From city to country, urban terraces to rural hillsides, these beauties bring added life to the winter landscape, providing color, shape, and texture, in addition to endless green and festive holiday flair.
YELLOW BERRY AMERICAN HOLLY
(Ilex opaca ‘Xanthocarpa’)
Zones: 5–9; height: 15 to 30 feet
This native holly features bright yellow berries that first appear in the fall. The ‘Canary’ cultivar fruits more heavily, but it needs to have a male holly nearby for optimal performance.
BLUE ATLAS CEDAR
(Cedrus atlantica ‘Glauca’)
Zones: 6–9; height: 40 to 60 feet
With its pretty blue needles, this conifer makes a dramatic specimen tree in a large landscape. The much smaller ‘Pendula’ cultivar, which can grow to 12 feet, is a nice potted option for Christmas that can be transplanted outdoors after the holiday is over.
BLUE HOLLY
(Ilex x meserveae ‘Blue Princess’)
Zones: 4–7; height: 10 to 15 feet
This cross, made in the 1950s by holly expert Kathleen Meserve of St. James, Long Island, is notable for its dark leaves, purple stems, greenish-white springtime flowers, and brilliant red berries in the fall. Like many hollies, this one needs her prince (Ilex x meserveae ‘Blue Prince’) to produce fruit.
ARBORVITAE
(Thuja occidentalis)
Zones: 2–7; height: 20 to 40 feet
Often used as a screening tree, this North American native is best in full sun. Many of its smaller cultivars are well suited for city terraces, as long as they receive sufficient moisture.
ALGERIAN IVY
(Hedera algeriensis)
Zones: 7–11; vine length: 20 to 40 feet
Particularly great in pots, Algerian ivy is a terrific alternative to common English ivy, which has become invasive in our region. The mottled white and green leaves bring light to any shady spot in the garden or terrace (the plant itself does need some sun), and they look lovely in holiday arrangements.
FALSE HOLLY
(Osmanthus heterophyllus ‘Rotundifolius’)
Zones: 7–9; height: 5 to 6 feet
This Osmanthus variety has rounded foliage, as opposed to the sharp prickly leaves of most other Osmanthus cultivars. Aside from being deer-resistant, it also features fairly inconspicuous, but delightfully fragrant, flowers in the fall.
TIPS
- Keep a live Christmas tree in your home for the shortest time possible and make sure it is sufficiently watered. It will thank you once you plant it.
- Evergreens can be planted in the winter, but be sure to protect them with mulch and water them well.
- Ivy roots easily. For a temporary houseplant, simply take a bunch of cuttings, put them in a cachepot or vase on a bookshelf, and keep them hydrated. Then, come spring, plant the rooted stems in your garden or terrace.
- If it weren’t for evergreens, winter landscapes would be exceedingly dull. Mix up your selection of trees and shrubs for an even more vibrant spectrum of greens.
