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Often described in a group as "broadleaf evergreens" from their leaf shapes, these shrubs give our landscapes real character. If you have ever lived in a frigid winter climate, you know that the only green relief by February or early March comes from pines and other conifers. But here in western Washington we have many more choices. Rhododendrons populate nearly all Northwest landscapes, and are definitely in the broadleaf evergreen group. Since they're so common, it's helpful to concentrate on others more often neglected in our landscapes.
Many broadleaf evergreens tolerate dry summers much better than rhododendrons do, making them useful in water conservation. The plants listed in this column combine excellent garden attributes: drought tolerance, attractive foliage color, and seasonal flowers. Some of these evergreens become tree-like and may grow to 25 feet or taller over 15-20 years in the landscape.
One excellent plant for screening and for growing into tree form is the Portugal laurel, Prunus lusitanica. When allowed to grow naturally, Portugal laurel blooms in June, with long panicles of white flowers. The flowers stand out against the shiny, pointed leaves, making a striking landscape feature. Dark purple berries appear in late summer. Consider planting Portugal laurel to become a graceful tree, especially if your landscape has a feature you wish to hide! If you cut it down into hedge shape, the flower buds are sliced off and it never blooms.
Portugal laurel can be trimmed into a hedge, but requires constant attention. If used as a hedge it's somewhat easier to maintain than its relative, the vigorous and overwhelming English laurel (Prunus laurocerasus).
Portugal laurel grows rather slowly, but English laurel is frequently and mistakenly planted for hedges, and swiftly leaps into a tangled mass of trunks and branches that defy easy pruning. One writer says "the planting of an English laurel is an act of aggression against one's neighbor -and against oneself as well. It is the fightingest of hedges, pushing outward and upward..." (George Schenk in The Complete Shade Gardener.) To keep your garden easy to maintain, allow the larger laurels to grow up as trees and don't torment them into hedges.
An old-fashioned garden shrub called aucuba shows up in many established gardens, especially those planted decades ago. Aucuba will mature slowly into a 6-10 foot plant, but is easy to keep pruned to 4-5 feet. The serrated leaves, about 4 inches in length vary in color with different cultivars, a common type being green splashed with yellow (Aucuba japonica 'Variegata.') Another cultivar called 'Crotonifolia' carries light green leaves with white spots. Aucuba japonica 'Picturata' lights up shady spots with green leaves that have one bright yellow blotch in the center. The yellow patterns mimic sunlight dappling the leaves. Aucuba grows in shade, and once established, survives the toughest dry summer without extra irrigation.
Aucuba, like holly, is dioecious, requiring a separate male and female plant for proper fruiting. Small, insignificant flowers on the female plants will produce large red berries in fall (larger than holly berries), if there is a male plant in the neighborhood. Aucuba with berries makes a great broadleaf evergreen to cut for holiday decorations in winter. Check with your nursery to get both male and female plants of aucuba.
A handsome small tree is the Arbutus unedo, called the strawberry tree for its ball-shaped red fruit. Arbutus unedo has great landscape value. The trunk and branches become a warm, rusty red-brown as the plant slowly grows to about 8 to 20 feet. It's related to Pacific madrone trees, and the bark color resembles madrone, though Arbutus unedo is native, not to the Northwest, but to southern Europe and Ireland.
Strawberry tree carries dark green small leaves year round, and has clusters of small white flowers resembling pieris, appearing in fall and winter. The prettiest effect of this tree is that red berries show simultaneously with the white flowers. It's another fine tree to have in the garden for holiday trimmings.
Enjoy planting drought-tolerant broadleaf evergreens for year round pleasure in the garden. These are the landscape indispensables.
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