Pacific Northwest Evergreen Shrubs

The Pacific Northwest has varied topography and climate. Along the Pacific coast, temperatures are mild throughout the year. Farther inland, cold winters and hotter summers prevail. Most rainfall occurs between October through March, with some coastal mountain areas receiving an annual average of over 100 inches of rain. U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones range from 3b in the mountains of Idaho to 9b along the southern Oregon coast. As a result, a wide variety of evergreen shrubs grow in this area.

Oregon grape (Mahonia aquifolium) is Oregon's state flower. Growing 6 feet tall or more in USDA zones 5 through 8, spiny, glossy, dark-green leaves are a good foil for the fragrant, yellow, spring flowers. Blue-black fall berries attract songbirds. Oregon grape does well in most soil types and tolerates shade. For a showy-flowered, tall shrub, consider snowbrush (Ceanothus velutinus). Small flowers mass together for frothy-looking, white flower clusters in summer. The leathery, evergreen leaves can be sticky above and have velvety hairs on the bottom side. Bushes grow from 5 to 9 feet tall in USDA zones 4 through 8. Snowbrush prefers a sunny site with well-draining soil.

With mat-like growth about 6 inches high, bearberry, also known as kinnikinnick (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi), can spread to 3 feet wide by runners. This small shrub has red bark, glossy evergreen leaves and white, urn-shaped flowers followed by red berries. Growing in USDA zones 2 through 6, bearberry prefers acidic, well-drained soils. Growing slightly taller at 9 to 12 inches, creeping mahonia (Mahonia repens), hardy in USDA zones 5 through 8, spreads to 18 inches wide. Leathery, spiny-edged evergreen leaves can develop purplish fall color. Yellow spring flowers produce dark purplish-blue fruits.

The foliage of evergreen huckleberry (Vaccinium ovatum) is grown commercially for floral arrangements. Shrubs can reach 10 feet tall but growth is usually about 4 feet high. It's hardy in USDA zones 7 through 9. In spring, clusters of pink urn-shaped flowers appear at branch ends, followed by fruits that are at first red and ripen to dark purple. Another evergreen shrub valued for bouquets, salal (Gaultheria shallon) has glossy, leathery, large leaves arranged on a red stem. The arching branches bear white, urn-shaped flowers followed by blue berries. Growing in USDA zones 8 through 11, salal prefers a well-draining soil rich in organic matter, and can be invasive.

Plants with gray foliage do best in drier areas of the Pacific Northwest. Big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata), growing in USDA zones 7 through 10, has a pronounced scent that can be minty or pungent depending on the subspecies. The leaves can be dull to whitish-gray in color. Native to the cold-winter Great Basin Desert, it needs sun and is drought-tolerant once established. Use it for screening or in low-water-use gardens. Shorter-growing four-wing saltbush (Atriplex canescens) has gray-green leaves and is about 6 feet tall and wide. It's hardy in USDA zones 6 through 9. Showy, winged, papery-looking fruits are conspicuous at stem ends in late summer. Plants are useful as hedges and need full sun and good drainage.