Five evergreen plants for shade

Here are our top picks of stunning evergreen plants for shade.

Strawberry tree

Strawberry tree (Arbutus unedo) is a small, attractive evergreen tree, with bell-shaped flowers and pretty red fruits in autumn. As it grows, it often forms a beautiful multi-stemmed structure. Read our guide to trees for small gardens.

Japanese spurge

Pachysandra terminalis is a shade-loving perennial that can cope with dry shade, making it useful for creating a dense, evergreen carpet beneath trees and shrubs. It likes an acid soil, so is often paired with acid-loving rhododendrons. Shelter from cold winds.

Box

Box (Buxus sempervirens) is a bushy, upright shrub or small tree with small, glossy dark green leaves. It provides fantastic structure in the garden, clipped into balls or topiary shapes. It can also be grown as a low hedge, to edge a bed or border. Be sure to keep an eye out for box blight and box tree caterpillar.

Hebe

Hebes, or shrubby Veronicas, are compact shrubs that naturally grow in a rounded shape. They make a good alternative to box balls. Pollinators love the small flowers that are produced in early summer. Hebe pinguifolia 'Sutherlandii' and Hebe 'Green Globe' (pictured) are good choices.

Phillyrea

Phillyrea angustifolia is a robust plant that eventually grows into a large shrub. Like box, it makes great topiary and can be clipped to form hedges or topiary shapes. Grow in partial shade rather than full shade and be sure to carry out any pruning and clipping over summer, so new growth has time to harden off before winter.