Evergreen shrubs are the backbone of many NZ gardens, offering lush foliage and structure throughout every season. These versatile plants create privacy, add colour, and are favoured for low-maintenance landscaping. From hedges to specimen plantings, evergreen shrubs stand out for their resilience and beauty. Discover the best choices and care tips for thriving evergreens in your garden.
Abelia 'Francis Mason' is a vibrant and versatile shrub loved for its golden yellow foliage and clusters of soft pink to white flowers in summer and...
Abelia grandiflora, commonly known as Glossy Abelia, produces masses of mauve and white flowers in clusters throughout summer. The foliage comprises...
Abelia 'Kaleidoscope' is a stunning evergreen shrub renowned for its ever changing foliage and compact form. Its leaves transition from golden yellow...
Abelia 'Snow Showers' is a charming shrub celebrated for its cascading habit and masses of small white flowers that appear from summer through...
Abelia 'Sunshine Daydream' is a vibrant evergreen shrub admired for its golden yellow and green variegated foliage that glows throughout the seasons...
Acacia 'Fettuccini' is a distinctive evergreen shrub prized for its long, narrow, pendulous foliage that creates a graceful cascading effect...
Acacia 'Limelight' is a striking evergreen shrub renowned for its vibrant lime green foliage and naturally compact growth habit. The colourful...
Artemisia 'Powis Castle' (Common Wormwood) is a popular evergreen shrub admired for its finely divided silver grey foliage and soft aromatic scent...
Baccharis pilularis, commonly known as Coyote Bush, is a hardy evergreen shrub native to coastal regions. It forms a dense, mound-like habit with...
Bambusa 'Golden Goddess' is a beautiful clumping bamboo prized for its lush golden green foliage, upright growth, and non invasive habit. It brings a...
Brachyglottis 'Otari Cloud' is a hardy evergreen shrub valued for its attractive silver grey foliage and naturally compact growth habit. The soft...
Buddleia ‘Lochinch’ (Butterfly Bush) is a fast growing deciduous shrub admired for its long sprays of soft lavender blue flowers and silvery green...
Buxus 'Graham Blandy' is a distinctive, upright boxwood cultivar prized in New Zealand for its narrow, columnar form and year-round evergreen...
Buxus 'Green Gem' is a compact, evergreen boxwood plant that is ideal for low hedges, borders, and topiary in New Zealand gardens. It forms a dense...
Buxus harlandii grows to about 1 m tall and the same wide with charming, bright green leaves. Best results with this evergreen shrub are achieved...
Buxus koreana, commonly known as Korean Box, is a cold-hardy, evergreen shrub ideal for low hedging and formal borders in New Zealand gardens. It...
Buxus microphylla, commonly known as Japanese Box or Littleleaf Boxwood, is a compact evergreen shrub renowned for its dense, glossy green foliage...
Buxus microphylla 'Freedom' is a fast-growing, evergreen box hedge variety popular in NZ gardens. It forms dense, bright green foliage that responds...
Buxus microphylla 'Independence' is a superb compact box hedge variety loved for its fine foliage and dense, tidy growth. This hardy evergreen shrub...
Buxus microphylla Japonica, commonly known as Japanese box hedge, grows about twice as fast as English box (Buxus sempervirens). The foliage is also...
Buxus sempervirens, commonly known as English Box or Box Hedge, is a classic evergreen shrub popular in New Zealand for formal hedging and topiary...
Buxus sempervirens 'Silver Beauty', commonly known as Box Hedge, features small leaves that are dark green with irregular, cream-silver margins, and...
Buxus sempervirens 'variegata' features small, mid-green leaves with cream-white edges on new growth, which age to become a darker green. It grows to...
Callistemon 'Better John' is a hardy evergreen shrub valued for its dense green foliage and vibrant red bottlebrush flowers that appear from spring...
Evergreen shrubs play a pivotal role in both residential and commercial gardens across New Zealand. Their persistent green leaves provide structure and visual interest even through the winter months, making them ideal for creating year-round garden appeal. Hedges formed with evergreen shrubs offer privacy and shelter for outdoor spaces, while individual specimen plants anchor garden beds and borders. Because they retain foliage, evergreen shrubs require less ongoing cleanup and maintenance.
Popular varieties such as Griselinia 'Broadway Mint' and Buxus sempervirens (Boxwood) are staples in NZ gardens. These species are prized for their adaptability, lush looks, and ability to handle trimming for neat shapes. Many gardeners also use evergreen shrubs for windbreaks, screening, and foundation plantings, making them true multi-taskers.
Selecting the right evergreen shrubs depends on your garden’s climate, soil, and planned use. Sun-loving varieties like Griselinia thrive in coastal areas, while boxwood and camellias favour sheltered sites. When planting, ensure good drainage and space for growth. Water new shrubs regularly during establishment, then reduce frequency once they are settled.
To keep evergreen shrubs healthy and attractive, prune lightly to shape and remove dead wood. Mulching helps maintain soil moisture and reduces weeds beneath the shrubs. Feeding in spring with balanced fertiliser encourages lush growth and vibrant foliage. For detailed growing advice and tips specific to popular varieties, visit the expert gardening advice section.
Evergreen shrubs are also excellent candidates for formal hedges and creative garden design. Explore our full plant finder tool to match the perfect evergreen to your garden’s needs.
Whether you need assistance finding the plant you’re looking for or you simply want to know more about who we are and what we do, we invite you to get in touch with us today. A member of The Plant Company team will get back in touch as soon as possible.
