Evergreen Plants in Oklahoma

Pinyon Pine

• Wet soils are not the place to plant pinyon pine (Pinus edulis), a species of evergreen tree native to extreme western areas of the Panhandle region. Pinyon pine requires rocky, loamy or sandy soils with excellent drainage in which to grow. Pinyon pine develops to 20 feet, spreads out to 30 feet in its canopy and is a slow-growing evergreen. Use it in western Oklahoma, particularly in poor quality soil sites, as a windscreen or a specimen tree. Pinyon pine may be hard to find in local nurseries, making it somewhat expensive, notes Oklahoma State University. The seeds -- protected by the cones -- are edible, with these seeds possessing great value to many types of wildlife.

Escarpment Live Oak

• The escarpment live oak (Quercus virginiana v. fusiformus) is a form of the southern live oak that grows in southern Oklahoma into Texas. This type is much hardier than the southern version, able to withstand the cold, whipping winds it encounters in Oklahoma that drive temperatures sometimes to 20 degrees below zero F. Escarpment live oak is an attractive shade tree for western Oklahoma, with oval, evergreen foliage up to 3 inches long. This oak stands up to drought as well and it can grow to 40 feet, although in the wild it is often much smaller. Escarpment live oak produces acorns that wildlife will eat.

Soap Tree Yucca

• Keep children away from the very sharp leaves of the soap tree yucca (Yucca glauca); the foliage is a threat to eyes and hands. This multibranching shrub only grows to 3 feet and it is native to all but the far eastern counties in Oklahoma. Soap tree yucca works as an ornamental on hillsides, in open spaces and in residential landscapes. The foliage is a medium green color throughout the year. The flowers are showy and they develop on spikes that grow to 2 feet high over the leaves. Soap tree yucca does best in dry areas in full sun.

Green Briar

• Heart-shaped, green leaves are an attractive feature of the green briar (Smilax rotundifolia), an evergreen vine native to much of the Sooner State. Green briar grows in wet and dry settings, but in wet areas can expand well beyond its intended range. Recommended uses of green briar include employment as a screen, to cover fences, to hide disturbed areas and as a groundcover. The thorns it possesses allow you to form barriers with green briar. The spring flowers are inconspicuous, but the leaves do take on a purple tint in autumn.