9 Flowering Evergreen Shrubs for Lovely, Long-Lasting Blooms

By
Mary Marlowe Leverette
Mary Marlowe Leverette 2018
Mary Marlowe Leverette

Mary Marlowe Leverette is one of the industry's most highly-regarded housekeeping and fabric care experts, sharing her knowledge on efficient housekeeping, laundry, and textile conservation. She is also a Master Gardener with over 40+ years of experience and 20+ years of writing experience. Mary is also a member of The Spruce Gardening and Plant Care Review Board.

Learn more about The Spruce's Editorial Process
Published on 05/22/23
Catawba rhododendron

The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova

A flowering evergreen shrub adds year-round interest to the garden. Most bloom in the spring or summer but their foliage, and often berries, can keep your landscape colorful all winter. When selecting a flowering shrub, be sure to choose one that will thrive in your hardiness zone and the growing conditions in your yard. Pay attention to details like light, soil, and water requirements. Read the plant tag to understand the mature height and width of the shrub. If you have a small yard, look for dwarf varieties.

Here are 9 flowering evergreen shrubs that will bring blooms to your landscape.

  • 01 of 09

    Chinese Fringe Flower

    Chinese fringe flower shrubs with bright pink delicate flowers with light green leaves

    The Spruce / K. Dave

    Chinese fringe flower is a broad-leaved evergreen shrub in the witch hazel family. Its multi-stemmed growth with arching branches typically reaches 6 to 8 feet tall and equally as wide. The flowers that appear from late March to April are in clusters of white, pink, or red and are lightly scented. There are many cultivars available including dwarf varieties.

    • Name: Chinese fringe flower (Loropetalum chinense)
    • USDA Hardiness Zones: 7b-9b
    • Flower Color: Pink, white, red
    • Light Requirement: Full sun, partial shade
    • Soil Needs: Acidic
    • Water Requirement: Moist, good drainage
    • Mature Size: 6-8 ft. tall, 6-8 ft. wide unless a dwarf variety
    • Deer Resistance: Yes
    Continue to 2 of 9 below.
  • 02 of 09

    Gardenia

    Gardenia shrub with white ruffled flower in sunlight closeup

    The Spruce / Krystal Slagle

    If you love a fragrant flower, then plant a Gardenia near your home's entrance. This medium-sized woody shrub prefers bright indirect sunlight or partial shade and some shelter from cold winds. Gardenias have shallow roots to make them good foundation plants with showy, creamy white flowers and dark, emerald green foliage.

    • Name: Gardenia (Gardenia jasminoides)
    • USDA Hardiness Zones: 7b-11b
    • Flower Color: White
    • Light Requirement: Partial shade, dappled sun
    • Soil Needs: Acidic
    • Water Requirement: Semi-Drought tolerant
    • Mature Size: 4-8 ft. tall, 4-8 ft. wide
    • Deer Resistance: Yes
    Continue to 3 of 9 below.
  • 03 of 09

    Japanese Pieris

    Japanese pieris shrub with white flowers

    The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova

    Japanese pieris provides year-round interest with its bronze or purplish emerging foliage and showy blooms. It can be used as a specimen plant, mass planting, or foundation shrub. However, the leaves and nectar of this plant are toxic if ingested and the plant should be used with caution around young children and pets. 

    • Name: Japanese pieris (Pieris japonica)
    • USDA Hardiness Zones: 4b-8b
    • Flower Color: White
    • Light Requirement: Full sun, partial shade
    • Soil Needs: Acidic
    • Water Requirement: Moist, good drainage
    • Mature Size: 8-10 ft. tall, 6-8 ft. wide
    • Deer Resistance: Yes
    Continue to 4 of 9 below.
  • 04 of 09

    Camellia

    Japanese camellia shrub with large pink flower clusters and large leaves

    The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova

    Camellias are prolific blooming evergreens of the season, often producing a range of flowers from white to red from October to mid-March. The flowers are long-lasting up to three or four weeks. The shrubs can be finicky but, if you locate them in the right spot, they will continue to bloom for decades.

    • Name: Camellias (Camellia japonica)
    • USDA Hardiness Zones: 7a-9b
    • Flower Color: Gold/Yellow, Pink, Red/Burgundy, Variegated; White
    • Light Requirement: Partial shade
    • Soil Needs: Acidic
    • Water Requirement: Moist to wet with good drainage
    • Mature Size: 10-13 ft. tall, 5-10 ft. wide
    • Deer Resistance: Yes
    Continue to 5 of 9 below.
  • 05 of 09

    Mountain Laurel

    Mountain laurel with white flowers closeup

    The Spruce / K. Dave

    Mountain Laurel is a broadleaf, evergreen shrub native to eastern North America that tolerates a wide range of light conditions. It produces clusters of distinctive flowers ranging from white to deep rose. There are many cultivars available, including some that are heat tolerant and dwarf varieties.

    • Name: Mountain Laurel (Kalmia latifolia)
    • USDA Hardiness Zones: 4a-9b
    • Flower Color: White, Pink, Lavender, Deep Rose
    • Light Requirement: Shade to partial sun
    • Soil Needs: Acidic
    • Water Requirement: Moist to dry with good drainage
    • Mature Size: 4-15 ft. tall, 4-8 ft. wide
    • Deer Resistance: Yes
    Continue to 6 of 9 below.
  • 06 of 09

    Japanese Skimmia

    Skimmia shrub with tiny white flower and bud clusters

    The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova

    Japanese skimmia is a shade-loving, evergreen shrub with fragrant leaves and creamy white flowers in the spring. The blooms produce red fruit that provides winter interest. This is a slow-growing, low-maintenance shrub.

    • Name: Japanese skimmia (Skimmia japonica)
    • USDA Hardiness Zones: 7a-8b
    • Flower Color: Creamy white
    • Light Requirement: Shade to dappled sunlight
    • Soil Needs: Acidic
    • Water Requirement: Moist soil
    • Mature Size: 2-7 ft. tall, 3-5 ft. wide
    • Deer Resistance: No
    Continue to 7 of 9 below.
  • 07 of 09

    Azalea

    pink azaleas

    The Spruce / Adrienne Legault

    An Encore® azalea (Rhododendron 'Encore') is an evergreen cultivar that blooms in the spring and again in late summer. They do well in sunny locations which is unusual for an azalea and are available in dwarf sizes.

    • Name: Encore® azalea (Rhododendron 'Encore')
    • USDA Hardiness Zones: 6a-10b
    • Flower Color: White, Pink, Purple/Lavender, Red/Burgundy
    • Light Requirement: Full sun to dappled sunlight
    • Soil Needs: Acidic
    • Water Requirement: Moist, good drainage
    • Mature Size: 2-5 ft. tall, 3-4 ft. wide
    • Deer Resistance: No
    Continue to 8 of 9 below.
  • 08 of 09

    Cherry Laurel

    Cherry laurel shrub with dark green leaves and white flower spikes surrounded by sand

    The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova

    Cherry Laurel is a large evergreen shrub that works well as a hedge or screen. It has large, broad leaves and blooms in the spring with a raceme that grows up to 4" long. It is toxic to humans if consumed.

    • Name: Cherry Laurel (Prunus larocerasus)
    • USDA Hardiness Zones: 6a-8b
    • Flower Color: White
    • Light Requirement: Deep shade to full sun
    • Soil Needs: Neutral
    • Water Requirement: Good drainage, drought tolerant
    • Mature Size: 10-20 ft. tall, 8-10 ft. wide
    • Deer Resistance: No
    Continue to 9 of 9 below.
  • 09 of 09

    Rhododendron PJM Group

    Closeup of magenta pink rhododendron flowers

    The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova

    PJM Rhododendrons are hybrid, broadleaf evergreen shrubs that grow 3 to 6 feet tall and wide. Cultivars include 'PJM Compact', 'PJM Elite', 'PJM Elite Star', and 'PJM Regal'. They produce showy clusters of lavender, pink, or rose flowers and are best suited for woodland gardens.

    • Name: PJM Rhododendrons (Rhododendron spp.)
    • USDA Hardiness Zones: 4a - 8b
    • Flower Color: Pink, lavender, white, red
    • Light Requirement: Partial to deep shade
    • Soil Needs: Acidic
    • Water Requirement: Moist, but not wet, soil
    • Mature Size: 3-6 ft. tall, 3-7 ft. wide
    • Deer Resistance: No

Learn More

Once you've picked out your favorite flowering evergreen shrubs, consider what else you may need to ensure your evergreen shrubs are growing healthily and can provide the best aesthetic for your yard or garden's needs.

Article Sources
The Spruce uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

  1. Pieris japonica. North Carolina State Extension Service Plant Toolbox.

  2. Prunus laurocerasus. North Carolina State Extension Plant Toolbox.