Winter is an enjoyable time to observe needled evergreens (conifers) in a variety of landscapes to gather ideas and inspiration for future planting plans. There are several popular evergreen shrubs that make good fits for Wisconsin landscapes, including traditional favorites junipers, yews, and arborvitae.

Junipers are a popular group of evergreen shrubs for landscapes. One way to identify a juniper is to stick your hand into the canopy. If you feel sharp or prickly spines, it is a juniper, and that is why deer leave them alone. Junipers are available in a variety of growth habits ranging from very tall to medium shrubs to exceptionally low creeping junipers less than a foot off the ground. Coloration of cultivars can be various shades of green to blue, and those colors often change for winter dormancy. Junipers prefer sunny locations and may appear open and leggy in excess shade.

Species commonly available in nurseries include Chinese juniper (Juniperus chinensis), with cultivars varying in height from fifteen feet to eighteen inches, and creeping juniper (Juniperus horizontalis), with most cultivars under two feet in height and functioning more like groundcovers.

Another species, Juniperus virginiana, is better known as Eastern redcedar and frequently grows (and spreads) wild, such as along interstate highways in Wisconsin. Eastern redcedar is a host of cedar rust disease, which spreads to apples and crabapples.

Yews are adaptable shrubs with soft, dark green, flat needles that will tolerate shade. One common mistake is planting large yews too close to homes and sidewalks, and they grow out of bounds. The biggest problem facing yews is planting them in excessively wet soil, such as near downspouts or in low areas. They are also prone to winter burn, or browning of foliage, especially when growing in windy, exposed areas. Japanese yew (Taxus cuspidata) reach medium to generous size and make excellent hedges. Cultivars vary in size and growth habit ranges from spreading (such as ‘Expansa’) to mounded (such as ‘Nana’). Anglojapanese yew (Taxus x media) are also available in nurseries.

The third popular evergreen shrub is arborvitae (Thuja occidentalis), also known as white cedar. Native white cedar in Wisconsin appear as small to medium trees. Foliage is closely spaced scale-like needles, with a flattened or fanlike growth pattern. Arborvitae typically is valued in landscapes for having a tall, pyramidal growth habit that make good screens. There are also smaller rounded or globe forms for various uses in the landscape. Color can also vary with cultivars. The biggest concern with arborvitae is deer are very fond of them and do considerable feeding damage.