The following article will highlight some of the best evergreen shrubs for the front of your home. You’ll learn about Fire Power Nandina, Yucca, Black spruce, and Soft Caress Mahonia. We’ll also explore other types of evergreen shrubs and their unique characteristics. If you’re ready to plant your very own evergreen garden, read on to learn about these beautiful trees.
Soft Caress Mahonia
When choosing soft caress for your front yard, there are a few important factors to consider. Mahonia eurybracteata is the special cultivar, which produces shoots directly from its crown root. It is best to divide the plant when the new shoots appear, in early spring. You can then transplant the cuttings into containers and planters. The plant looks great in pots and planters, and is a great addition to terraces or decks.
In the early 1900’s, ‘Soft Caress Mahonia’ was first described as a species. The plant was selected by horticulturalist Ozzie Johnson, who spent 30 years travelling around the world collecting unique seeds. The plant was crowned Plant of the Year and won the first prize in the 2013 Chelsea Flower Show. Ozzie Johnson, who had spent 30 years collecting the rare seeds of these plants, also developed a mobile solution called PlantTAGG, a device that blends in with the Master Gardener program mission of providing research-based horticultural information.
The soft caress Mahonia has bold racemes of yellow flowers that bloom in late fall. The leaves are narrow, pinnately compound and attractive, and turn a brilliant purple in the fall. The foliage is attractive to birds and bees and has dark purple berries. This plant grows moderately and rarely exceeds one yard. Mahonia ‘Soft Caress’ grows at a medium rate and can live for 20 years under ideal conditions.
The ‘Soft Caress’ Mahonia is a low climber that is thornless and feathery. The foliage is dense and shiny, adding year-round interest to a front yard. Mahonia has won Plant of the Year at the Chelsea Flower Show, and is a hardy evergreen with compact foliage. It is also fragrant. It will look gorgeous in containers. These perennials are perfect for front yard landscaping.
Fire Power Nandina
With fern-like foliage and a bamboo-like stem, Fire Power Nandina evergreen shrubs add dramatic color to your front yard. This shrub starts with a bright lime green foliage in the spring, transitions to brilliant red foliage in the fall, and retains color throughout the winter. Its foliage is low-maintenance and requires little to no pruning. Read on for more about these striking evergreen shrubs.
The Firepower Nandina evergreen shrub is low-maintenance and drought-tolerant when mature. However, it needs fertilizer twice a year. Although the plant will grow better in full sunlight, it also needs a little shade in the afternoon, even in zone 9. Its annual growth rate is only a few inches, so you can expect it to grow quickly once it is established. A mature specimen will grow to be about 24 inches tall and 30 inches wide.
‘Firepower’ nandina is a selection of Nandina domestica, an evergreen that has no significant invasiveness. Its foliage will change color from green in summer to yellow or reddish-red in winter. This evergreen shrub grows rapidly and can be used in a variety of landscape settings, including as a foundation plant, ground cover, and edging plant.
The Firepower Nandina will add an interesting look to the front yard. Its growth habit is similar to that of bamboo, but is a bit different. The Nandina is considered low-toxic by some. The berries, however, are problematic for humans and animals. If you’re new to gardening, Firepower Nandina is an excellent choice. However, keep in mind that you need to plant them 30 inches away from the house to prevent them from blocking the path.
Fire Power Nandina is one of the easiest evergreen shrubs to grow in your front yard. Despite its low-maintenance nature, it can be combined with other species of evergreen shrubs for a colorful, lush planting bed. Newer compact nandina cultivars are a great way to add color and texture to the midground. Their bright color contrasts well against dark green foliage. To complete the planting, you can add flowering perennials and a colorful shrub.
Black spruce
A classic, black spruce tree will complement your home’s exterior and give it a traditional appearance. Its foliage is densely packed with blue needles and it is a deer-resistant dwarf evergreen. It is a fast-growing evergreen that does best in full sun or partial shade. Its rounded shape makes it a great choice for small yards.
A dense, multi-stemmed black spruce will add a distinctive, dramatic look to any front yard. Its foliage is brilliant silver blue, making it a prized choice for front-yard landscaping. When mature, the plant grows to be up to 30 ft. tall and four feet wide. It requires little maintenance, but it does become a bit gnarly after a couple of years.
Another choice for front-yard landscaping is the Anglo-Japanese yew. This deciduous evergreen shrub is a low-growing, semi-dwarf with glossy green needle-like leaves. It grows best in a sunny spot. This evergreen tree is deer resistant, drought-resistant, and hardy in zones six to nine. Its low-growing habit and glossy-green foliage make it a perfect foundation plant.
The dwarf mugo pine is a compact, columnar-shaped dwarf variety of the Japanese black pine. It grows up to eight feet tall and two feet wide. Its needles are long and blue and it has excellent winter hardiness. Its branches grow slowly and compactly, and it requires minimal pruning to maintain its size. It is also drought-resistant and extremely tolerant of pollution.
A classic evergreen for the front of a home, mountain laurel has pink buds in spring. In the summer, the flowers open to white cups. Mountain laurel grows from five to eight feet tall. It tolerates light shade. It can also be grown in a shaded location. Mountain laurel also comes in a bicolor variety and double or even triple blooms.
This medium-sized tree is native to western North America. Its scientific name is Picea Pungens, but other common names include Colorado blue spruce and silver fir. Its foliage remains green year-round, whereas deciduous trees lose their leaves during the winter and dry season. In fact, the best evergreen shrubs for the front of house are the ones with the thickest foliage.
Yucca
If you’re looking for a unique and hardy plant for your front yard, consider the Yucca. This evergreen shrub has thick, sharp leaves and is resistant to nearly everything. Yucca is also great for warmer climates. It’s a good choice for a foundation plant, growing three to four feet tall and five to six feet wide. Its foliage will remain dense and green all winter, but it will blossom into gorgeous white flowers in spring.
Evergreen shrubs will keep your front yard beautiful year-round. This type of shrub will provide colorful foliage for many seasons. These plants also need a low amount of maintenance. You should consider their mature size and their growth rate. Some shrubs grow more slowly than others. Another consideration is their space and yard size. You don’t want to choose something that will take away from the beauty of your home.
While the foliage of Yuccas is often referred to as spine-free, it is important to remember that they need well-drained soil. If they get too much water, they will rot. They’re also good choices for container gardens. They’re also easily transported indoors for the winter, making them a versatile choice. You may even be able to bring the exotic varieties indoors for the winter.
The Mugo Pine is a good choice for small landscapes and rock gardens. They are also slow-growing, which makes them an excellent choice for a background color. You can choose a dwarf variety of this shrub to reduce its size. It’ll reach a height of four feet and spread to about 10 feet. The plant is hardy in zones two to eight. The cones of the mugos are two inches long and dark brown.
Another plant to consider for the front yard is Boxwood. Boxwood is easy to grow and tends to keep an attractive uniform growth pattern. As with the other evergreen shrubs, Boxwood is great for the front yard. It’s hardy and low-maintenance, making it a great choice for any home. In fact, it has numerous benefits. The boxwood is the perfect choice for a front yard.