The Best Florida Evergreen Shrubs (With Pictures) — Identification Guide

Evergreen shrubs are an excellent way to add year-long greenery to Florida garden landscapes. The best Florida evergreen shrubs don’t lose their leaves in winter, thrive in full sun and high humidity and are tolerant to drought. Additionally, many evergreen shrubs in Florida produce abundant fragrant flowers, with some species blooming throughout the year. Finally, due to their evergreen foliage, many shrubs are perfect for adding privacy and shelter or hiding an ugly fence line in a backyard.

Popular evergreen shrubs in Florida include evergreen azaleas, cape jasmine, tropical hibiscus, and cape honeysuckle. Additionally, shrubs like bay laurel, saw palmetto, and cherry laurel are widespread throughout the Sunshine State as hedge plants for privacy.

Choosing evergreen shrubs for Florida’s unique climate can be challenging. The southeastern region has high humidity and plenty of sunshine throughout the year. Additionally, evergreen shrubs in coastal regions must endure coastal salt spray. Also, North Florida can have cold winters, whereas South Florida has a tropical climate.

Therefore, not all plants will thrive in the state, making choosing the right ones for your landscape important.

This article is a guide to the best evergreen shrubs to grow in Florida’s climate. Descriptions and pictures of plants that thrive in hot and humid conditions will help you choose the best varieties to add to your garden landscape.

Evergreen Shrubs For Florida

Florida-friendly evergreen shrubs are typically bushy plants that thrive in USDA Zones 8 through 10. Some species of evergreen multi-stemmed plants like bougainvillea, ixora, allamanda bush, and flowering thunbergia only stay evergreen in Zones 10 and 11. However, shrubs like Texas sage, tropical hibiscus, and azaleas thrive throughout the Sunshine State.

The Best Florida Evergreen Shrubs (With Pictures) — Identification Guide

Please read on to find the best evergreen shrubs to add year-long greenery to your Florida garden landscape. These shrubs thrive in the high humidity and tropical climate of the Sunshine State.

Texas Ranger (Leucophyllum frutescens)

Texas ranger is a full sun, drought-tolerant evergreen shrub for all growing zones in Florida. Also known as purple sage, Texas sage, or barometer bush, the evergreen shrub produces stunning purple bell-shaped flowers. The flowering shrub in Florida blooms throughout the year, with peak blooming in late summer and fall.

Texas sage grows 5 to 8 ft. (1.5 – 2.4 m) tall and 6 ft. (1.8 m) wide. The ornamental shrub is ideal for planting in hot, dry areas and is a great choice for xeriscaping. You can plant Texas ranger as a foundation plant, in mixed borders, or as a specimen plant.

Hardiness zones: 8 to 10

Sun exposure: Full sun

Bougainvillea

Bougainvillea is a tropical full sun evergreen shrub that thrives in Florida, from the Panhandle to Miami. This vibrantly colored shrub produces showy, colorful flower-like bracts in pink, purple, red, orange, and white colors. The bougainvillea plant is a vine-like thorny climbing shrub that grows 3 to 40 ft. (1 – 12 m) tall and up to 20 ft. (6 m) wide.

Bougainvillea shrubs are known for their vibrant, long-lasting flowers that bloom throughout the year. The shrubs are perfect for creating a colorful hedge, privacy screen, or accent plant in a sunny landscape. Also, its sharp, thorn-covered branches make it an ideal security screen.

The drought-tolerant plant requires little maintenance and grows well in well-drained soil.

Hardiness zones: 9 to 11

Sun exposure: Full sun

Tropical Hibiscus (Hibiscus rosa-sinensis)

Tropical hibiscus is a group of flowering evergreen shrubs famed for their large trumpet-like showy flowers. The evergreen shrubs thrive in southern Florida and boast huge funnel-like showy flowers with overlapping, papery petals. The hibiscus flowers grow up to 6” (15 cm) across and bloom in shades of red, pink, white, and yellow.

Tropical hibiscus plants are excellent for foundation planting, flowering hedges, or specimen plants in a tropical landscape. The flowering shrubs grow 6 to 8 ft. (1.8 – 2.4 m) tall. The low-maintenance shrubs are drought-tolerant and bloom throughout the year, making the tropical plants a popular choice for Florida landscapes.

Suppose you want to plant hibiscus shrubs in Central or North Florida. In that case, you can grow hardy hibiscus shrubs or rose mallow. Suitable for zones 5 to 9, these cold-hardy deciduous plants will help beautify your garden from spring through fall.

Hardiness zones: 10 and 11

Sun exposure: Full sun or partial shade

Related reading: The complete hibiscus care guide.

Jungle Geranium (Ixora coccinea)

Also known as “flame of the woods,” the Jungle geranium is a spectacular woody evergreen shrub with fiery-red, orange or pink clusters of pointed flowers. Features of this flowering tropical shrub are its dark green leaves creating a rounded canopy, summer blooms of four-petaled flowers in 5” (13 cm) cymes, and clusters of dark purple to black berries.

Jungle geranium thrives in full sun and grows 4 to 6 ft. (1.2 – 1.8 m) tall and wide. Its compact growth and tolerance for heat, sun, and humidity make it an ideal specimen plant, hedge, foundation planting, or container plant. Ixora blooms throughout the year in tropical climates and attracts hummingbirds and butterflies to the garden.

Hardiness zones: 10 and 11

Sun exposure: Full sun or partial shade

Camellias

Camellia is a genus of evergreen flowering shrubs ideal for all Florida growing zones north of Lake Okeechobee. The ornamental shrubs are known for their evergreen foliage, large double flowers that bloom in winter, and dense growth. Camellia shrubs grow 6 to 10 ft. (1.8 – 3 m). They are the perfect landscaping choice for shaded Florida gardens.

Flowering evergreen Camellia shrubs are ideal in Central and North Florida landscapes. The showy flowers brighten late fall and winter landscapes and flourish despite growing in the shade. You can plant camellias as an accent plant, an evergreen flowering hedge, a privacy screen, or a foundation plant.

Hardiness zones: 7 to 9

Sun exposure: Full shade or partial shade

Wild Coffee (Psychotria nervosa)

Wild coffee is a sun-loving evergreen shrub that thrives in most of Florida’s growing regions, from Jacksonville to the Florida Keys. The ornamental features of this attractive shrub are its clusters of small white tubular flowers, red berries, and lanceolate leaves with a puckered appearance.

The wild coffee shrub grows 2 to 10 ft. (0.6 – 3 m) tall and 5 ft. (1.5 m) wide.

Native to Florida, wild coffee is ideal for growing in the Sunshine State as it tolerates salt and drought and requires little maintenance. You can grow the shrub as a specimen plant, informal hedge, or privacy screen. In addition, the red berries of the wild coffee shrub are a favorite food source for birds and other wildlife.

Wild coffee is on the list of the best South Florida plants for the shade.

Hardiness zones: 9 to 11

Sun exposure: Partial shade or full shade

Allamanda Bush (Allamanda schottii)

Bush allamanda is a fast-growing evergreen tropical shrub with stunning clusters of golden yellow flowers. The showy Amanda bush flowers are funnel-shaped and feature orange throats. These yellow flowers measure 2” (5 cm) across, contrasting with the green leathery foliage.

Allamanda bush grows 4 to 5 ft. (1.2 – 1.5 m) tall and wide. Apart from its stunning clusters of yellow flowers, the evergreen shrub has ornamental ball-shaped prickly fruits in the fall. Allamanda bush thrives in full sun or light shade in South Florida and the Florida Keys. The tropical shrub is perfect for a specimen plant, flowering evergreen hedge, or accent shrub.

Hardiness zones: 10 and 11

Sun exposure: Full sun

Evergreen Azalea and Rhododendron Shrubs

Evergreen azalea and rhododendron shrubs are classic Southern plants, filling gardens in Florida with lush foliage and spectacular flowers. Blooming in spring, azaleas display showy trumpet-shaped flowers in shades ranging from red to pink, purple, yellow and white. Azalea flowers range in size from 0.25” (0.6 cm) to 5” (13 cm).

Several evergreen Azalea hybrid shrub varieties have adapted well to Florida’s climate. Depending on the cultivar, Azaleas can be dwarf, ornamental shrubs growing 3 ft. (1 m) tall or larger shrubs reaching 10 ft. (3 m) in height.

Here are some azalea and rhododendron varieties that thrive throughout Florida:

• Rhododendron’ Blue Tit’: Masses of lilac-blue flowers and the evergreen shrub grows 3 ft. (1 m) tall.
• Rhododendron’ Fragrantissimum’: Large, trumpet-shaped white flowers on the shrub contrast with dark evergreen leaves. The shrub grows 3 to 5 ft. (1 – 1.5 m) tall.
• Rhododendron Encore series: Reblooming azaleas from the Encore series have vibrantly colored red, pink, and white flowers. The evergreen shrubs grow 2 to 3 ft. (0.6 – 1 m) tall, making them ideal for compact gardens in Florida.

Evergreen azaleas are ideal as small hedges, shrub borders, accent plants, or containers.

Hardiness zones: 8 to 10

Sun exposure: Full sun or partial shade

Butterfly Bush (Buddleia davidii)

Also called summer lilac, the butterfly bush is a sun-loving ornamental purple-flowering shrub suitable for North and Central Florida. Butterfly bush produces small, cone-shaped arching clusters of fragrant purple blooms and semi-evergreen leaves. The purple conical flowers grow 8” (20cm) long and cover the shrub during summer.

Butterfly bush has an arching habit and grows 5 to 12 ft. (1.5 – 3.6 m) tall and wide. Growing in full sun, the drought-tolerant plant has rapid growth. In warmer regions of Central Florida, its leaves stay on the shrub. In northern Florida, the shrub has deciduous foliage growth.

Butterfly bush is an ideal foundation planting, shrub border, or container plant in southern landscapes. The fragrant, long-lasting flowers produce excellent cut flowers and dried floral displays. They also attract pollinators, hummingbirds, and other beneficial insects.

Hardiness zones: 5 to 9

Sun exposure: Full sun in moist, well-drained soils

Pinwheel Jasmine (Tabernaemontana divaricata)

Pinwheel jasmine is a fragrant, heat-loving evergreen shrub with pure white, five-petaled, star-shaped fragrant flowers. The pinwheel-like flowers measure about 2” (5 cm) across and have a sweet, delicate fragrance. The shrub grows 3 to 6 ft. (0.9 – 1.8 m) tall and wide and has glossy, dark green leaves.

Suppose you’re looking for a beautiful and versatile plant to add to your southern garden. In that case, pinwheel jasmine is an excellent choice. Its brilliant, showy white flowers and dark glossy green foliage make the evergreen shrub a great addition to any outdoor space. Moreover, you can enjoy its blooms throughout the year in the southernmost tip of Florida.

Hardiness zones: 10 and 11

Sun exposure: Full sun to partial shade

Related reading: Florida shrubs for the shade.

Cape Honeysuckle (Tecoma capensis)

Cape honeysuckle is a tropical vining shrub producing clusters of long-blooming tubular orange flowers measuring 2” (5 cm) long. The rapidly-growing evergreen shrub grows up to 7 to 10 ft. (2.1 – 3 m). However, left to grow as a vine, its woody stems can reach 30 ft. (9 m) long. Its glossy, pinnately compound green leaves add to its ornamental value.

Cape honeysuckle is a great landscape vine or shrub for all areas of Florida, apart from the Panhandle. Its flowering vining stems are ideal for cascading over a retaining wall or growing as an espalier. Additionally, you can prune cape honeysuckle to grow as a specimen plant or hedge to attract hummingbirds and butterflies to your garden.

Hardiness zones: 9 to 11

Sun exposure: Full sun or partial shade

Related reading: Vining plants for Florida.

Cape Jasmine (Gardenia jasminoides)

Cape jasmine is one of the best flowering evergreen shrubs for privacy in a Florida landscape. Also known as common gardenia, this evergreen shrub boasts beautiful, fragrant white flowers that look like showy roses. In addition to its stunning blooms, glossy, dark green lance-shaped leaves that stay lush throughout the year.

Evergreen cape jasmine is a low-maintenance bushy Florida shrub requiring minimal care. The compact, blooming shrub grows 3 to 6 ft. (1 – 1.8 m) tall, making it ideal for small tropical gardens with limited space. You can grow gardenia as an evergreen hedge, specimen plant, or in containers.

Hardiness zones: 8 to 11

Sun exposure: Full sun or dappled sunlight

Oleander (Nerium oleander)

Oleander is a fast-growing flowering shrub with evergreen foliage and white, purple, or pink trumpet-shaped flowers. The five-petaled flowers grow in terminal clusters and cover the tropical shrub from summer through fall. The fragrant blooms attract butterflies and hummingbirds. Its leaves are narrow, linear lance-shaped, and measure 5” (13 cm) long.

Oleander shrubs grow 4 to 8 ft. (1.2 – 2.4 m) tall and up to 5 ft. (1.5 m) wide. It’s ideal for growing as a hedge, screen, foundation planting, or specimen plant. The drought-tolerant shrub thrives in full sun and well-draining soil.

A consideration when planting oleander shrubs is that all parts of the plant are toxic if ingested. Therefore, it’s a good idea to keep the plants away from children and pets.

Hardiness zones: 8 to 10

Sun exposure: Full sun or partial shade

Firebush (Hamelia patens)

Native to Florida, firebush shrubs have spectacular clusters of tubular bright red-orange flowers. It’s a vigorous, low-maintenance evergreen shrub with forking clusters of red flowers, green oval leaves growing in whorls of three, and small glossy black berries. The eye-catching flowers grow 1” to 2” (2.5 – 5 cm) long.

Also known as the scarlet bush or firecracker shrub, this sun-loving flowering shrub grows 2 to 15 ft. (0.6 – 4.5 m) tall and 8 ft. (2.4 m) wide. The fast-growing shrub is ideal for sunny landscapes throughout Florida, where it blooms constantly throughout the year. In addition, the red-flowering shrub works well as a specimen plant, flowering hedge, or container plant.

Hardiness zones: 9 to 11

Sun exposure: Full sun and partial shade

Trumpet Honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens)

Trumpet honeysuckle is a native vine with bright red-orange tubular flowers and evergreen foliage in mild winter climates. The tube-shaped flowers bloom from spring until fall, followed by bright red berries. The climbing vine grows 8 to 15 ft. (2.4 – 4.5 m) long—ideal for covering fences, trellises, or pergolas.

Coral honeysuckle thrives in full sun to partial shade and prefers well-drained soils. The low-maintenance vine is resistant to pests and diseases and is an excellent choice for wildlife gardens. Many gardeners in Florida claim that trumpet honeysuckle is the showiest of all the honeysuckle varieties.

Hardiness zones: 4 to 9

Sun exposure: Full sun to light shade

Croton (Codiaeum variegatum)

Croton is a colorful tropical shrub with variegated leaves in green, yellow, red, and orange shades. The vibrant shrubby plant’s evergreen foliage can be oblong, lanceolate, violin-shaped, or elliptic leaves. Its floral stalks measure 3” to 12” (8 – 30 cm) long and appear in early fall. Growing in full sun tends to cause the leaves to lose their color.

The evergreen shrub grows up to 10 ft. (3 m) tall and wide, making it an ideal specimen plant or hedge. Unfortunately, Croton shrubs cannot tolerate cold. It only grows in the ground in regions south of Miami and the Florida Keys. The colorful shrubs make attractive hedges, border plants, or foundation plantings in tropical climates.

Hardiness zones: 10 and 11

Sun exposure: Partial shade

Small Leaf Clusia (Clusia guttifera)

Clusia guttifera is a popular evergreen hedge shrub for South Florida’s evergreen landscapes. The growth characteristics of the shrub are its thick, leathery teardrop-shaped leaves and dense foliage. Apart from growing as an evergreen hedge, small leaf clusia grows as a small, single-stemmed tree.

Clusia grows 20 to 25 ft. (6 – 7.6 m) tall and wide. The shrub is ideal for planting in full sun or partial shade, and it is highly drought-tolerant. You can grow clusia as an ornamental hedge, privacy screen, or specimen plant.

Hardiness zones: 9 and 10

Sun exposure: Full sun to partial shade

Related reading: How to care for a clusia hedge.

Bay Laurel (Laurus nobilis)

Bay laurel is an aromatic evergreen tree or shrub perfect for Florida’s sunny landscapes. The shrub features a pyramidal growth habit with narrowly-ovate dark green leaves, greenish-yellow flowers, and shiny, small, black berries in the fall. Bay laurel is well-known for its aromatic leaves used to flavor soups and stews.

Bay laurel is a slow-growing shrub that grows 12 to 40 ft. (3 – 12 m) tall. However, the shrub is easy to prune to control its height. In a subtropical garden landscape, bay laurel is a versatile plant ideal for hedges, containers, herb gardens, or coastal landscapes. You can also shape it into topiary forms.

Hardiness zones: 8 to 11

Sun exposure: Full sun or partial shade

Coralbean (Erythrina herbacea)

Coralbean is a sun-loving, drought-tolerant shrub with showy clusters of bright red tubular flowers growing on upright spikes. The ornamental plant produces ivy-like leaves, and its curved red blooms are followed by seed pods that persist through winter. The attractive feature of the shrub is its decorative flowering spikes growing 2 ft. (0.6 m) tall.

Coralbean is evergreen in sunny southern Florida’s tropical climate. However, in North Florida, it drops its leaves in the winter and dies back to the ground before returning in spring.

This decorative shrub grows 6 to 12 ft. (1.8 – 3.6 m) tall and 3 to 6 ft. (0.9 – 1.8 m) wide. Native to the southern US, the shrub is ideal for planting as a specimen plant or as part of a mixed border.

Hardiness zones: 8 to 11

Sun exposure: Full sun, partial sun, or dappled sunlight

Privet Senna (Senna ligustrina)

Privet senna is an evergreen shrub that thrives in sunny, humid Central and South Florida landscapes. The delightful shrub is characterized by its five-petaled fragrant yellow flowers, pinnately compound lance-shaped leaves, and 5” (13 cm) long, thin bean-like seed pods. The evergreen tropical shrub blooms from fall through spring, providing beautiful colors in a mild-winter landscape.

Privet senna grows 4 to 8 ft. (1.2 – 2.4 m) tall and up to 6 ft. (1.8 m) wide. Native to Southwest Florida, the shrub is an ideal ornamental plant to grow along a foundation line, cover an unsightly fence, or in a shrub border. However, it’s intolerant to salt spray or brackish water; therefore, privet senna is unsuitable for coastal regions.

Hardiness zones: 8 to 11

Sun exposure: Full sun

Southern Wax Myrtle (Morella cerifera)

Southern wax myrtle is a fast-growing evergreen shrub for Florida gardens with dense, bushy foliage, fragrant white flowers, and showy, pale blue berries. The large ornamental shrub has aromatic, olive-green, waxy, lance-shaped leaves 5” (13 cm) long. It’s also valued for its showy berries that attract small birds.

Southern wax myrtle grows 10 to 15 ft. (3 – 4.5 m) tall and up to 10 ft. (3 m) wide. The versatile shrub is tolerant to drought and sea spray, making it a great choice for coastal gardens. You can also plant the white-flowering shrub as a privacy screen, shrub border, or hedge.

Additionally, southern wax myrtle is a popular shrub for erosion control in garden landscapes throughout the Sunshine State.

Hardiness zones: 7 to 11

Sun exposure: Full sun or partial shade

Philodendron Xanadu (Thaumatophyllum xanadu)

Philodendron xanadu is a tropical evergreen plant with a shrubby, clumping growth habit. The shrub’s recognizable feature is its huge, deeply dissected leaves that measure up to 16” (40 cm) long. The large evergreen lobed leaves contrast with red flowers in the form of spathes. The clumping evergreen plant grows up to 5 ft. (1.5 m) tall and wide.

Philodendron xanadu is ideal for adding a tropical touch to your garden or indoor space. In cooler climates, it’s a popular indoor tropical container plant. However, in areas of Florida south of West Palm Beach and Fort Myers, philodendron thrives year-long in the ground.

Hardiness zones: 10 and 11

Sun exposure: Full sun to full shade

Florida Boxwood (Schaefferia frutescens)

Florida boxwood is a sun-loving evergreen shrub native to southern Florida. The large shrubby plant has leathery, yellow-green leaves, small pale green flowers, and orange-red to red berries. The attractive feature of Florida boxwood is its attractive rounded shape, small leaves, and minimal maintenance requirements. The small yellowish-green flowers bloom in spring and summer.

Florida boxwood grows 13 to 16 ft. (4 – 5 m) tall and wide. Growing in full sun, the drought-tolerant plant is an ideal foundation planting, shrub border, formal hedge plant, or container plant for a tropical patio or decking area.

Hardiness zones: 10 to 11

Sun exposure: Full sun to partial shade

Cherry Laurel (Prunus caroliniana)

One of the best hedge plants for Florida landscapes is cherry laurel. This popular evergreen shrub, with its dense, glossy, dark green foliage, thrives throughout Florida—from Tallahassee to Miami. Cherry laurel also produces fragrant white flowers in spring and non-edible black, olive-shaped berries in fall.

Cherry laurel is a fast-growing plant that grows 20 to 30 ft. (6 – 9 m) tall and up to 25 ft. (7.5 m) wide. The shrub is easy to grow in southeastern landscapes due to its tolerance to drought and salt spray. Use cherry laurel as a privacy screen, formal hedge, natural fence, or specimen plant.

Hardiness zones: 7 to 10

Sun exposure: Full sun or partial shade

Eastern Baccharis (Baccharis halimifolia)

Eastern Baccharis—also known as sea myrtle—is a cold-hardy shrub that thrives in open landscapes as far south as the Florida Keys. Sea myrtle thrives in full sun and tolerates salt spray, soggy conditions, and sandy soils. The evergreen shrub produces masses of small white flowers with fluffy seed heads that look like paint brushes.

Eastern Baccharis grows 3 to 10 ft. (1 – 3 m) tall and wide. Its bushy, open upright habit has dense foliage consisting of serrated, oval leaves 2” (5 cm) long. Due to its tolerance for difficult growing conditions, the shrub is ideal for coastal gardens, planting near streams, or bog gardens. It’s also a great fast-growing hedge plant for all regions of Florida.

Hardiness zones: 7 to 10

Sun exposure: Full sun

Florida Privet (Forestiera segregata)

Florida privet is a sun-loving shrub native to the southeastern United States. Evergreen in Florida’s warmer regions, the shrub features glossy green lanceolate leaves, small, fragrant greenish-yellow spring flowers, and dark blue or black olive-like drupes.

Also called southern privet or Florida swamp privet, it grows 10 to 15 ft. (3 – 4.5 m) tall and up to 10 ft. (3 m) wide.

Florida privet is a versatile plant that can be used in various landscape settings. It tolerates drought, some salt wind, and intense sunshine. It is ideal as a hedge, screening plant, or specimen tree in coastal and inland regions of the Sunshine State. The shrub is easy to prune to keep it in shape.

Hardiness zones: 8 to 11

Sun exposure: Full sun or partial shade

Florida Hopbush (Dodonaea viscosa)

Florida hopbush is a heat-tolerant evergreen shrub with green willow-like leaves and clusters of tiny yellow-green flowers. The plant’s outstanding ornamental feature is its unique seed pods—red, three-winged fruits resembling tiny paper lanterns. The hopbush grows 10 to 15 ft. (3 – 4.5 m) tall and wide.

Florida hopbush is an ornamental shrub for growing in Florida’s warm, arid regions. You can grow the colorful shrub as an informal hedge, espalier, privacy screen, or specimen plant. Suitable for coastal and xeriscape gardening.

Hardiness zones: 9 to 11

Sun exposure: Full sun

Christmas Berry (Lycium carolinianum)

Christmas Berry is a low-growing, sprawling evergreen shrub producing showy bright red berries during winter. The ornamental shrub has tiny, narrow, glossy green leaves and four-petaled, tubular pale purple fragrant flowers. Christmas berry shrubs grow 3 to 9 ft. (1 – 2.7 m) tall and 5 ft. (1.5 m) wide.

Christmas Berry is an ideal shrub for planting in sandy soil that gets more than six hours of sunshine daily. As its name suggests, the bright red edible berries ripen mid-winter. However, the shrub retains its ornamental interest throughout the year. It performs well in coastal gardens as a hedge, small lawn tree, foundation planting, or specimen plant.

Hardiness zones: 8 to 11

Sun exposure: Full sun or partial shade

Florida Arrowroot (Zamia pumila)

Also called coontie, Florida arrowroot is a shrubby cycad identified by its stiff, palm-like leaves forming large clumps of evergreen foliage. Identifying features of this Florida evergreen plant are its egg-shaped, reddish-brown cones, bright orange seeds, and stiff pinnate leaves. The leaves grow 3 ft. (1 m) tall and the shrub spreads 4 ft. (1.2 m) wide.

Coontie is an ideal plant for tropical landscaping in coastal areas, as it is tolerant of salt spray and sandy soil. It’s ideal as a ground cover, foundation, border, or specimen plant. It also performs well in beachside gardens, adding year-long greenery to coastal landscapes.

Hardiness zones: 8 to 11

Sun exposure: Full sun or partial shade

Small-Leaf Viburnum (Viburnum obovatum)

The small-leaf viburnum is an eye-catching evergreen shrub native to Florida. The viburnum shrub features glossy dark green wedge-shaped leaves, clusters of fragrant white, five-petaled spring-blooming flowers, and red berries that attract birds and other wildlife. In mild winter regions, the shrub keeps its foliage throughout the year.

Small-leaf viburnum grows 6 to 30 ft. (1.8 – 9 m) tall and up to 12 ft. (3.6 m) wide, with dwarf cultivars for smaller spaces. Thriving in marshy ground and coastal plains, the versatile shrubs are ideal as a well-pruned, informal hedge, natural screen, or specimen plant.

In northern regions of Florida, the sun-loving shrub has deciduous foliage.

Hardiness zones: 6 to 10

Sun exposure: Full

Chinese Fringe Flower (Loropetalum chinense)

The Chinese fringe flower is an ornamental evergreen shrub for warm, humid climates. In south Florida gardens the Chinese fringe flower is noted for its evergreen foliage and eye-catching deep scented pink flowers with spindly curling petals. This colorful-leafed shrub is tolerant of heat and humidity and thrives in Florida’s landscapes. For vibrant red leaves and fuchsia pink blossoms, grow the shrub in full sun and water regularly.

The compact mounding shrub with dark red leaves grows 4 ft. (1.2 m) tall and wide.

The Chinese fringe flower is a versatile Florida landscaping shrub perfect for brightening up front and backyards that are in light shade. If you’re looking for a shrub with deep red foliage and delicate strappy petals, then a Chinese fringe flowering shrub is an excellent choice.

Hardiness zones: 7 to 10

Sun exposure: Full sun to partial shade

Saw Palmetto (Serenoa repens)

Saw palmetto is a slow-growing, evergreen palm with shrub-like growth. The multi-trunked palm is easily recognizable by its palmate, fan-shaped frond growing 3 ft. (1 m) in diameter. Other valuable ornamental features of saw palmetto are its long clusters of small, yellowish-white flowers and yellow berries that mature to black.

Saw palmetto grows up to 5 to 10 ft. (1.5 – 3 m) tall and wide. The shrubby palm is an excellent choice for adding tropical texture to your landscape. It’s an ideal solution for foundation planting, planting a security border, hiding a fence line, or ground cover in the shade or sun.

Hardiness zones: 8 to 11

Sun exposure: Full sun to complete shade

Related reading: Small palm trees native to Florida.

Lyonia Fetterbush (Lyonia lucida)

Lyonia fetterbush is known for showy floral displays of pink or white flowers. Native to Florida, the ornamental shrub produces bell-shaped, pale-pink flowers dangling on arching stems. These blooms contrast with leathery leaves growing on sprawling stems. Fetterbush shrubs grow 3 to 6 ft. (1 – 1.8 m) tall and wide.

This slow-growing evergreen shrub thrives throughout the Sunshine State. Its versatility means it’s ideal for shade gardens, swampy ground, and poorly drained soils. In addition, you can plant the shrub for erosion control, screen off a backyard, create a shrub border, or create a cottage garden.

Hardiness zones: 7 to 10

Sun exposure: Full sun to shade

Snowbush (Breynia disticha)

Snowbush is a beautiful, tropical evergreen shrub that thrives in sunny locations south of Lake Okeechobee. The attractive features of the low-growing shrub are its variegated leaves growing on red stems and small greenish flowers. The whitish patches on small green, oval leaves make it look like it’s covered in a dusting of snow.

Snowbush grows 2 to 4 ft. (0.6 – 1.2 m) tall and wide. The shrub’s attractive vase-shaped or rounded growth and low height make it an attractive container plant for patios, decking, or planting in the ground to form a low border or yard divider.

Hardiness zones: 10 and 11

Sun exposure: Full sun or partial shade

Discover the best hedge plants to grow in Florida.

The Best Evergreen Shrubs For Florida Zone 8

The best evergreen shrubs for growing Zone 8 in Florida must tolerate below-freezing temperatures in the winter. The best evergreen shrubs for Florida zone 8 include coralbean, banana shrub, coontie, Texas sage, and hardy hibiscus. These Florida shrubs are ideal for landscaping in the Panhandle—from Pensacola to Gainesville.

The Best Evergreen Shrubs For Florida Zone 9

The best evergreen shrubs for growing in Florida zone 9 are firebush, pinwheel jasmine, cape honeysuckle, and Bolivian sunset. These shrubs with evergreen foliage thrive in all areas north of Lake Okeechobee to Jacksonville on the Atlantic Coast and Cedar Key on the Gulf Coast. It also includes coastal areas of the Panhandle.

The Best Native Evergreen Shrubs for Florida

Evergreen shrubs native to Florida, such as coontie, hobblebush, wild coffee and privet senna, are some of the best varieties for garden landscapes. Native Florida plants and shrubs are adapted to the Sunshine State’s weather, soils, and humidity. Also, native plants are less likely to become invasive and are easier to manage. Additionally, native evergreen shrubs provide food and shelter for native Florida insects, birds, and wildlife.

Related articles:

• Ground Cover Plants in Florida
• Tropical Florida Plants