High Mounding Evergreen Shrubs

Flowering Evergreens

• Flowering mound-shaped evergreens can do double duty in the landscape. Not only do they retain their foliage through the year, they also put on impressive and colorful spring shows. Flowering evergreen shrubs can be expected to grow 5 or 6 feet tall under most conditions. Select the Wilson rhododendron (Rhododendron x laetevirens) or 'Silver Dollar' mountain laurel (Kalmia latifolia) for mounded shapes smothered in flowers.

Narrow-Leaved Evergreens

• Most narrow-leaved evergreens grow with upright habits. These evergreens resemble trees, both large and small. Some varieties of juniper, however, are mounded and fit for landscaping applications. Look for Chinese junipers, single-seed junipers or Eastern red cedars for a wide selection of mounded cultivars. Rocky mountain and savin junipers are unusual varieties with few mounded varieties.

Broad-Leaved Evergreens

• Broad-leaved evergreens sport distinctive leaf shapes and sizes, creating a wider range of textures when they are used as shrubs. You can prune these plants more precisely without creating an awkward appearance. Japanese holly (Ilex crenata) is a favorite of birds and small animals because of the small berries it produces. Several holly cultivars take a mounded form -- look for 'Beehive,' 'Green Island,' 'Green Lustre,' or 'Helleri' at your nursery. Less common broad-leaf selections include 'Winter Creeper' (Euonymus fortunei) 'Green Lane' and 'Sweetbox' (Sarcococca hookeriana).

Extra Large Mounding Shrubs

• If you want to grow truly enormous mounding shrubs, choose the mugo pine (Pinus mugo). These mounding shrubs can grow up to 10 feet tall and 15 feet wide. They have needle-like foliage but are tolerant to pruning. Plant the cultivar called 'Mops' for the biggest mounding shrubs -- this cultivar is among the largest of the mugo pines.