broadleaf evergreens for zone 8?

Hello all,

I am new here, having only just acquired a garden of my own 2 days ago. Said garden is a blank slate of manicured lawn, with a few token scraggly rose bushes around the edge.

I'd really love some suggestions for choosing a few broadleaf evergreen shrubs and trees. We are in east Vancouver, zone 8, and the plants will be receiving full sun all day. On those days that the sun comes out in Vancouver ;)

I will be attempting to rehab all existing sad roses and the few other plants that are already there...

thanks!!

 

Welcome to the forum, LemonTart.

I'm sure you'll get lots of suggestions. I don't know how much room you have to work with, but I'll make a couple of evergreen tree suggestions:

1. Cedrus deodara (Himalayan Cedar). I just planted a few of them. They have kind of a weeping/hanging growth habit (google it) with a kind of blue/mint green color depending on growing conditions. Great privacy tree but will get BIG.

Close-up of mine:



2. One of the evergreen magnolias like Magnolia grandiflora. Flowers will smell.....intoxicating. ;o). Different cultivars will have different sizes and shapes.

 

Arctostaphylos uva-ursi
Buxus semperivirens 'Graham Blandy'
B. sempervirens 'Suffruticosa'
B. sinica var. insularis 'Winter Gem'
Ceanothus 'Victoria' (probably correctly 'Skylark')*
Cistus x hybridus*
Ilex crenata 'Convexa'
I. crenata 'Sky Pencil'
Mahonia aquifolium
Myrica californica
Osmanthus x burkwoodii
O. delavayi
Penstemon pinifolius
Viburnum tinus 'Compactum'

*Some cold damage may be seen

 

Thanks Sea Witch and Ron B, already lots to consider :)

The lot is 33' wide, with a north facing backyard. I've got maybe 40' to work with, some of which is shaded by the house but the back 20-25' has no shade at all. I'd like 2-3 taller trees across the back with shrubs filling in the gaps for privacy, and shorter trees/shrubs along the sides.

I know rhodos are the classic choice here, but I don't like them that much...

 

There is a great variety to rhododendrons, you are probably thinking stereotypic common hardy hybrids are the extent of them - many people do. I did not mention any because you said you were choosing shrubs for sun. If you are planting some shade areas have a walk around the Lam Asian Garden and shadier parts of Van Dusen, see what might capture your interest.

 

LemonTart, let me mention a couple of others not on Ron B's list.

There are all kinds of bushy Junipers (Juniperus sp.) that are nice bushes. You'd have to do some homework to figure out which ones suit you for size and shape.

(I forgot you wanted broadleaf evergreens, which Junipers are not). So let me suggest Salix integra 'Hakuro Nishiki', a variegated willow. There's a "bush" kind and a "tree" kind, depending on the rootstock. It's deciduous, but has interesting purple red stems in winter.

And I'd also suggest some Camelias, (Camelia sp.) and a Gardenia (Gardenia sp.). Gardenias are notoriously fussy, but if you want to devote some time to them, they have the most wonderful perfume....(I guess you can see I'm partial to things that smell good.)

And to Ron B, whose knowledge is vast and has my utmost respect, I don't like rhodo's either, and everyone out here has them. I like to grow things that others don't typically grow.

 

Belated thanks for the further suggestions. I'm most concerned about getting the back, unshaded part of the yard planted, as we currently have zero privacy, and I've heard fall is the best time to plant trees. But I'd also like some plants for shade. Might have to wait for next year for that.

Ron B, I will definitely take your suggestion to check out the Lam garden, and maybe the little japanese garden at UBC too. I love the light, airy look achieved through pruning in these gardens, though I'd imagine it's an art not easily practised by a novice. The tendency of the hybrid rhodos to turn into dense lumps of shrub is why I don't care for them. But maybe an interesting species, if I was brave enough to attempt the pruning.

Sea Witch, I do also love a scented garden - would never have considered gardenia, but I'm going to read up on it now. And that willow is lovely!