Low = under 3 feet, Medium = 3 feet to 6 feet, Tall = over 6 feet
Low All Year Shrubs
Scientific name USDA Zone Height X Width Description
Common name Water Exposure
Abies balsamea 'Nana' 3 2' X 2' Small dense evergreen. Dark green
Dwarf Balsalm Fir Med. Shade needles. Excellent bonsai plant.
Bamboo, Sasa pygmea 5 30" X 10' Evergreen. Running. Plant in a bit
Pygmy Bamboo Med. Sun-Part pot to form a clump.
Buxus sempervir. 'Suffruticosa' 5 2' X 2' Evergreen. Excellent for low hedge.
Dwarf English Boxwood Med. Sun-Part Slow growing.
Cryptomeria japonica nana 6 2' X 2' Evergreen. Slow growing. Dark green
Dwarf Cryptomeria Med. Sun needles.
Euonymus japonica 'Microphylla' 6 18" X 1' Evergreen. Tiny leaves. Variegata
Box Leaf Euonymus Med. Sun-Part has white edged leaves.
Ilex crenata 'Helleri' 6 1' X 2' Evergreen. Small leaves. Tiny white
Heller's Japanese Holly Med. Sun-Part flowers. Black berries.
Juniperus conferta 5 8" X 3' Evergreen. Low, spreading branches
Shore Juniper Med. Sun-Part with long needles.
Juniperus horizon. 'Bar Harbor' 3 3" X 4' Evergreen. Low, spreading. Blue
Bar Harbor Juniper Low Sun-Part green foliage. Good groundcover.
Juniperus horizon. 'Youngstown' 3 8" X 4' Evergreen. Flat top spreader. Blue
Youngstown Juniper Low Sun foliage turns purple in winter.
Juniperus horizontalis 'Wiltoni 3 3" X 3' Evergreen. Creeping with blue
Blue Rug Juniper Low Sun foliage. Needs good drainage.
Juniperus procumbens 4 2' X 6' Evergreen. Low mound of dark green
Japanese Garden Juniper Low Sun foliage.
Juniperus sabina 3 1' X 8' Evergreen. Low, spreading, bright
Savin Juniper Low Sun green foliage.
Juniperus squamata 'Blue Star' 4 2' X 4' Evergreen. Silver blue foliage.
Blue Star Juniper Low Sun Rounded shape.
Taxus baccata 'Repandens' 4 2' X 6' Evergreen. Low, spreading, dark
Spreading English Yew Low Sun-Shade green shrub. Easily sheared.
Tsuga canadensis 'Coles' 4 2' X 4' Evergreen. Good for creeping over
Dwarf Weeping Hemlock Med. Sun-Part walls or rocks. Can be staked.
Medium All Year Shrubs
Scientific name USDA Zone Height X Width Description
Common name Water Exposure
Acer palmatum dissectum 5 6' X 8' Low mounding shape. Green or red
Laceleaf Japanese Maple Med. Sun-Part leaves.
Buxus microphylla japonica 5 4' X 3' Evergreen. Excellent for hedges
Japanese Boxwood Med. Sun-Part and topiary.
Chamaec. pisi. 'Filifera Aurea' 5 5' X 5' Evergreen. Golden, drooping
Goldthread Cypress Med. Sun-Part foliage.
Chamaecyparis obtusa 'Compacta' 4 6' X 3' Evergreen. Dark green foliage.
Compact Hinoki Cypress Med. Sun-Part
Chamaecyparis obtusa 'Nana' 4 3' X 3' Evergreen. Slow growing. Dark green
Dwarf Hinoki Cypress Med. Sun-Part shrub.
Cornus alba 'Argenteo-margina.' 2 6' X 8' Deciduous. White and green leaves.
Variegated Tartarian Dogw Med. Sun-Shade Red twigs. Tolerates wet soil.
Cornus stolonifera 3 6' X 8' Deciduous native. White flowers and
Redtwig Dogwood Med. Sun-Part berries. Red twigs in winter.
Cornus stolonifera 'Flaviramea' 3 6' X 8' Deciduous. White flowers & berries.
Yellow Twig Dogwood Med. Sun-Part Red fall leaves and yellow twigs.
Euonymus japonica 6 6' X 4' Evergreen. Foliage in many colors.
Japanese Euonymus Med. Sun
Ilex crenata 'Convexa' 6 4' X 4' Evergreen. Looks like a boxwood
Convex Leaf Japan. Holly Med. Sun-Shade only hardier. Black berries.
Juniperus chinensis 'Gold Coast 4 3' X 4' Evegreen. Golden foliage. Very
Gold Coast Juniper Low Sun drought tolerant.
Juniperus chinensis 'San Jose' 4 3' X 4' Evergreen. Green foliage with
San Jose Juniper Low Sun splotches of yellow.
Juniperus chinensis 'Sea Green' 3 4' X 5' Evergreen. Dark green, feathery
Sea Green Juniper Low Sun foliage. Very drought tolerant.
Picea abies 'Nidiformis' 3 3' X 4' Evergreen. Dense, blue green shrub.
Nest Spruce Low Sun Easy to shape.
Picea glauca 'Conica' 3 6' X 3' Evergreen. Dense, pyramidal, slow
Dwarf Alberta Spruce Low Sun-Part growing.
Pinus mugo 2 3' X 4' Evergreen. Slow growing, rounded
Mugho Pine Low Sun shrub. Shear candles to shape.
Pinus strobus 'Nana' 3 6' X 6' Evergreen. Round shape. Soft,
Dwarf White Pine Low Sun bluish needles.
Platycladus orien. 'Aurea Nana' 5 4' X 2' Evergreen. Golden foliage. Very
Golden Berkman Arborvitae Med. Sun-Part slow growing.
Salix purpurea nana 5 3' X 3' Deciduous. Small leaves on
Dwf. Alaskian Blue Willow High Sun purplish branches.
Thuja occidentalis 'Rheingold' 4 3' X 2' Evergreen. Slow growing, dense cone
Rheingold Arborvitae Any Sun-Part shape. Golden foliage.
Thuja occidentalis 'Woodwardii' 4 5' X 5' Evergreen. Slow growing. Globe
Woodward Globe Arborvitae Any Sun-Part shaped.
Tall All Year Shrubs
Scientific name USDA Zone Height X Width Description
Common name Water Exposure
Aucuba japonica 6 8' X 6' Evergreen. Large leaves with gold
Japanese Laurel Any Shade-Part spots. Red berries on females.
Bamboo, Phyllostac. bambusoides 2 30' X 15' Evergreen. Runs to forms big grove.
Timber Bamboo Med. Sun-Part Plant in a big pot to form clump.
Bamboo, Phyllostachys nigra 5 7' X 10' Evergreen. Runs. Stems turn black.
Black Bamboo Med. Sun-Part Plant in a big pot to form clump.
Buxus sempervirens 5 10' X 4' Evergreen. Excellent for tall
English Boxwood Med. Sun-Part hedges or topiary.
Chamaecyparis obtusa 4 12' X 6' Evergreen. Dark green foilage.
Hinoki Cypress Med. Sun-Part Open growth.
Chamaecyparis obtusa 'Aurea' 4 12' X 6' Evergreen. Golden needles. Open
Golden Hinoki Cypress Med. Sun-Part growth.
Fatsia japonica 8 8' X 4' Evergreen. Large tropical leaves.
Japanese Aralia Med. Shade-Part Tolerates all soils but soggy.
Juniperus chinensis 'Blue Point 4 8' X 3' Pyramidal evergreen. Blue green
Blue Point Juniper Low Sun foliage.
Juniperus chinensis 'Spearmint' 5 12' X 4' Pyramidal evergreen. Fine, green
Spearmint Juniper Low Sun foliage.
Juniperus chinensis 'Torulosa' 5 10' X 8' Evergreen. Irregular upright growth
Hollywood Juniper Low Sun with dark green foliage.
Juniperus sc. 'Tolleson's Blue' 3 15' X 8' Evergreen. Wispy, blue-green,
Tolleson's Blue Wpng. Jun Low Sun drooping branches.
Juniperus scopulorum 3 15' X 6' Pyramidal evergreen. Silvery blue
Rocky Mountain Juniper Low Sun foliage
Juniperus virginiana 4 10' X 6' Evergreen. Green to silvery blue
Eastern Red Cedar Low Sun foliage.
Juniperus virginiana 'Skyrocket 4 15' X 3' Evergreen. Tall, narrow spire with
Skyrocket Juniper Low Sun blue gray foliage.
Laurus nobilis 9 20' X 10' Evergreen. Dark green leaves are
Sweet Bay Low Sun-Part very aromatic. Used in cooking.
Myrica californica 7 10' X 8' Evergreen native. Excellent hedge
California Wax Myrtle Low Sun-Shade or screen.
Photinia fraseri 6 15' X 12' Evergreen. Fast growing plant for
Photinia Med. Sun tall hedge or screen.
Photinia glabra 7 8' X 8' Evergreen. Fast growing shrub for
Japanese Photinia Med. Sun tall hedge or screen.
Prunus laurocerasus 6 15' X 10' Evergreen. Excellent for tall hedge
English Laurel Med. Sun-Shade or screen.
Taxus baccata 'Stricta' 4 15' X 6' Evergreen. Dark green needles. Red
Irish Yew Low Sun-Shade berries. Easily sheared.
Taxus cuspidata 4 8' X 8' Evergreen. Dark green needles.
Japanese Yew Low Sun-Shade Easily sheared.
Taxus x media 'Hicksii' 4 8' X 3' Evergreen. Narrow column of dark
Hick's Columnar Yew Low Sun-Shade green needles. Easily sheared.
