Good Evergreen Trees to Plant in a Front Yard in Full Sun

USDA Zones 2 and 3

• The U.S. Department of Agriculture's plant hardiness zones 2 and 3 experience very cold winters and cover much of Alaska and Canada. Finding deciduous trees for a landscape can be difficult in these regions, but plenty of evergreens grow here. The Swiss mountain pine, or Pinus mugo, is a versatile evergreen, growing 5 to 20 feet tall. This can make it suitable for mass plantings in a front yard or an evergreen border. It does well in full sun but also handles shade. The reddish tint of the bark on a red pine, or Pinus resinosa, gives it ornamental appeal, allowing you to place it in the front yard as a specimen plant. This tree does require abundant room, because it can grow to 80 feet. The green needles are soft and as long as 6 inches.

USDA Zone 4, 5 and 6

• Much of the Northeast, the Midwest, the central Great Plains and the Rocky Mountains are in USDA zones 4, 5 and 6. Canaertii is a cultivar of the red cedar, or Juniperus virginiana, that rarely gets taller than 35 feet. It is a female tree, generating attractive bluish cones resembling berries. Use Canaertii in the front yard alone or as a privacy screen. The Douglas fir, or Pseudotsuga menziesii, grows only in zones 4 through 6. Requiring moist soil and doing best where there is plenty of moisture in the air, the Douglas fir needs lots of space, because it can grow to 80 feet. This evergreen grows straight and tall, producing small cones, along with dark green needles.

USDA Zone 7 and 8

• Growing wild in the Southeast, which includes much of USDA zones 7 and 8, the American holly, or Ilex opaca, features spiny evergreen leaves and red fruit on female trees. It does well in full sun, so use it the front yard by itself or as a screen. Smaller cultivars can be used in a hedge. The ring cupped oak, or Quercus glauca, is an Asian oak that can serve as a shade species in the front yard. Ring cupped oak grows to 30 feet and has leathery green foliage and ringed acorns.

USDA Zones 9 and 10

• Parts of the Southwest, California, Texas and Florida are in USDA zones 9 and 10. Italian cypress, or Cupressus sempervirens, is an option for these places, growing to 70 feet but no wider than 20 feet. Italian cypress tolerates drought and has aromatic foliage. Keep Citrus "Ponderosa" out of wet areas. This giant lemon tree grows to 25 feet and produces edible fruits -- while not true lemons, they have a similar taste, according to the Missouri Botanical Garden.