Evergreens For Hedging

Kalm's St. John's Wort

• Native to states centered near the Great Lakes, including Ohio, Wisconsin and Indiana, Kalm's St. John's wort (Hypericum kalmianum) is a low-growing evergreen shrub suitable for hedging. Blooming in July and August, Kalm's St. John's wort produces brilliant yellow flowers. Able to develop in rocky and sandy sites, the shrub has a cold hardiness to USDA zone 4, allowing it to live through winters as cold as minus 30 degrees Fahrenheit. Kalm's St. John's wort will grow in full sun as well as somewhat shady spots. The plant grows only to 3 feet, making it employable in such venues as rock gardens.

American Arborvitae

• The dwarf cultivars of American arborvitae (Thuja occidentalis), including Little Giant, Woodwardii, Holmstrup and Little Gem, are perfect for hedges. Cold hardy to USDA zone 3, this native evergreen of the Northeast and eastern regions of Southern Canada possesses scalelike foliage. This plant will grow in alkaline soil or in acidic sites with equal ease. American arborvitae does much better in the sun than in the shade, where it will become thin and have a more open form.

Wintergreen Barberry

• The evergreen, leathery leaves of wintergreen barberry (Berberis julianae) have several spines jutting out from around their edges. The dark and shiny green foliage of this native to China will change to shades that the University of Connecticut Plant Database describes as "bronze or wine" during the winter months. Despite its name, this shrub, which grows to 8 feet, is only cold hardy northward to USDA zone 6. Wintergreen barberry features tiny, yellow flowers in April. The shrub works as a hedge because it easily tolerates pruning.

Inkberry

• The leaves on the older specimens of inkberry (Ilex glabra) tend to be on the upper half of the plant, which may leave your hedge a little lacking on its lower stems. However, this evergreen shrub does well in wet areas. Use it in the low places that collect moisture during the rainy seasons. Inkberry grows to 8 feet in the eastern and central Southern states. The plant withstands shade and it will grow even where exposed to salt spray from the ocean.