The Best Native Shrubs for Year-Round Interest and Seasonal Color
Native shrubs offer some of the most reliable, low maintenance, and ecologically beneficial options ...
Do you have something to hide? Perhaps a fence you’d rather not draw attention to, or an air conditioning unit you wish would blend into the background? A native evergreen may be just what you need!
Now that leaf season has come and gone, most deciduous trees and shrubs have shed their foliage, revealing things we’d often prefer to keep hidden. This includes AC units, rain barrels, utility boxes, neighboring roads, or even a less-than-lovely fence or yard. Fortunately, this time of year is perfect for planning how to enhance your landscape’s year-round beauty and function.
The right native evergreen trees and shrubs can do double or even triple duty. Beyond screening unsightly views, evergreens help reduce stormwater runoff, shade your home, and provide valuable food and shelter for local wildlife, especially for overwintering birds.
If you’re looking for tall plants that offer four-season interest and natural privacy, consider:
American Holly (Ilex opaca)
Atlantic White Cedar (Chamaecyparis thyoides)
Native Pines (Pinus spp.)
For shorter screening or foundation plantings, try:
Inkberry (Ilex glabra) — particularly the compact cultivar ‘Shamrock’
Southern Bayberry (Morella cerifera) — a taller shrub that produces berries loved by Cedar Waxwings and other native birds
These native evergreen plants are ideal for landscape privacy while supporting biodiversity in Mid-Atlantic gardens.
You can plant native trees and shrubs well into winter—as long as the ground isn’t frozen. The cooler temperatures and increased rainfall reduce transplant stress, making this one of the best times to establish evergreens.
So why not give a gift that lasts? Whether for yourself or a fellow gardener, browse the Direct Native Plants website to discover a curated selection of native evergreen plants perfect for winter landscaping. Once delivered to your home, you’ll have a beautiful, beneficial gift that provides year-round value—and hides exactly what you want hidden.
Alison Milligan Maryland Mstr. Gardener/Mstr. Naturalist/Mstr. Watershed Steward Chesapeake Bay Landscape Professional (CBLP) Alison Milligan is a full-time volunteer who dedicates her time to educating and engaging with residents and communities across Maryland. She helps them to create beautiful landscapes, protect our waterways and create habitat for local fauna using native plants.
