15 Low Growing Evergreen Shrubs for Easy Care
Explore 15 low growing evergreen shrubs for easy care. Add greenery to your garden with these hardy, low-maintenance shrubs that stay lush year-round.
Looking to keep your garden green and gorgeous without the hassle? Low growing evergreen shrubs are the secret weapon every gardener needs. These shrubs stay vibrant all year, offer structure to your landscape, and require minimal maintenance—talk about a win-win! Whether you're a seasoned gardener or someone with a not-so-green thumb, these shrubs bring effortless charm to any space.
This guide dives into 15 low growing evergreen shrubs for easy care that will transform your garden without demanding much time or effort. Perfect for borders, foundation planting, or filling in bare spots, these shrubs do the heavy lifting while you sit back and enjoy the view. Ready to add some year-round greenery to your yard? Let’s get started!
1. Boxwood (Buxus)
Boxwood is a classic evergreen known for its dense, compact growth and easy maintenance, making it a popular choice for borders, hedges, and topiary. Its versatility allows it to add structure and definition to gardens, whether used to frame walkways, line garden beds, or form intricate shapes. Boxwood retains its vibrant green color year-round, providing consistent visual interest in every season. Occasional pruning helps maintain its neat appearance and encourages healthy growth, making it easy to keep in shape. Its slow growth rate means less frequent trimming, yet it responds well to detailed shaping for more formal designs. With its adaptability to various climates and soil types, boxwood is a reliable, elegant addition to any landscape.
2. Japanese Spurge (Pachysandra terminalis)
If you’re looking for a shade-loving ground cover, Japanese Spurge (Pachysandra terminalis) is an excellent choice. This evergreen shrub spreads quickly, forming a dense carpet of glossy, dark-green leaves that stay vibrant throughout the year. Its ability to thrive in low light makes it perfect for filling in the shadiest corners of your garden where other plants struggle. Japanese Spurge is low-maintenance, requiring minimal care once established, and it helps prevent soil erosion by covering bare patches. In spring, it produces small, white flowers that add subtle charm without overpowering other garden elements. Whether used under trees, along shaded borders, or in hard-to-plant areas, this elegant ground cover provides lasting greenery and texture all year round.
3. Dwarf Mugo Pine (Pinus mugo ‘Pumilio’)
The Dwarf Mugo Pine (Pinus mugo ‘Pumilio’) is an excellent choice for those seeking a low-maintenance evergreen with unique character. Known for its compact, rounded form and dense needle clusters, this hardy shrub adds year-round interest to landscapes. Its slow growth and natural shape require minimal pruning, making it an ideal addition to rock gardens, borders, or foundation plantings. Dwarf Mugo Pine thrives in well-drained soil and full sun, tolerating a variety of conditions, including drought and cold climates. Its rich green foliage provides texture and structure without overwhelming the space, blending seamlessly with other plants. With its resilience and easy upkeep, the Dwarf Mugo Pine brings lasting beauty and charm to any garden.
4. Wintercreeper (Euonymus fortunei)
Wintercreeper (Euonymus fortunei) is a hardy, versatile ground cover known for its ability to thrive in a variety of conditions, including poor soils, shade, and full sun. Its dense, spreading habit makes it an excellent choice for preventing soil erosion on slopes or in challenging areas. Wintercreeper maintains its vibrant green color throughout the year, adding visual interest even in the colder months when many plants go dormant. Some varieties also feature variegated leaves, offering additional texture and contrast in the garden. Once established, it requires minimal maintenance and is both drought-tolerant and pest-resistant. Whether used along borders, under trees, or to cover bare patches, Wintercreeper is a reliable, low-maintenance option for year-round greenery.
5. Heavenly Bamboo (Nandina domestica ‘Compacta’)
Heavenly Bamboo (Nandina domestica) adds vibrant, seasonal color to your garden with its striking fiery red foliage, especially in the fall and winter. This low-growing, ornamental shrub is known for its elegant, fern-like leaves that shift from green to shades of red, orange, and bronze as the seasons change. Clusters of small white flowers bloom in the spring, followed by bright red berries that persist through winter, adding further charm. Heavenly Bamboo thrives in both sun and partial shade and adapts well to various soil conditions. It’s easy to care for, requiring minimal pruning and low water needs once established. Whether used in borders, foundation plantings, or containers, this shrub brings year-round beauty and texture to any landscape.
6. Bearberry (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi)
Bearberry (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi) is a hardy, low-growing shrub that excels as a ground cover, spreading to form dense mats of evergreen foliage. In spring, it produces clusters of delicate white or pale pink flowers, adding a soft touch to the landscape. Come fall, bright red berries appear, offering a vibrant contrast to its glossy green leaves and providing food for birds and wildlife. The foliage can also take on a reddish-bronze hue in colder months, ensuring year-round visual appeal. Bearberry thrives in poor, sandy soils and prefers full sun to partial shade, making it ideal for slopes, rock gardens, or erosion control. This low-maintenance shrub is both drought-tolerant and pest-resistant, adding beauty and function to any garden.
7. Blue Star Juniper (Juniperus squamata ‘Blue Star’)
Blue Star Juniper (Juniperus squamata ‘Blue Star’) is a compact, evergreen shrub known for its striking silvery-blue foliage, which adds a refreshing pop of color to any landscape. This slow-growing plant has a dense, mounded form, making it ideal for rock gardens, borders, or foundation plantings. Its vibrant, needle-like leaves maintain their hue year-round, providing consistent beauty through every season. Blue Star Juniper thrives in full sun and well-drained soil, tolerating drought and harsh conditions once established. With minimal pruning needs and excellent pest resistance, it is exceptionally low-maintenance. Whether planted alone as a focal point or combined with other plants for texture, Blue Star Juniper brings elegance and easy-care charm to your outdoor space.
8. Sweetbox (Sarcococca hookeriana)
Sweetbox (Sarcococca) is a charming evergreen shrub that fills your garden with delightful fragrance from its small white blooms in late winter to early spring. Thriving in shaded areas, it’s an excellent choice for borders, under trees, or along pathways where other plants might struggle. Sweetbox features glossy, dark-green leaves that provide year-round interest, creating a lush backdrop even after its blooms fade. This low-maintenance shrub requires minimal care, tolerating various soil types and needing only occasional watering once established. Its compact size and tidy growth habit make it easy to manage, while its shade tolerance ensures versatility in planting. With its fragrant flowers and elegant foliage, Sweetbox adds subtle beauty and soothing scent to any garden.
9. Dwarf Yew (Taxus baccata ‘Repandens’)
Dwarf Yew (Taxus spp.) is a versatile evergreen shrub that thrives in shaded areas with well-drained soil, making it a reliable option for low hedges, foundation plantings, or borders. Its slow-growing nature means it requires minimal pruning to maintain its neat, compact shape, making it perfect for low-maintenance gardens. With soft, dark-green needles that stay vibrant throughout the year, Dwarf Yew adds year-round structure and elegance to any landscape. It is highly tolerant of varying conditions, including drought and cold, once established. Whether used as a subtle backdrop for more colorful plants or planted along walkways, Dwarf Yew offers understated beauty and longevity, fitting effortlessly into both formal and casual garden designs.
10. Rock Cotoneaster (Cotoneaster horizontalis)
Rock Cotoneaster (Cotoneaster horizontalis) is a hardy, low-growing shrub known for its cascading branches and vibrant red berries, which bring year-round interest to any garden. Its spreading, fan-like growth habit makes it an excellent choice for slopes, rock gardens, or retaining walls, where it creates a natural, flowing appearance. In spring, small pink or white flowers bloom, attracting pollinators, followed by bright red berries in fall that persist into winter, offering food for birds. The foliage turns shades of red and orange in autumn, adding seasonal color. Rock Cotoneaster thrives in full sun to partial shade and well-drained soil, requiring minimal maintenance. Its ability to control erosion while adding beauty makes it a practical and decorative landscaping option.
11. Creeping Mahonia (Mahonia repens)
Creeping Mahonia (Mahonia repens) is a low-growing evergreen shrub that brings year-round beauty with its deep green foliage and vibrant yellow blooms in spring. Ideal for woodland gardens, this shade-loving plant thrives in low-light areas where many others struggle. Its clusters of fragrant yellow flowers attract pollinators, while the foliage may develop purplish-bronze hues in cooler weather, adding seasonal interest. Creeping Mahonia is highly drought-tolerant and easy to maintain, making it perfect for borders, ground cover, or erosion control on slopes. In late summer, it produces blue-black berries that provide food for wildlife, enhancing biodiversity. With minimal care requirements, this versatile shrub offers both aesthetic appeal and functionality in shaded landscapes.
12. Japanese Holly (Ilex crenata)
Japanese Holly (Ilex crenata) offers the refined look of boxwood with smaller, glossy leaves, making it a popular choice for low hedges, borders, and foundation plantings. Its dense, compact growth provides structure and elegance to gardens, creating neat lines that are easy to maintain. Unlike some other hedging plants, Japanese Holly requires minimal pruning to retain its shape, making it ideal for low-maintenance landscapes. This evergreen shrub thrives in well-drained soil and can tolerate both full sun and partial shade, offering versatility for different garden settings. Resistant to pests and diseases, it stays vibrant year-round, adding greenery and texture even in winter. Whether lining walkways or framing garden beds, Japanese Holly brings timeless beauty to any outdoor space.
13. Spreading Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis ‘Prostratus’)
Spreading Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis ‘Prostratus’) is both a beautiful and practical addition to any garden. Known for its aromatic, needle-like foliage, this low-growing shrub not only adds texture and greenery to garden beds but also offers edible leaves for cooking. It thrives in sunny, well-drained spots, making it perfect for borders, rock gardens, or cascading over walls. In spring and summer, small blue flowers bloom, attracting bees and other pollinators. Spreading Rosemary is drought-tolerant once established, requiring minimal maintenance, and its evergreen nature ensures year-round appeal. Whether used for culinary purposes or purely decorative landscaping, this versatile plant enhances your garden with fragrance, beauty, and function, creating a sensory-rich environment that’s easy to care for.
14. Lavender Cotton (Santolina chamaecyparissus)
Lavender Cotton (Santolina chamaecyparissus) is a charming, drought-tolerant shrub known for its silvery-gray foliage and small, button-like yellow flowers that bloom in summer. This compact, evergreen plant adds texture and subtle color to gardens, making it a beautiful choice for borders, rock gardens, or low hedges. Its aromatic leaves release a pleasant scent when touched, adding sensory interest to outdoor spaces. Lavender Cotton thrives in sunny, well-drained locations and requires minimal maintenance, needing only occasional pruning to maintain its shape and encourage new growth. Resistant to pests and tolerant of dry conditions, it’s an excellent option for water-wise landscapes. With its unique foliage and cheerful blooms, Lavender Cotton brings year-round beauty and character to any garden.
15. Prostrate Ceanothus (Ceanothus thyrsiflorus var. repens)
Prostrate Ceanothus (Ceanothus gloriosus) is a low-growing evergreen shrub that brings vibrant blue blooms to gardens in the spring. Known for its ability to hug the ground, this plant spreads beautifully, making it ideal for ground cover in coastal landscapes. It thrives in sandy, well-drained soil and is highly tolerant of salty air, making it perfect for seaside gardens. In addition to its striking flowers, Prostrate Ceanothus features glossy green leaves that provide year-round greenery. Once established, it is drought-tolerant and requires minimal maintenance, making it an excellent choice for water-wise gardens. Whether used along slopes, pathways, or as a filler between larger shrubs, this versatile plant adds color, texture, and resilience to any outdoor space.
Conclusion
With these 15 low growing evergreen shrubs for easy care, your garden can stay lush and vibrant all year without demanding constant attention. Whether you need ground cover, low hedges, or colorful accents, these shrubs offer something for every landscape. From the silvery charm of Blue Star Juniper to the aromatic allure of Rosemary, these evergreens are perfect for anyone looking to create a beautiful, low-maintenance garden.
Read next: 15 Small Evergreen Shrubs for Year-Round Color
Frequently Asked Questions
1. How often should I water low-growing evergreen shrubs?
Most of these shrubs are drought-tolerant, but watering them deeply once a week helps them establish healthy roots.
2. Can I plant these shrubs in containers?
Yes! Many of these shrubs, like Japanese Holly and Spreading Rosemary, thrive in containers with proper drainage.
3. Do low-growing evergreen shrubs need pruning?
While most of these shrubs are low-maintenance, occasional pruning helps them maintain their shape and health.
4. What’s the best time to plant evergreen shrubs?
Fall and early spring are ideal for planting, giving the shrubs time to establish roots before extreme weather hits.
5. Are all these shrubs suitable for cold climates?
Some shrubs, like Blue Star Juniper and Boxwood, are highly tolerant of cold climates, while others may prefer milder conditions.
