During the dreary and dull months of winter, there’s not a lot of excitement in the home garden and landscape. Most of the prized flowers, shrubs and trees are still dormant, awaiting the arrival of warm spring weather to come alive again. But during the winter season, there is a large, important group of plants that take center stage prominently. If you look around, all the evergreen shrubs and trees are more noticeable; there’s really no color featured in winter but almighty green.

Let’s define what evergreen plants are. They are plants that retain or have green leaves throughout the year, unlike deciduous plants that shed all their foliage annually. Evergreens do shed their leaves gradually, replacing them with new ones. They are unique in that they have various textures and leaf types, from needle-like (pines) to scale-like (cedars) to broad leaves (magnolias). Their leaves are often tougher, waxier or smaller to conserve moisture and survive dry and cold conditions. And of course, they always display some hue of green.

~ Shane Harris is the county Extension director for Tallapoosa County.