Boxwood
Because boxwoods are easy to manipulate and maintain in many different shapes and sizes, they always find a home in the garden. Boxwood is an evergreen covered with tiny, oval, glossy leaves. It tolerates shearing into hedges very well. Common boxwood grows to 20 feet tall, but all kinds of cultivars stay smaller. Boxwood will grow in sun or light shade, preferably in well-drained soil, but it can tolerate drought, too. Hardy in Zones 4-8.
Buy It: Sprinter Boxwood Live Evergreen Shrub ($40, The Home Depot)
Andromeda
Also known as lily-of-the-valley bush, andromeda bears pendulous chains of puckered blooms in spring that closely resemble lily-of-the-valley flowers. Andromeda, or pieris, is a 4- to 12-foot-tall, broadleaf evergreen. It produces clusters of fragrant, white, urn-shaped flowers in the spring. This slow-growing shrub likes some shade but also tolerates full sun and needs well-drained soil that's not too dry or too wet. Hardy in Zones 6-9.
Forsythia
A true harbinger of spring, forsythia bursts into a vibrant display of golden blooms before any leaf foliage emerges. Forsythia produces rows of bright yellow, trumpet-shaped flowers on its bare stems in early spring. It usually grows 8 to 10 feet tall. Plant it in full sun or part sun and well-drained, evenly moist soil. Hardy in Zones 4-9.
Buy It: Forsythia Lynwood Gold Root Stock ($15, The Home Depot)
Harry Lauder's Walking Stick
Harry Lauder's walking stick is a filbert used as an ornamental shrub. It sports curling, twisting branches that can be pruned for use in crafts and flower arrangements. It has coarse, veined leaves and grows 8 to 10 feet tall. Filbert shrubs tolerate full sun and part shade and do best in well-drained soil. Hardy in Zones 4-9.
Buy It: Ann's Contorted Filbert Tree Cuttings ($36, Etsy)
Lacecap Hydrangea
Hydrangeas flourish in sun or shade. Huge bouquets of hydrangea flowers, which include mophead and lacecap varieties, show beauty from summer to fall. Lacecap hydrangea features flat clusters of tiny, tight, fertile flowers ringed by petaled, sterile ones. The blue, pink, or white flowers nestle among green foliage in early summer and grow best in well-drained soil. Hardy in Zones 6-9.
Lilac
Lilac boasts fragrant sprays of tiny, tubular florets in pink, white, and shades of lavender during the spring. Heart-shaped, smooth, bluish-green leaves continue through the season and drop in the fall. Lilac grows slowly but lives a long time. Plant in full sun or part sun with well-drained, evenly moist soil. Hardy in Zones 4-9.
Buy It: Dark Purple Reblooming Lilac ($21, The Home Depot)
Mountain Laurel
A showy shrub native to eastern North America, mountain laurel is closely related to azaleas and rhododendrons. Mountain laurel is a broadleaf evergreen that grows up to 15 feet tall. It's vigorous, producing globes of intricate, starlike florets in late spring. Plant in full sun or part sun with well-drained soil. Hardy in Zones 5-9.
Oleander
Oleander tolerates heat, full sun, drought, and salt and takes any soil. Narrow evergreen foliage lines thin branches tipped with colorful flowers all season. Just be careful because all parts of the plant are toxic. Hardy in Zones 9-11.
Firethorn
Pyracantha (firethorn) branches are covered with thorns. They produce white flowers in spring that become bright orange or red berries by fall. Its small, oval leaves are evergreen. This shrub is easy to grow but difficult to prune; plant it in a spot with full or part sun and well-drained soil. Hardy in Zones 5-9.
Buy It: Firethorn ($70, Etsy)
Plum-Leaf Azalea
Deciduous varieties of rhododendrons can fill the gap in areas where dry winters tend to desiccate evergreen types. Plum-leaf azalea, native to the Southeast, bears its fragrant, orange-red flowers in midsummer, later than most azaleas. Shrubs have evergreen foliage and grow to 10 feet or more. Plant in part shade and moist, well-drained soil. Hardy in Zones 5-8.
Buy It: Azalea 'Blaauw's Pink' ($28, Target)
PJM Rhododendron
PJM rhododendron is a compact evergreen that grows 3 to 6 feet tall. It resembles an azalea with its small, leathery leaves that turn purplish in the fall. Spring flowers are pinkish-lavender. Plant in part shade and moist, well-drained soil. Hardy in Zones 4-9.
Buy It: PJM Compact Rhododendron Shrub ($32, The Home Depot)
Seven-Sons Flower
Seven-sons flower grows to 15 feet. It's an example of a "trub" because sometimes it's shaped to grow more like a tree. Its soft green foliage shows off 6-inch-long clusters of fragrant ivory flowers in late summer. It prefers moist soil but tolerates drought, too. Plant it in full to part shade. Hardy in Zones 5-8.