New Jersey gardens benefit greatly from evergreen plants that offer year-round beauty. These 13 options bring texture, color, and structure to borders throughout every season.
They make any yard feel polished and inviting. Try them for a lasting statement in your garden design.
1. Boxwood
These classic shrubs create the perfect formal edge in any New Jersey garden. Their dense, compact foliage responds beautifully to pruning into neat hedges or sculptural forms.
Many New Jersey homeowners love boxwoods for their deer resistance and ability to thrive in both sun and partial shade. They’re relatively slow-growing, meaning less maintenance for busy gardeners.
2. Japanese Holly
Don’t let the name fool you—Japanese Holly thrives beautifully in New Jersey’s climate zones. Small, glossy leaves create a textured appearance similar to boxwood but with added character and resilience.
Garden centers across New Jersey stock several varieties, from compact ‘Sky Pencil’ to rounded ‘Convexa.’ Their adaptability to different soil types makes them perfect for challenging border areas throughout the Garden State.
3. Juniper
Low-growing juniper varieties create stunning blue-green carpets along garden edges. Their spreading habit softens hardscapes while preventing soil erosion on New Jersey’s sloped landscapes.
Drought tolerance makes junipers ideal for sunny border spots where irrigation might be limited. Many New Jersey gardeners appreciate how these tough plants shrug off road salt and winter winds without losing their vibrant color.
4. Inkberry
Native to New Jersey’s coastal plains, inkberry holly offers a sustainable choice for eco-conscious gardeners. Female plants produce small black berries that attract birds while male varieties provide necessary pollination.
The compact growth habit makes this plant perfect for borders without overwhelming nearby perennials. New Jersey gardeners appreciate inkberry’s tolerance of wet conditions, making it ideal for those problematic soggy spots.
5. Yew
Few evergreens match the versatility of yews in New Jersey landscapes. Their soft-textured needles create a welcoming backdrop that complements both traditional and contemporary garden styles.
Gardeners throughout the Garden State value yews for their remarkable shade tolerance. The rich green color persists through New Jersey’s harshest winters, providing structure when deciduous plants have shed their leaves.
6. Blue Star Juniper
The silvery-blue foliage of this compact juniper creates magical contrast against other border plants. Its star-shaped growth pattern forms a neat mound that rarely requires pruning in New Jersey gardens.
Cold hardiness makes Blue Star perfect for northern New Jersey’s challenging winter climate. The striking color intensifies during cooler months, adding unexpected interest to the winter landscape when most plants look dormant.
7. Mountain Laurel
New Jersey’s state flower also happens to be a fantastic evergreen border plant. The glossy foliage provides year-round structure, while spring brings clusters of intricate pink blooms that stop traffic.
Native to woodland edges across the Garden State, mountain laurel thrives in acidic soils. Many New Jersey gardeners pair this beauty with rhododendrons and azaleas for a cohesive border design that celebrates local ecology.
8. Mugo Pine
Dwarf varieties of mugo pine create architectural interest in New Jersey border plantings. Their compact, mounded form and bright green needles bring a touch of alpine charm to suburban landscapes.
Extremely cold-hardy, these pines shrug off the worst winter storms that blow through New Jersey. Their slow growth rate makes them ideal for busy homeowners who want low-maintenance borders that won’t quickly outgrow their spaces.
9. Andromeda
Also known as Japanese Pieris, this elegant evergreen produces cascades of lily-of-the-valley-like flowers in early spring. The bronze-red new growth creates striking contrast against mature green foliage in New Jersey gardens.
Partial shade locations throughout the Garden State provide ideal growing conditions for Andromeda. Many New Jersey landscapers use this versatile plant to create year-round interest in borders that might otherwise look flat during winter months.
10. Rhododendron
Smaller rhododendron varieties create spectacular flowering borders that maintain evergreen structure year-round. Their leathery leaves curl dramatically during cold New Jersey winters—a natural adaptation to conserve moisture.
Spring brings an explosion of colorful blooms that thrive in New Jersey’s naturally acidic soils. PJM varieties are particularly popular for their compact size and exceptional cold hardiness in northern parts of the Garden State.
11. Hinoki Cypress
Dwarf varieties bring a touch of Japanese garden style to New Jersey borders. Their fan-shaped foliage creates fascinating texture that catches light differently throughout the day.
The distinctive vertical growth pattern makes a bold statement in Garden State landscapes. New Jersey gardeners appreciate how these architectural plants maintain their neat appearance with minimal pruning, even after heavy snow loads.
12. Wintercreeper
This versatile ground cover creates flowing borders that spill gracefully over retaining walls. Variegated varieties brighten shady corners of New Jersey gardens with splashes of cream and gold among the green.
Cold winters across the Garden State don’t faze this tough little plant. Many New Jersey homeowners use wintercreeper as a problem-solver for steep slopes where grass struggles and erosion threatens landscape stability.
13. Cherry Laurel
Compact cherry laurel varieties create luxurious borders with glossy, dark green leaves resembling bay laurel. Their dense growth habit provides excellent privacy and wind protection for New Jersey gardens.
Spring brings delicate white flower spikes that perfume Garden State neighborhoods with a sweet almond scent. Many New Jersey landscapers recommend ‘Otto Luyken’ or ‘Schipkaensis’ varieties for their superior cold tolerance in northern counties.