There’s just something about evergreens that brings hope to winter landscapes. Maybe it’s their durability. Perhaps it’s their varied shapes and sizes. It may even be their hue, which heralds spring by reminding us that color will again return to our yards and gardens.
At Loma Vista Nursery, we produce a variety of container and field-grown evergreens, along with other hardy trees, shrubs and perennials, for the Midwest wholesale market. Our customers are landscape contractors, independent garden centers and wholesale distributors.
Planning for the 2023 growing season? Consider adding some of the following evergreens to your seasonal sales and projects.
Green Giant Arborvitae (Thuja standishii x plicata ‘Green Giant’)
Green Giant Arborvitae
Select this cultivar if you are planning space for a specimen tree, screen or hedge. With its conical shape and dense, rich green foliage, Green Giant Arborvitae is a large and vigorous grower. It has a mature spread of 12 to 20 feet. Height at maturity is 50 to 60 feet. If you are planting this evergreen as a hedge or screen, allow 5 to 6 feet between each tree.
Green Giant Arborvitae produces half-inch, oblong cones that start green in summer and turn brown in winter. While it is salt sensitive, it tolerates a variety of environmental conditions including a range of soils, wind, ice and snow. Avoid planting this evergreen in poorly drained soils and in wet areas. Home to birds and small animals, it has good resistance to deer browsing. Plant Green Giant Arborvitae where it can get at least four hours of direct sunlight daily. Best in full sun or partial shade in USDA Hardiness Zones 5 to 7.
North Pole® Arborvitae (Thuja occidentalis)
North Pole® Arborvitae
If you are looking for an evergreen that is a little more compact, North Pole® Arborvitae may be your choice. It is an excellent landscape plant for narrow spaces and is attractive as an anchor in larger perennial beds. It also nicely hides utilities, provides four-season visual interest to berms and makes an elegant privacy screen near patios and walkways. Its mature height is 10 to 15 feet. Spread at maturity is 3 to 5 feet.
North Pole® Arborvitae requires virtually no care. If pruning is necessary, summer is the best time to shape this evergreen. Spring is ideal for applying a controlled release fertilizer. This hardy arborvitae resists winter burn. Plant in part to full sun in USDA Hardiness Zones 3 to 8.
Spring Grove® Western Arborvitae (Thuja plicata)
Spring Grove® Western Arborvitae
Got deer? With excellent deer resistance, Spring Grove® Western Arborvitae may be the evergreen you’re looking for in your sales and landscape projects. This fast-growing evergreen is drought tolerant and provides four seasons of interest. It maintains its glossy-green color during Midwest winters and is hardy in sub-zero temperatures.
Spring Grove® Western Arborvitae ideal for suburban areas, in woodland gardens and as shrub borders. This pyramidal arborvitae reaches a mature height of 20 to 30 feet and width of 10 to 12 feet. Space trees 12 feet to 15 feet apart. Grows best in part to full sun. Plant in USDA Hardiness Zones 5 to 8.
Calgary Carpet® Juniper (Juniperus sabina)
Calgary Carpet® Juniper
Jumping over to junipers, Calgary Carpet® can cover a lot of ground! This moderate grower has mounding green foliage that spreads up to 10 feet wide. At only 9 inches tall, it is a good choice as a groundcover on slopes and berms, along walkways, over retaining walls and in rock gardens. Space this juniper 8 feet apart from other plants or in drifts to fill space faster.
Avoid planting this conifer in generally wet areas. Calgary Carpet® Juniper likes full sun and well-drained soils. It tolerates heat, cold and moderate drought once established. Do water deeply and regularly during the first growing season to help establish healthy root systems, then reduce frequency after that. To reduce burning and browning, keep the soil moist and water early in the morning. Plant this evergreen in USDA Hardiness Zones 3 to 7.
Tam New Blue Juniper (Juniperus sabina ‘New Blue Tam’)
Tam New Blue Juniper
Named for its soft, blue-green foliage, Tam New Blue Juniper has tiered, horizontal branches that form lovely, graceful mounds. Its habit is low and spreading but this conifer does not hug the ground. Plant it in the landscape or garden as a specimen shrub or en masse as a large-scale groundcover.
Tam New Blue Juniper grows well in most well-drained soils. Establish root systems during the first season by watering deeply and regularly. After that, water the plant when the top 2 inches of soil is dry. This evergreen will tolerate moderate drought conditions once established. At maturity, it is 1.5 to 2.5 feet tall and 10 to 15 feet wide. Space plants 10 feet apart in groundcover applications. Plant in full sun, in USDA Hardiness Zones 4 to 7.
Sea Green Juniper (Juniperus chinensis ‘Sea Green’)
Sea Green Juniper
With four-season interest, Sea Green Juniper has lush, mint-green foliage that darkens in cooler weather. Its dramatic form is compact and upright with graceful arching branches. This low-growing shrub tolerates heat, drought and poor soil once established. However, it prefers soil that is well drained and slightly alkaline. As with other junipers, water regularly during the first season to establish root systems. Prune to shape, if desired, wearing gloves to avoid skin irritation.
The fast-growing Sea Green Juniper is 4 to 6 feet tall and wide at maturity. Use it alone as a foundation plant or in groupings to cover wide areas. Other landscape uses are as screens, hedges and to help with erosion control. Add foliage to cut flower arrangements. Plant this juniper in full sun in USDA Hardiness Zones 4 to 9.
Old Gold Juniper (Juniperus x pfitzeriana ‘Old Gold’)
Old Gold Juniper
This juniper is golden! Old Gold Juniper has ascending branches and soft, thin foliage that stays deep bronze-gold year-round. This compact evergreen shrub is prized for its showy appearance as a specimen or foundation plant, groundcover or low hedge. It is a good selection for rock gardens and erosion control.
Old Gold Juniper tolerates air pollutants, a variety of well-drained soils and some drought conditions once established, but it dislikes overly wet conditions. The shrub is low maintenance and requires no pruning other than for desired shaping. It grows 2 to 3 feet tall and 4 to 5 feet wide at maturity. Space plants 5 feet apart. This conifer likes to be planted in full sun. Plant in USDA Hardiness Zones 4 to 9.
Learn More About Landscape Plants from Loma Vista Nursery
Loma Vista Nursery’s staff members are experts in the field. We love helping people learn and understand more about healthy plants that perform well in Midwest landscapes. For more information about trees, shrubs and plants that are ideal for Midwest landscapes, visit our plant catalog. Feel free to email us at sales@lomavistanursery.com or call us at (785) 229-7200 to get answers to your plant-related questions.
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