Evergreen trees retain their leaves, or most of them, throughout the year as opposed to deciduous types which shed their leaves in the fall and so have bare branches in the winter. The ten trees on this list have been chosen as being suitable for gardens in that they do not grow too large or can be controlled by pruning. The list has been complied by Andy McIndoe whose article I found on the Learning With Experts website.

When it comes to selecting an evergreen tree for your garden, the choice is limited in temperate regions. Of course you could go for a coniferous tree, but most would favour a broad-leaf variety. Evergreen trees are a popular idea for year-round interest, but more importantly for their screening ability. In reality, they are not always the best choice if you are trying to hide something, because their solid form tends to attract attention. It may be better to diffuse a background with the lighter habit of a deciduous tree; but that is another subject. If you definitely want an evergreen, what’s on offer? I’ve chosen ten evergreen trees that are suitable for gardens, all of which look reasonable when fairly young, and either don’t get too big, or can be restricted by pruning.
Arbutus unedo

The Killarney strawberry tree has dark green, fairly small, leathery, evergreen leaves and a bushy habit. You will often see it as a shrub, but it does make a lovely multi-stemmed small tree with deep brown shredding bark. Small pinkish white, bell-shaped flowers appear in autumn and early winter at the same time as the round fruits ripen to scarlet. It is great in coastal gardens and although ericaceous seems to do better on alkaline soils. It doesn’t like my dry, rather acidic sand. Good for small gardens; be patient if you want impact. Look out for the variety ‘Atlantic’ which flowers and fruits well.

Go to the next page to see more evergreen trees
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