak or dwarf varieties with different branch shapes and foliage colors.
Common juniper (Juniperus communis)
There are numerous varieties of the widespread juniper that can differ greatly in habit and color. The berry cones are an indispensable spice for sauerkraut, pickled cucumbers, fish and game dishes.
Blue Maiden Pine (Pinus parviflora 'Glauca')
This is a blue-needle form of the picturesque maiden pine. This tree, typical of Japanese gardens, only grows between five and ten meters high.
European Yew (Taxus baccata)
The yew is one of the oldest native trees. The loosely structured tree with the conical crown grows to a height of around 15 meters.
Occidental tree of life (Thuja occidentalis)
Thuja is primarily planted as a hedge, but it is actually a tree up to 20 meters high with a densely branched, conical crown.
Wintergreen oak (Quercus x turneri)
The up to 15 meter high, often short-stemmed tree develops a wide crown. The glossy dark green leaves often remain on the tree all winter. Fruit is rarely set. The wintergreen oak needs a mild, protected location.
Laurel cherry (Prunus laurocerasus)
The cherry laurel, often referred to as cherry laurel, is a shrub or small tree up to six meters high and equally wide. The plant is shade tolerant.
Wintergreen privet (Ligustrum ovalifolium)
In contrast to the deciduous common privet, the wintergreen privet retains its dense, shiny, dark green foliage in winter. The shrub, up to five meters high, also thrives in shady locations, and its large berries, which are poisonous to humans, are often eaten by birds.
Holly (Ilex aquifolium)
The native holly can be grown as a large, multi-stemmed shrub or as a small tree. The species can grow up to ten meters high and feels particularly comfortable in light to shady locations. The very similar Japanese holly (Ilex crenata) remains significantly smaller, averaging two to three meters tall.
Tip
Caution: Many of the evergreen trees are highly poisonous. The berries and leaves often contain toxins.
