The Best Evergreen Trees for Zone 6

U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zone 6 extends southwesterly from Massachusetts into New Mexico, where it takes a northwestern turn into the eastern half of the Pacific Northwest. The lowest expected temperatures in winter in USDA zone 6 are in the range of minus 10 degrees Fahrenheit. This allows for the growth of an array of evergreen trees --- some conifers and others of the broadleaf variety. The best ones for your landscaping jobs are those native to the part of zone 6 you inhabit.

Where USDA zone 6 includes sections of northwest Virginia, West Virginia, Eastern Kentucky and Tennessee, the Virginia pine (Pinus virininiana) is a native species. The evergreen tree features dark green needles, with 3-inch long foliage in groups of twos on the tree's branches. Virginia pine varies in height, with the smallest no larger than a shrub at about 10 feet and others developing to 50 feet high. The tree may turn a shade of yellowish-green come winter, but the needles can stay on the limbs for up to four years before replacements take over. Virginia pine grows in full sun and makes the adaptation to survive in poor quality sites. Use Virginia pine as a buffer between property lines. Its value to wildlife is an added benefit. The northern bobwhite, for example, uses it for cover and eats its seeds, according to the National Forest Service.

Native to parts of the eastern half of USDA zone 6, American holly (Ilex opaca) is an evergreen tree with spiny foliage associated with the Christmas season. The tree grows in the wild in well-draining but damp soils common to flood plains and mixed hardwood forests, according to the "National Audubon Society Field Guide to Trees: Eastern Region." American holly grows to 50 feet in lightly shaded and full-sun sites. American holly can form groves, hedges or screens and can be employed as a specimen tree. The bright red berries that stay on the tree through the winter months develop only on the female trees. This makes it a necessity to have a male holly specimen close by to pollinate the female flowers, if you desire this feature.

The eastern red cedar (Juniperus virginiana) grows throughout USDA zone 6 as far west as central Oklahoma. Useful for many landscaping applications, including as a windbreak, screen and foundation plant, the eastern red cedar grows as tall as 50 feet. Many of this evergreen tree's cultivars are considerably smaller in stature, including Canaertii, a type that grows only to 25 feet. Eastern red cedar's foliage has a dark blue tint, but it may turn greenish-brown in cold winters, according to the Missouri Botanical Garden. Eastern red cedar's bark is an important ornamental aspect of this species, with a red-brown color and peeling off in long strips from the fluted trunk. Eastern red cedar handles the wet and dry areas of your property. For top flight individuals, plant it in a moist but well-draining location.