Feathery foliage creates less shade.
Evergreens keep their foliage through the winter, making them appropriate choices for sites where shade, wind protection, sound-proofing or visual screening are necessary. Smaller evergreens, such as ground covers or grasses, add year-round color and texture to the landscape. If you want to plant evergreens but don't want to create dense shade or cover, choose plants with a feathery texture. Feathery evergreens have light, airy foliage or plumes that won't overwhelm their surroundings.
Trees
Evergreen trees provide year-round shade and screening. The longleaf pine (Pinus palustris) has feathery, 8- to 18-inch-long, dark green needles that grow in groups of three. This fast-growing, coniferous tree reaches heights of 100 feet with a narrow, 40-foot spread. The longleaf pine produces 6- to 10-inch cones that attract seed-eating birds. It is hardy in U.S. Department of Agriculture zones 7b to 9 and prefers full sun and sand to clay soil.
Esperanza or yellow bells (Tecoma stans v. angustata) grows as a small tree or large shrub to 20 feet tall. It has feathery, broadleaved foliage and blooms with yellow, bell-shaped flowers from spring through fall. This Texas native attracts hummingbirds and butterflies. It tolerates drought and heat and thrives in full sun to partial shade. Esperanza trees are hardy to USDA zone 8.
Shrubs
Evergreen shrubs grow well as hedges or living fences. The Russian arborvitae (Microbiota decussate) grows to 12 feet tall with a 10-foot spread. It has feathery, bright green foliage that grows in soft, overlapping scales. This evergreen shrub turns coppery purple in winter and has drooping branches. Russian arborvitaes are hardy to USDA zone 3 and prefer full sun to partial shade and well-drained soil.
The feathery cassia (Cassia artemisioides) grows from 4 to 6 feet tall with a similar spread. This evergreen shrub is named for its light-green to silver, feathery, pinnate foliage. Native to Australia, the feathery cassia blooms from winter through late spring with an abundance of yellow flowers. Feathery cassias prefer full sun, tolerate drought well and are hardy in zones 9 to 11.
Ornamental Grasses
Several ornamental grass species are evergreen. Mexican feather grass (Nassella tenuissima) has fine, green foliage, and produces feathery silver plumes in summer and fall. This grass is hardy in zones 6 to 9 and prefers sun to light shade and well-drained soil. It tolerates drought and grows to 2 feet tall. Mexican feather grass self-seeds.
Silver Feather Chinese silver grass (Miscanthus sinensis "Silberfeder") grows to 7 feet tall and is hardy in zones 4 to 9. It prefers full sun and well-drained soil, but tolerates a range of site conditions. Silver Feather grass is named for the large, white-to-pink inflorescences it produces in late summer.
Ground Covers
Feathery, evergreen ground covers help prevent erosion, runoff and weed growth. Partridge feather (Tanacetum densum ssp. amani ) has feathery, silver-white foliage. This evergreen ground cover grows from 3 to 5 inches tall wide and 2 feet wide, and is hardy in to zone 4. It blooms in midsummer with bright yellow flowers. Partridge feather prefers full sun to partial shade and dry soils.
Bar Harbor juniper (Juniperus horizontalis "Bar Harbor") has gray-green, feathery, scalelike foliage. It is hardy in zones 6 to 8 and grows to 12 inches tall. This evergreen prefers full sun and well-drained soil.
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