21 Evergreen Trees and Shrubs You Can Grow in Pots and Containers
As we turn to the cool season, it's time for evergreens to shine. In pots and containers, we rely on them year-round for stability and interest. They unify the landscape, connect the home and garden, and anchor the display. Enjoy exceptional evergreen varieties for containers with gardening expert Katherine Rowe.

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Evergreens anchor a container for seasons and even years at a time. They stand alone or provide stability to seasonal bloomers and perennials. They have the quiet capability of unifying a landscape amidst a sea of textures and colors. And they provide all-season appeal with few demands.
Anything but boring, evergreen specimens bring dimension through form, either vertically, weeping, spreading, or trailing. They add texture through foliage and visual interest in colors from dark olive to rose to lime. From tailored and topiaried to loose and naturalistic, they suit any garden style.
Pots allow us to showcase handsome selections, whether singly or through repeated compositions. With a large enough container, three are nearly endless evergreen options. You may opt to start with a small shrub or tree and transplant it to the landscape as it outgrows the situation. Or, plan for the long term with dwarf growers and large vessels to support root development and upper growth.
To support these attractive evergreen features, start with a high-quality potting mix and a pot with good drainage. Water according to the plant’s moisture requirements, keeping in mind that containers dry out more quickly than in-ground plantings. Enjoy the multi-season interest the fixtures bring to enrich the space.
Boxwood ‘Green Mountain’

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common name Boxwood ‘Green Mountain’ |
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botanical name Buxus ‘Green Mountain’ |
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sun requirements Full sun to partial shade |
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height 3-5’ |
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hardiness zones 5-9 |
Boxwoods are one of the most versatile shrubs for containers because of their deep, glossy leaves, dense branching, and easy shaping. They’re effective as single specimens and complement any pairing.
They have a long history in the garden, beginning with the Ancient Egyptians and Romans, who planted and shaped boxwood into hedges. Traveling to North America from Europe in the 1600s, they often appear in historic gardens as parterres and punctuating accents.
‘Green Mountain’ forms a natural pyramidal shape. Prune it for more formality, or let it be with its conical form. The vigorous hybrids have foliage in fresh green and hold their color throughout winter. For a mounding boxwood, look to ‘Green Velvet.’
Cypress ‘Carolina Sapphire’

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common name Cypress ‘Carolina Sapphire’ |
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botanical name Hesperocyparis arizonica ‘Carolina Sapphire’ |
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sun requirements Full sun |
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height 40-60’ |
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hardiness zones 7-11 |
‘Carolina Sapphire’ makes an exceptional pyramidal feature with a narrow form. The Arizona cypress has bright, silvery blue needles on graceful stems that cool down a display. The branching is strong and full, but the overall look is soft and hazy.
The conifer is low-maintenance and withstands hot and dry spells once established, and it roots easily in various soils. Pruning needs are minimal, with attractive full skirting to the ground.
‘Carolina sapphire’ is a vigorous evergreen tree and needs a large container, with an eventual move to the garden. In optimal conditions, they become large landscape specimens.
Inkberry Holly ‘Gem Box®’

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common name Inkberry Holly ‘Gem Box®’ |
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botanical name Ilex glabra ‘SMNIGAB17’ |
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sun requirements Full sun to partial shade |
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height 2-3’ |
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hardiness zones 5-9 |
Inkberry hollies are North American natives with lustrous foliage on twiggy, woody stems. Indigo-black fruits set in the fall and persist into winter.
‘Gem Box®’ is a jewel of a cultivar with dense, fine leaves and red tips in the spring. The petite growers form a ball with good branching. ‘Strongbox’ has slightly larger leaves with the same robust growth and rounded habit. Both retain their form without pruning.
The straight evergreen species can become leggy in containers, but the inconspicuous flowers and pea-sized fruits are a valuable food source for pollinators and wildlife. The natives are hosts to butterflies and specialized bees.
Japanese Holly ‘Soft Touch’

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common name Japanese Holly ‘Soft Touch’ |
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botanical name Ilex crenata ‘Soft Touch’ |
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sun requirements Full sun to partial shade |
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height 2-3’ |
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hardiness zones 5-9 |
Japanese holly resembles boxwood in its foliage and form with small, dark green, lustrous leaves on rigid stems. The compact plants have an upright, rounded habit.
‘Soft Touch’ is a mounding type with dense foliage. Its leaves are tender, and stems aren’t spiky, lending a soft look and feel. ‘Golden Gem’ is another dwarf, rounded variety in bright gold and green. It reaches only two feet tall.
These twiggy hollies take shearing and shaping well. Once established, they’re somewhat drought-tolerant. They may not withstand high heat and humidity above zone 8 and appreciate protection from drying winter winds in lower zones.
Camellia ‘Yuletide’

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common name Camellia ‘Yuletide’ |
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botanical name Camellia sasanqua ‘Yuletide’ |
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sun requirements Partial shade |
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height 8-10’ |
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hardiness zones 7-10 |
As gorgeous container evergreens, camellias bloom in fall, winter, and spring, depending on the species and variety. ‘Yuletide’ blooms throughout the holiday season, when bright red flowers contrast glossy, dark leaves.
‘Yuletide’ lends a lush look to the landscape year-round, and the striking winter blooms are a joy when little else is blooming. Pollinators agree, as the flowers attract bees and other insects as valuable food sources.
Camellias grow best in the American South, with C. sasanqua flowering before late winter’s C. japonica. They exude elegance with single, double, and ruffled petals.
Daphne ‘Aureomarginata’

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common name Daphne ‘Aureomarginata’ |
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botanical name Daphne odora ‘Aureomarginata’ |
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sun requirements Partial shade |
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height 3-4’ |
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hardiness zones 7-9 |
Daphne odora is among the most fragrant of flowering daphnes, and this variety of winter daphne is elegant in leaf, flower, and perfume. ‘Aureomarginata’ has long, mint green leaves with creamy yellow edges.
Deep purple-pink blossoms emerge in late winter, delighting the cold-season garden with an intoxicating fragrance. ‘Aureomarginata’ is a bit more hardy than the species, withstanding temperatures to about 10°F (-12°C). Where not hardy, these evergreens overwinter in containers in sheltered areas protected from winds and freezing conditions.
Other striking variegated D. odora cultivars include ‘Maejima,’ ‘Moonlight Parfait,’ and ‘Banana Split.’ Leaves have wide foliar margins in ivory-yellow tones contrasting the deep green and purple-pink bloom clusters.
Loropetalum ‘Purple Daydream®’

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common name Loropetalum ‘Purple Daydream®’ |
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botanical name Loropetalum chinense ‘PIILC-III’ |
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sun requirements Full sun to partial shade |
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height 2-3’ |
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hardiness zones 7-10 |
Loropetalum, or Chinese fringe flower, has thumbprint leaves in deep purple and olive green. A member of the witchhazel family, loropetalum features clusters of strappy, fringe blooms in magenta, red, or white in the spring.
‘Purple Daydream®’ is a dwarf, compact cultivar that won’t outgrow a pot in record time. It has lush, dark purple leaves with deep rose new growth.
Other dwarf cultivars like ‘Purple Pixie,’ ‘Purple Diamond,’ and ‘Jazz Hands’ have purple foliage with pink blooms on low-growing, mounding habits. ‘Emerald Snow’ is compact with green leaves and white flowers.
Dwarf Threadleaf Cypress ‘Filifera Nana’

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common name Dwarf Threadleaf Cypress ‘Filifera Nana’ |
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botanical name Chamaecyparis pisifera ‘Filifera Nana’ |
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sun requirements Full sun to partial shade |
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height 2-5’ |
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hardiness zones 5-8 |
Dwarf false-cypress, with thread-like, feathery foliage, has a loose, unstructured, openly pyramidal habit. While they become tall trees in their native habitats, most selections in today’s gardens are compact. Their unique texture, mounding forms, and blue, chartreuse, or brassy colorations provide high contrast.
‘Filifera Nana’ reaches its mature height over ten years. It’s dense with fan leaves in blue-green with whiter undersides. ‘White Pygmy’ builds on the look with tips of white on fine threads.
For a burst of gold, several hybrids fit the bill. ‘Sungold’ is a dwarf, mounding form with gold-tipped threaded foliage. ‘Vintage Gold’ has burnished orangey-gold tones. ‘Golden Mop’ is low-growing with feathery foliage in bright gold and green.
Mahonia ‘Soft Caress’

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common name Mahonia ‘Soft Caress’ |
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botanical name Mahonia eurybracteata ‘Soft Caress’ |
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sun requirements Partial to full shade |
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height 3’ |
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hardiness zones 7-9 |
‘Soft Caress’ is a multi-season Mahonia with feathery, ferny leaves. It offers fantastic winter interest with bright yellow bloom spikes followed by dark berries.
This feathery evergreen is charming in a container. Its delicate, dark foliage is soft and airy with a fine texture. It adds a tropical, elegant feel to the arrangement and a surprise with late-season flowering.
Distylium ‘Cinnamon Girl®’

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common name Distylium ‘Cinnamon Girl®’ |
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botanical name Distylium ‘PIIDIST-V’ |
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sun requirements Full sun to partial shade |
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height 2-3’ |
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hardiness zones 6-9 |
Distylium has blue-green leaves held upright on scaffolding stems. New growth emerges in copper, red, and purple, depending on the variety.
‘Cinnamon Girl®’ is pretty and low-growing, with new growth being purple-red on swirling branches. It’s among the more cold-tolerant cultivars, with hardiness to zone 6 (most are hardy to zone 7).
‘Vintage Jade’ is one of the best-known and most compact evergreen varieties, reaching three feet in a container. ‘Blue Cascade’ is a dwarf spreader with layered stems and long, blue-green leaves that emerge purple-bronze.
These architectural shrubs are pest-free and grow in coastal and high-heat conditions. Inconspicuous red blooms line stems in late winter and early spring.
Pieris ‘Cavatine’

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common name Pieris ‘Cavatine’ |
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botanical name Pieris japonica ‘Cavatine’ |
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sun requirements Full sun to partial shade |
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height 2-4’ |
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hardiness zones 6-8 |
Pieris has pendulous flowers that droop gracefully from whorled, leafy stems. The flower buds develop in late summer and suspend like beads through winter. In late winter and early spring, they open to delicate bell blossoms that resemble lily-of-the-valley.
New growth on pieris is bronze and red, and established leaves are deep, glossy green. The narrow, pointed eaves appear in bushy rosettes along the stems.
‘Cavatine’ is a stunning small Pieris with loads of buds. It reaches its mature two-foot height in a decade of growth. ‘Mountain Fire’ is a taller favorite with crimson new growth for an all-over glow. ‘Interstella’ has ruby rose blossoms and red new leaves and reaches three to four feet high.
Olive ‘Little Ollie®’

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common name Olive ‘Little Ollie®’ |
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botanical name Olea europaea ‘Montra’ |
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sun requirements Full sun |
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height 6’ |
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hardiness zones 8-11 |
Olive trees are stately, elegant, and lasting in a pot, but they are only evergreen and hardy outdoors in zones 8-11. Their slender, deep green leaves have silvery undersides. Tiny white blooms cover the trees in late spring and become ripened fruit from October through December.
Dwarf varieties like ‘Little Ollie®’ have a shrubbier habit. They’re well-suited to topiary and training as a standard for the classic, architectural tree form. Traditional fruit-bearing varieties like ‘Arbequina’ also grow well in pots, maintaining a smaller stature than they would in the landscape.
In cold climates, bring in potted olives to overwinter indoors. ‘Little Ollie®’ doesn’t bear fruit and is seedless, so it won’t drop or spread. Olives are invasive in the more arid regions of California, so avoid growing them in the home garden here.
David Viburnum

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common name David Viburnum |
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botanical name Viburnum davidii |
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sun requirements Full sun to partial shade |
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height 3-5’ |
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hardiness zones 7-9 |
Viburnum is a versatile shrub with flowers and fruits for heightened interest and wildlife value. David viburnum is a handsome broadleaf evergreen with dark, leathery, veined leaves that look striking in containers.
The shrub stays low and bears clusters of white flowers in spring. It produces notable metallic blue berries post-blooming. Plant two in the same area for good cross-pollination for high berry yields.
Berries begin pink and red before turning turquoise blue. They persist into winter. Leaves take on burgundy tones for fall interest.
Abelia ‘Miss Lemon’

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common name Abelia ‘Miss Lemon’ |
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botanical name Abelia x grandiflora ‘Hopleys’ |
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sun requirements Full sun to partial shade |
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height 3-5’ |
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hardiness zones 6-9 |
Abelia has ornamental foliage and delicate blooms that draw pollinators. Small, glossy, pointed leaves line woody stems. Dainty tubular pink or white flowers cluster on the tips of stems from summer until frost.
‘Miss Lemon’ has sprays of creamy yellow foliage with green centers. Light pink flowers bloom in profusion and are long-lasting. The dwarf ‘Kaleidoscope’ brings vibrant color-shifting foliage from green and golden yellow in spring to red-orange in fall.
Abelia is disease, pest, and deer-resistant. The tough shrubs withstand heat, humidity, and dry conditions.
Gardenia ‘Jubilation™’

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common name Gardenia ‘Jubilation™’ |
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botanical name Gardenia jasminoides ‘Jubilation™’ |
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sun requirements Full sun to partial shade |
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height 3-4’ |
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hardiness zones 7-10 |
Gardenia’s signature sweet fragrance floats on the air from white blossoms that pop against dark green, glossy leaves. As they age, the flowers fade to creamy white or yellow. Gardenias generally bloom in late spring and early summer and year-round in warm climates.
‘Jubilation™’ bears crisp, swirling blossoms on a rounded form with attractive foliage. This one is more cold-hardy than some others. ‘White Gem’ reaches one to two feet tall for good filler with high fragrance. ‘Radicans’ is low-growing at six inches to one foot with gently spreading branches.
Best suited for gardens in the American South, gardenias grow well in containers in colder climates. Bring them indoors to overwinter, trying a spot near a bright window. They’re finicky if conditions aren’t quite right, especially inside, so move them outdoors as temperatures warm.
Arborvitae ‘Emerald Petite’

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common name Arborvitae ‘Emerald Petite’ |
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botanical name Thuja occidentalis ‘Thusid4’ |
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sun requirements Full sun to partial shade |
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height 5-6’ |
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hardiness zones 3-7 |
Cultivars of the Eastern U.S. native species have tightly packed, flat foliar sprays. Forms range from columnar and upright to low and rounded.
‘Emerald Petite’ is a smaller variety than the popular ‘Emerald Green,’ which quickly reaches 10 to 15 feet. Both form narrow pyramids and are vigorous and low-maintenance. The structural forms need little pruning.
For a petite selection, look to ‘Golden Globe.’ It has thick, soft yellow leaves and reaches two to four feet. Long-lived in the landscape, plants grow slowly and have a rounded, globe shape. ‘Tater Tot,’ too, tops out at just two feet.
Arborvitae are easy to grow. Prune them into spirals or tiers for formal focal points; they take topiary and shaping well.
Holly ‘Christmas Jewel®’

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common name Holly ‘Christmas Jewel®’ |
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botanical name Ilex x ‘HL 10-90’ |
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sun requirements Full sun to partial shade |
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height 6-10’ |
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hardiness zones 6-9 |
Hollies brighten the composition with their lustrous, shapely leaves and vibrant red berries that provide food for wildlife, winter interest, and enjoyment as festive holiday decorations. Hollies perform well in container culture, and if a large variety outgrows its pot, it can go right in the garden.
‘Christmas Jewel®’ is an upright, pyramidal variety with a compact habit. It doesn’t need cross-pollination to fruit and produces large red berries in winter, making it a true hallmark of the season.
Dwarf selections and hybrids of North American native hollies are beautiful to feature, too, with wildlife and pollinator value. Look for American holly (Ilex opaca) and yaupon (Ilex vomitoria). I. vomitoria f. pendula has a unique weeping habit.
Juniper ‘Blue Point’

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common name Juniper ‘Blue Point’ |
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botanical name Juniperus chinensis ‘Blue Point’ |
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sun requirements Full sun to partial shade |
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height 12’ |
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hardiness zones 4-9 |
‘Blue Point’ juniper has a columnar shape with blue needles and creates a dramatic focal point in pots. They produce blue, waxy berries during colder months, which extends seasonal interest. ‘Blue Point’ is a classic Christmas tree-shape with tidy upright stems.
Juniper varieties also include low-growing, mounding, and spreading forms for infill at the foundation. Look for ‘Blue Star’ and ‘Angelica’’ for smaller evergreen container specimens with interesting texture and color.
Like arborvitae, junipers take topiary and shaping well for more formal and even whimsical features.
Magnolia ‘Teddy Bear®’

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common name Magnolia ‘Teddy Bear®’ |
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botanical name Magnolia grandiflora ‘Southern Charm’ |
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sun requirements Full sun to partial shade |
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height 16-20’ |
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hardiness zones 7-9 |
Magnolia, renowned for its lemon-scented, creamy white summer blooms, has broad evergreen leaves with a bronze underside. The large, glossy leaves and well-branched form make a beautiful showcase, especially as leaf undersides become velvety in winter.
‘Teddy Bear®’ is smaller than its parent and good for a large container. Classic six to eight-inch white flowers lead to interesting seed pods with red berries. Leaves are particularly brown and velvety underneath as weather cools.
Magnolia grandiflora ‘Little Gem’ is another dwarf grower with dense leaves and a compact, upright habit. Smaller and slower growing than the giant Southern magnolia species, it does well in a container, at least to start. ‘Brackens Brown Beauty’ is semi-dwarf and more winter-hardy than other varieties.
Osmanthus ‘Goshiki’

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common name Osmanthus ‘Goshiki’ |
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botanical name Osmanthus heterophyllus ‘Goshiki’ |
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sun requirements Full sun to partial shade |
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height 5-10’ |
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hardiness zones 6-9 |
‘Goshiki’ is notable for its mottled, multicolored leaves with a delicate holly shape and tight habit. New growth emerges pinkish-bronze and turns green. Cream and gold splashes intermingle with greens.
‘Goshiki’ offers a twist on traditional evergreen features and boasts Royal Horticultural Society Award of Garden Merit status. Slow growing, ‘Goshiki’ reaches five feet in ten years. It makes a longlived container specimen in the right conditions.
Colorado Blue Spruce ‘Fat Albert’

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common name Colorado Blue Spruce ‘Fat Albert’ |
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botanical name Picea pungens ‘Fat Albert’ |
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sun requirements Full sun to partial shade |
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height 10-15’ |
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hardiness zones 3-7 |
A classic pyramidal evergreen conifer, sometimes shaped into spirals and other topiaries, spruce makes a beautiful addition to a container. Dwarf and weeping cultivars are well-suited to potted culture and create attractive visual interest. Spreading selections can fill, trail, and spill.
‘Fat Albert’ Colorado blue spruce is a favorite with thick blue needles on stout stems. Smaller in stature than the species, the conical trees are slow-growing at a couple of inches a year. Their broad bases and lush foliage give full-bodied appeal.
Dwarf Alberta is another beloved spruce with fine, tightly packed needles and a fuzzy look. Its habit is clean and well-formed with upright stems. As slow growers, dwarf spruce have a long container life.