California Lilac
Ceanothus thyrsiflorus
Carries the planting through winter with leaves intact, for sand, rocky, and loam ground and electric blue flowers.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 6–20 ft
- Blooms Mar–May
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Collection
Native Evergreen Plants
Native shrubs, groundcovers, and ferns that hold their leaves through winter for year-round green, screening, and cover.
Tip: open your state below for the version of this list filtered to plants native to your region and hardy in your zone.
The plants
12 native species in this collection.
Evergreen natives carry the garden through the bare months, giving structure, privacy, and winter shelter for birds when the deciduous plants have dropped their leaves. Site broadleaf evergreens out of harsh winter wind and afternoon sun to prevent leaf scorch, and water them deeply going into a dry fall so they enter winter fully charged.
Apache Plume
Fallugia paradoxa
Holds its leaves through winter for year-round green and cover, cold-hardy to zone 5 and white roses, pink plumes flowers.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 3–6 ft
- Blooms Apr–Sep
Autumn Sage
Salvia greggii
Green in January as in July, for screening and winter cover — red, pink, or coral flowers and happy in sand, rocky, and loam soil.
- Full–part sun
- Dry
- 2–3 ft
- Blooms Apr–Oct
Crossvine
Bignonia capreolata
Year-round foliage for privacy and shelter when the rest of the garden sleeps, 25–50 ft tall and hardy in zones 6–9.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 25–50 ft
- Blooms Apr–May
Foamflower
Tiarella cordifolia
Holds its leaves through winter for year-round green and cover, 1–2 ft wide and foamy white flowers.
- Part shade
- Average
- 6–12 in
- Blooms Apr–May
Hairy Manzanita
Arctostaphylos columbiana
Doesn't drop its leaves — winter green, cover for birds, and structure, 4–8 ft wide and reaching 3–9 ft.
- Full–part sun
- Dry
- 3–9 ft
- Blooms Mar–May
Oregon Grape
Berberis aquifolium
Holds its leaves through winter for year-round green and cover, bright yellow flowers and good through zone 9.
- Sun to shade
- Dry–average
- 3–6 ft
- Blooms Mar–Apr
Bearberry
Arctostaphylos uva-ursi
An evergreen anchor that never goes bare, 3–6 ft wide and cold-hardy to zone 2.
- Full–part sun
- Dry
- 4–8 in
- Blooms Apr–May
Creeping Phlox
Phlox subulata
Keeps its foliage all winter for cover when the deciduous plants are bare, for sand, rocky, and loam ground and good through zone 9.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 4–8 in
- Blooms Apr–May
Inkberry Holly
Ilex glabra
Keeps its foliage all winter for cover when the deciduous plants are bare, good through zone 9 and inconspicuous flowers.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 4–8 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
Toyon
Heteromeles arbutifolia
Doesn't drop its leaves — winter green, cover for birds, and structure, cold-hardy to zone 7 and reaching 8–15 ft.
- Full–part sun
- Dry
- 8–15 ft
- Blooms Jun–Jul
Christmas Fern
Polystichum acrostichoides
Holds its leaves through winter for year-round green and cover, 1.5–2.5 ft wide and cold-hardy to zone 3.
- Part shade
- Dry–average
- 1–2 ft
- Evergreen
Browse by state
Evergreen, near you.
Native ranges differ across the country — open your state for the list that actually applies to your yard.
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Sourcing
Where to find evergreen plants
Seeds & live plants on Amazon
Seed packets, plugs, and starter plants for many of these species ship to your door.
Browse on AmazonSome links here are affiliate links — we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. The surest source of locally-adapted stock is a native-plant nursery or a native plant society sale in your area.