What shrub would you recommend for structure in the garden? Some of us might suggest boxwood (Buxus), and for good reason. These popular evergreens have been cultivated for thousands of years, beginning with the Egyptians and continuing into the 21st century. However, for more than a decade now a fungal disease called boxwood blight has been spreading across the United States, causing the loss of many boxwood plants and forcing gardeners to look for alternatives to use in the landscape.
Related: Read about boxwood blight.
Fortunately, we have access to a wide range of plants that can fill this void, including a few boxwood varieties that are resistant to the disease. Let's check out some plants that can be used like boxwood while providing additional benefits in the garden. Many of these picks are for warmer climates, but some also work in the North.
Distylium
Hardy in USDA Zones 7 through 9, cultivars of Distylium have quickly emerged as a durable evergreen replacement for disease-prone shrubs in warmer parts of the US. And that's no surprise when you hear about distylium’s many features, like shade and drought tolerance, deer resistance, design versatility and beautiful dark green foliage.
In this genus, you'll find several varieties well suited to filling large or small parts of the garden. One example is First Editions Cinnamon Girl (D. ‘PIIDIST-V’), which has plum-purple new growth that becomes blue-green as the leaves mature. With a rounded spreading habit, it's a beautiful addition to landscapes in warm regions.
Bayberry
If you need a hardy, durable plant with salt tolerance, the coastal-native bayberry (Myrica pensylvanica; Zones 3–8) delivers with an attractive structure and foliage that can be semi-evergreen in its warmer growing zones. Providing multiseason interest, bayberry produces leathery gray-green leaves and, on female plants growing near a male pollenizer, unique clusters of blue-gray fruit that remain into winter and attract birds. This species typically grows five to six feet tall but can reach ten feet in ideal conditions.
You won’t find many named selections of this plant in the garden center, but a female clone called 'Morton' was recently developed at the Morton Arboretum in Illinois. This cultivar is more compact than the species and it is an excellent choice for group plantings.
Dwarf Pittosporum
With dark green foliage and a rounded, spreading habit, pittosporum is a popular evergreen among gardeners in warm coastal areas. The species (Pittosporum tobira; Zones 8–11) grows up to 12 feet tall, but dwarf varieties remain under 4 feet.
While less hardy than some cultivars, ‘Wheeler’s Dwarf’ is a frequent pick for its glossy green foliage. It matures at three feet tall and four feet wide, making it the perfect size for planting along sidewalks and toward the front of shrub borders.
Chinese Fringe Flower
Are you looking for colorful blooms and foliage? Chinese fringe flower (Loropetalum chinensis; Zones 7–9) may be the answer. Since the 1800s, gardeners in the US have been using this broadleaf evergreen to fill various needs in the landscape. Ranging from 3 to 20 feet tall and wide, these plants have bright pink flowers in spring that stand out against foliage.
Since space is a limiting factor for many gardeners, consider a compact variety, like First Editions Crimson Fire (L. c. var. rubrum ‘PIILC-I’, which remains three to four feet tall. It displays red foliage to back the gorgeous spring blooms.
Dwarf Yaupon Holly
The Southeast native Yaupon holly (Ilex vomitoria; Zones 7–10) shines in the landscape with a distinct mounded habit, drought tolerance and disease resistance. New growth emerges in spring on smokey purple stems, which mature to glossy, evergreen foliage.
A popular cultivar is 'Nana,' which was developed from seedlings found in Louisiana. It grows three to five feet tall and often shows up as a small hedge or within a border. This cultivar and other dwarfs put on about three to five inches of growth each year; minor pruning and shaping may be needed, but nothing too extensive.
Globe Arborvitae
Small, round forms of arborvitae (Thuja; Zones 4–8) retain the beauty of large varieties while giving you even more versatility. You can plant them along sidewalks and foundations, place them in borders or scatter them around your garden. With varieties that range from small and round to more upright, deep green to more colorful, there's a type for every taste.
A favorite arborvitae of mine is First Editions Planet Earth (T. occidentalis ‘RUTTHU4’), which keeps a perfectly rounded, dense habit without shearing. Additionally, it's resistant to Passalora/Cercospora needle blight and performs equally well in cold and warm climates. During cold winters, its green foliage takes on a handsome bronze tone.
Yew and Plum Yew
Yew (Taxus) is undoubtedly not a new plant, but it continues to be a solid choice for gardeners in cold and warm regions. In Zones 4 through 7, the foundation yew (T. x media) provides evergreen foliage and a tidy shape that looks great along foundations and paths. ‘Tauntonii’ continues to be a popular cultivar with its low, spreading habit that remains dense and resists winter burn.
For gardens in Zones 6 through 9, the plum yew (Cephalotaxus harringtonia) provides similar aesthetics while tolerating heat and humidity. 'Duke Gardens' is a compact cultivar that grows slowly and maintains a dense habit. That said, both yew and plum yew respond well to pruning, making them easy to control if they're growing out of bounds.
Gardenia
Gardenias (Zones 7–9) are classic shrubs that have been a staple of Southern landscapes for centuries because they provide solutions for the garden. In addition to their beautiful green foliage, they provide a splash of pure white blooms and fragrance in through summer.
With so many gardenia varieties to choose from, it can be hard to narrow down the options. If you're looking for repeat blooms, consider First Editions Double Mint, which stays compact and has double blooms that continue to supply color and fragrance all summer.
Image credits: Plum yew by harum.koh/CC BY-SA 2.0 DEED/Flickr.com; Bayberry leaves by rockerBOO/CC BY-SA 2.0 DEED/Flickr.com; Bayberry berries by AssateagueNPS/Public domain/Flickr.com; All others courtesy of First Editions Shrubs & Trees
