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Gardening

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Original poster

I think I'm looking for a unicorn......

42 replies

Irritatedcashier · 27/05/2023 21:24

I wonder if anyone can help?

I need a cold hardy, evergreen plant/shrub that's non invasive, slow growing, works in borders and is happy in an exposed spot in what is practically a wind tunnel in the winter. Also needs to be relatively inexpensive.

Bonus points for interesting colours/flowers/berries.

No thorns.

Please and thank you ☺️

OP posts:
LadyGardenersQuestionTime · 27/05/2023 21:28

Hebe?

parietal · 27/05/2023 21:29

Yew? Could be clipped to any shape you like

parietal · 27/05/2023 21:30

Even a unicorn if you are skilled at topiary Smile

Imisscoffee2021 · 27/05/2023 21:30

Pinus mugo.

Okshacky · 27/05/2023 21:31

Gorse/heather

Neverknowinglysensible · 27/05/2023 21:32

Hellebores work for me. Also my much hated, sadly unkillable, pale blue ceanothus.

FutureIsSlim · 27/05/2023 21:34

Photinia (red robin and others) is popular round here (Scandinavia)

Rhododendrums are massively popular. Takes a while to grow bigger.

Slow growing hollies sometimes.

Pinkywoo · 27/05/2023 21:36

Broom?

senua · 27/05/2023 21:37

Choisya.

SleepingisanArt · 27/05/2023 21:38

My dwarf azaleas are evergreen, have been flowering since late March (still going strong), put up with very strong wind, hard frost (we have had some snow in the past few years and they've carried on as usual). They don't mind dappled shade or full sun.

I also have loads of heather (various shades of pink, purple and white). Bought for between £1 and £3 per plant at the supermarket. Going strong, spreading nicely and as they start flowering in late January are great for the early bees. Some are still in flower now.

Sewaccidentprone · 27/05/2023 21:38

I second photinia. We have one in our very exposed front garden that I don’t do anything with. Had it around 10 years and it’s now approx 7 foot. It’s just flowered for the first time and looks beautiful.

Haggisfish3 · 27/05/2023 21:39

Rosemary

RoseAndRose · 27/05/2023 21:39

What sort od size do you want it to be?

Yew is VERY slow growing, and frankly a bit dull, but it can be trained/topiarised into interesting shapes (and you could possibly let something scramble up it for a bit of colour)

Privet is deeply non-yew, but is tough as old boots and you can hack it around it many ways (can be fast growing if happy, but can be cut back any time of year).

Holly - can be bush, hedge or standard.

Box

Choisya

reverseferreting · 27/05/2023 21:40

Euonymus especially the variegated ones.

londonmummy1966 · 27/05/2023 21:48

Cornus sanguinea - not an evergreen but has an amazing halo of red stems in the winter to make up for it

Like PPs Euonymus is a pretty safe bet - there is a pretty one called Blanca where the top leaves are white in the spring which look a bit flowerlike

Aucuba - pretty well unkillable
Cotoneaster

HTruffle · 27/05/2023 22:00

piris? Camellia?

anon12093 · 27/05/2023 22:18

Hosta

notanicepersonapparently · 27/05/2023 22:22

Skimmia would fit the bill too

Original poster
Irritatedcashier · 27/05/2023 23:05

Thank you, lots to look at here. Really don't want rhododendron as they're very invasive here and seem to be more of a weed in this area. Heather also is common but tempting none the less. I'd considered red robin photonia, I really like it but wasn't sure if it would tolerate the wind.
Thank you everyone, you've given me much food for thought ☺️

OP posts:
IcakethereforeIam · 28/05/2023 07:51

Sweet bay? I've always wondered if that can be topiarised.

LovelyDaaling · 28/05/2023 08:04

The purple rhododendron introduced to this country years ago can be invasive. But there are so many that are not.

What about euonymus Emerald n Gold. It adds a lovely splash of color to the border.

FutureIsSlim · 28/05/2023 08:44

I’m not a fan of rhododendrons, but there are always loads planted everywhere here and they just seem to gradually grow bigger, but don’t spread, so I don’t think they're invasive. Handy that they're evergreen.

IcakethereforeIam · 28/05/2023 08:54

It's rhododendron ponticum that's the invasive one.

mauvish · 28/05/2023 08:55

If Rhodos and heather grow well in your area, you've probably got acid soil.

You could look at skimmia - mine has just died but was a mature plant when I bought my house 29 years ago so obviously long lasting! V slow growing, has the most beautiful smelling flowers early in the season.

Escallonia - but be careful, I think the smaller ones are more tender than the large. My large escallonia is again over 30 yrs old and going strong, but my small one got killed off by a sharp winter.

Euonymus - lots of choice of variegation colours in the leaves, cheap and cheerful from every garden centre! Stays true to colour all year round.

Buddleia - lots of choice, difficult to kill. Bees love it.

Spiraea - lovely leaf colours in some types, various sizes available. Long flowering season, attracts insects. IME the darker the leaf, the hardier the plant (my lighter leaved varieties tend to suffer from powdery mildew, though that's easily treated).

All above are evergreen, and available in ant non-specialist garden centre. I have slightly acid soil and a cold garden that gets hit by wind off the moors and all the above have survived!