Evergreen Trees

Evergreen Trees: Native Perennial Highlights 

Did you know that evergreen trees are like nature’s soldiers, standing tall and strong 365 days a year, guarding the landscape with their year-round structure, green foliage, and wildlife benefits? Evergreens provide stability, texture, and contrast to the backyard as our deciduous trees cycle through their colorful costumes each season. These woody plants offer versatility to any garden and truly shine when they are native species in our local environments.

Evergreen trees are always one of the foundation plants in my native plant designs. Let me tell you why, and share my top native evergreen trees for landscaping.

Native Evergreen Trees: Seasonal Heroes 

Native evergreen trees are my go-to choices when landscaping because they’re locally adapted to our soil and climate, offer year-round structure and wildlife benefits, and usually require less maintenance than their imported exotics. For example, the Eastern Red Cedar (Juniperus virginiana) is a native evergreen tree in most of the eastern United States. They’re a conifer, so they add the needles and “evergreen” to the forests all around us! Eastern Red Cedar trees are often a tree of choice because they make a fast privacy screen, they provide excellent wildlife habitat, they take sun to shade and can endure clay soil or rocky outcroppings. This tree is a favorite food and cover for over 50 species of birds and is found in the understory or edges of many native forests. They have great form and keep their deep green needles in the winter, when other plants have gone dormant.

White Pine Trees are my favorite native trees, hands down. They’re the largest and tallest native conifer on the Eastern Seaboard and are known for their pale, soft blue-green needles and iconic stature. White Pine Trees make a great privacy screen because they grow so fast, are fast-growing, and provide year-round coverage. Shop White Pine Trees at TN Nursery and find a variety of stock options ready to ship.

Other Ecological Benefits of Evergreens 

In addition to their form and foliage, evergreens are tough, wind-breaking trees that stabilize soils with their year-round roots, and buffer our homes from winter winds to keep our heating bills down. In the coldest parts of winter, when animal life goes on a quest to find shelter, evergreens are critical cover for beneficial insects, and perching and nesting birds. Evergreen trees help the birds and the bees all year long!

If you’re looking for a classic, native, broadleaf evergreen tree to add some seasonal color to your yard, the American Holly (Ilex opaca) is a great choice. Native to the Southeastern U.S., holly has glossy green leaves, red berries, and provides an iconic winter green whenever it’s planted in a garden. It is often used as a living fence, windbreak, and is beloved by songbirds as a wildlife cover. This evergreen also tolerates partial shade and poor soil, so if you’re not sure how these trees do well in your yard, American Holly is a great place to start.

In the Landscape: Evergreen Trees 

In the landscape, evergreens provide structure to any garden. Interplanting them with deciduous trees and native perennials creates a landscape with visual interest as it changes through the seasons but is always grounded in green and form. Tall, upright evergreens like Virginia Pine (Pinus virginiana) make great screens or groves, while lower-growing species like Wax Myrtle (Morella cerifera) add a lush texture to the understory.

Try planting your native evergreens in staggered heights for more depth and movement in the garden. Mix needle-leaved and broadleaf evergreens for contrasting textures. An evergreen tree line of Eastern Hemlocks on the property line provides privacy and creates a cool, shady microclimate for deer resistant, shade-loving ferns, wildflowers, and ephemerals like Trillium and Hepatica.

Native Evergreen Trees for Conservation and Reforestation 

Native evergreens also play an important role in conservation efforts. These trees sequester carbon, filter pollutants, and help fight climate change. Evergreen trees, and their year-round canopies, provide permanent habitat for birds, mammals, and insects, many of whom would not survive winter without evergreen cover. The U.S. Forest Service says that native conifers “have a critically important role in maintaining the long-term health of America’s forests and contribute to stabilizing forest ecosystems and creating habitat resilience.”

Evergreens are a favorite tree of choice for reforesting land or restoring a woodland edge. Virginia Pine Seedlings are an excellent, sustainable, and cost-effective choice for a conservation-based project. Tough, native evergreens, like these pines, will adapt to poor soil and even harsh, disturbed conditions. Shop Virginia Pine Seedlings at TN Nursery to get your native evergreen project started.

Best Practices for Planting Native Evergreens 

Native evergreens prefer well-drained soil and, like most of our native trees, they respond well to mulching, especially during establishment. Bare-root planting is the most economical and environmentally friendly way to plant your natives. For the first year, keep soil consistently moist (not soggy!) and make sure you give your trees room to grow to their mature height and width to avoid future crowding. Avoid planting too close to your house or outbuildings, and keep in mind that a good spacing rule for windbreaks is 2 or 3 staggered rows of trees, 10-20′ apart depending on the tree species.

Acidic soil can be necessary for some evergreens, like our native White Pines, while others, like Holly, prefer neutral to slightly alkaline soil. Take note of the soil pH and moisture of your yard before selecting trees for your landscape.

Mixing Native Evergreens With Native Perennials 

Don’t forget that a layer of native understory plants beneath your native evergreens can give you the most bang for your buck in terms of ecosystem services provided! Native wildflowers, ferns, and groundcovers all have a place in your evergreen-rich forest. From Wild Ginger, ferns, and Spring Beauty to Liatris and Monarda for pollinators in the warmer months, you’ll find a native perennial for each niche of the forest.

Native evergreen trees and shrubs, when used in a multi-season landscape, set the stage for a garden that not only looks amazing, but gives back to the planet year round. By investing a little time and money in native evergreen trees for your yard, you’re investing in a long-term, hard-working investment that will return structure, shelter, and serenity for decades to come.

In Conclusion 

Native evergreen trees are ideal for creating a natural privacy screen, providing cover and food for wildlife, and cutting down on maintenance in the yard. These trees don’t just survive the winter—they flourish, and as they do, they provide a boost to the health of your yard and the environment around you.

Nothing is quite as peaceful as walking through a grove of pine trees on a snowy day, or watching your local songbirds play among the branches of a winter holly tree in your own yard. Try planting some native evergreens this season to bring that beauty, practicality, and native power to your landscape. You’ll be part of an American tradition of land stewardship that spans centuries, and help to shape a greener, healthier future.