How to Buy Live Evergreens

Zone Hardiness

• Evergreen trees and shrubs thrive in diverse climate conditions and widely varied temperatures. Each variety has designated USDA hardiness zones, which means a variety will thrive in its USDA zones' average lowest winter temperatures. Finding the evergreens best suited to your environment increases the chance those evergreens will have a long, healthy life. Ask your county's Cooperative Extension agent about evergreen varieties that grow well in your region.

Landscape Integration

• Visualize an evergreen's impact on your home's landscape and curb appeal. Over time, a comfortably close grouping of vertically shaped trees can encroach on windows and block sunlight. In contrast, south-facing evergreen trees can reflect winter sunlight and help warm a winter-weary lawn and an entryway. Consider evergreens' texture and color combinations as well. For example, the dark-green, well-defined leaves of a Norway spruce (Picea abies), hardy in USDA zones 2 through 8, contrast nicely with the sculptured leaves of a red maple (Acer rubrum), hardy in USDA zones 3 through 9. Sage-colored Pfitzer juniper (Juniperus chinensis "Pfitzeriana"), hardy in USDA zones 3 through 8, offers a dramatic counterpoint to the sharply defined green leaves and bright red berries of an American holly (Ilex opaca), hardy in USDA zones 5 through 9.

Planting Schedule

• Favorable planting and growing conditions increase the chances of healthy evergreen development. Planting in just-thawed, early-spring ground gives the trees and shrubs time to settle before spring rains begin. Fall also can be a good time to purchase and plant evergreens because they'll require less sunlight and water as they go dormant before winter. Avoid planting during the summer months because the evergreens may suffer serious damage from hot weather and a lack of adequate water.

Sources

• Well-established garden centers often stock evergreen trees and shrubs appropriate for their hardiness zones. Large home-improvement stores also offer evergreens at certain times of the year. If you're near an evergreen tree farm, enjoy browsing among its locally grown evergreens while you soak up the farm's atmosphere and get valuable tree or shrub care tips from the on-site owner or manager.

Purchasing Tips

• Creating an evergreen shopping list will help you avoid impulse purchases. Browsing evergreen trees and shrubs with a fine-toothed comb will help you detect potential problems before you spend your landscaping dollars. Avoid specimens with yellowish or brownish foliage, which can indicate disease or drought-stress. Healthy evergreen tree trunks don't exhibit damage. Each healthy evergreen exhibits differently colored and textured leaves, and evergreens commonly drop their old needles or leaves while growing new ones. That process allows the evergreens to maintain their green color. Ideally, the seller will provide you with a written purchase guarantee before you finalize your evergreen transaction.

Transport

• After you complete your purchase, decide how to get your evergreens home safely. If your trees or shrubs are too big for your vehicle, or if handling their heavy containers or burlap-covered root balls could result in injury, the seller probably will deliver the evergreens to your home for an extra fee. Many sellers also can arrange for evergreens' professional installation.