Evergreen Trees & Plants

Start with the job, not the label

A range this size only makes sense if you arrive with a job in mind. Privacy points you to the lilly pillies and conifers, formal structure to box and magnolia, holding a bank to the groundcovers, perfume by a doorway to star jasmine or mock orange. Decide the task first, then use the filters for height, climate and position to cut the grid to a shortlist.

The trade-off hiding inside every evergreen choice is growth rate against maintenance. Mock Orange (Murraya paniculata) races to a 3m perfumed hedge in warm climates but asks for two or three trims a year to stay crisp. Japanese Box creeps by comparison, yet holds a formal edge on a single annual clip.

Where evergreen trees and plants earn their keep

For screening, Lilly Pilly 'Resilience' reaches about 5m untrimmed, sits comfortably at 2m to 3m as a clipped hedge and resists the psyllid that disfigures older varieties. In a tight side passage, 'Straight and Narrow' holds close to 1m wide without pruning. Both suit tropical, subtropical and warm temperate gardens but take light frost only; the full hedging and screening range includes hardier choices.

In cooler southern gardens, build on the frost hardy backbone: Japanese Box, Star Jasmine, Liriope 'Evergreen Giant' and the southern magnolias, with 'Teddy Bear' making a dense 4m column with well behaved roots. In frost free northern gardens the Evergreen Frangipani (Plumeria pudica) flowers almost year round.

Planting and spacing

• Screens and hedges. 'Resilience' at 1m apart, 'Straight and Narrow' at 60cm to 80cm, 'Teddy Bear' magnolia at 1.5m.
• Formal edges. Japanese Box at 30cm to 40cm for a low border.
• Groundcovers and borders. Liriope 'Evergreen Giant' at 40cm centres, Native Violet at 300mm in moist shade.

Dig each hole twice the width of the pot and no deeper, water in heavily, then mulch 75mm deep and keep it off the stems.

Keeping evergreens dense

Evergreen does not mean unchanging. Every evergreen sheds its oldest leaves in a steady trickle, so expect some litter, just never a bare plant. Water deeply twice a week through the first summer, feed with controlled release fertiliser in early spring, and trim hedges lightly from the first year so they thicken at the base instead of towering thin. Our lilly pilly care guide covers hedge pruning timing in detail.

Common questions

Do evergreen plants ever drop their leaves?

Yes, a few at a time all year rather than all at once in autumn. A thin scatter of yellowing older leaves is normal; a sudden heavy drop usually means waterlogging or drought stress.

What is the fastest evergreen screen?

Lilly Pilly 'Resilience' planted 1m apart closes into a solid wall within two to three seasons. Mock Orange is nearly as quick in warm climates and adds fragrance, though it needs more trimming.

Which evergreens handle frost?

Japanese Box, Star Jasmine, Liriope 'Evergreen Giant' and the grandiflora magnolias are all frost hardy, so they suit Canberra, Melbourne and the hills. Lilly pillies tolerate light frost only and prefer the warmer half of the country.

Should I plant evergreen or deciduous?

Evergreen wherever privacy or year round structure matters. If you want summer shade, winter sun and autumn colour, a deciduous tree in the right spot does what no evergreen can. Most good gardens use both.