Best Flowering Evergreens for Year-Round Color and Structure

Evergreen Blooms: Foliage Plus Flowers

Flowering evergreens retain leaves through dormancy while producing seasonal blooms—ideal for spots needing permanent presence with color accents. Not all evergreens flower; these six stand out.

Stokes Aster (Stokesia laevis)

Aster/daisy family. Perennial evergreen, easy. Leaves 6–8 inches; cornflower-like blooms 3–4 inches wide in white, pink, lavender, blue. Acidic soil (no lime), full sun, well-drained but moist. Propagate by seed or root division (winter/spring).

Scarlet Milkweed (Asclepias curassavica)

Milkweed family. Perennial grown as annual, evergreen. Leaves 5 inches; flower clusters 2–4 inches, red/orange (yellow cultivar exists). Any soil, full sun to partial shade, regular water. Propagate by seed or cuttings.

Garden Mum (Chrysanthemum hybrids)

Aster/daisy family. Perennial evergreen, fast, easy. Variable flower shapes/colors/sizes; dark green fragrant leaves. To 5 feet. Slightly acidic soil, sun to partial sun, moist. Propagate by division or spring/summer tip cuttings.

African Iris (Dietes iridioides)

Iris family. Evergreen perennial. Leathery leaves 2 feet; 2–4 foot stalks with 3-inch white/yellow-marked iris-like flowers (spring/summer). Any well-drained soil, light shade to near-full sun. Propagate by clump division or seed.

Four O'Clock (Mirabilis jalapa)

Four o'clock family. Fragrant evergreen perennial, fast, easy, drought-tolerant. 2–3 feet, 2–4 inch leaves. Trumpet flowers: red, yellow, white, pink, magenta. Blooms open evening, spring to fall. Any soil, full sun to partial shade. Propagate by spring seed, tuber division, or self-seeding.

Primrose (Primula vulgaris)

Primrose family. Semi-evergreen. Leaves 10 inches; pale yellow 1-inch flowers on 6-inch stalks. Partial shade, rich moisture-retentive soil. Propagate by seed, stem cuttings, division (divide every few years).

These six deliver reliable evergreen structure with seasonal floral highlights across diverse conditions.