Evergreen trees are used to provide color year-round, but some also have weeping or pendulous form that is extra exciting! See my top six picks.
We know that evergreen trees maintain interest in the winter through their continuous color, but if an evergreen tree also has a weeping or pendulous form to it, there is even more interest and excitement created. Whether you are in warm southern climates, or cold northern regions there is a weeping, evergreen tree suitable for your garden!
Here are my top six weeping evergreen trees for winter, and year-round, interest:
Tollesons Green Weeping Rocky Mountiain Juniper (Juniperus scopulorum ‘Tolleson’s Green Weeping’) – Hardy zones 4-9a. This juniper grows 25-30 tall and wide. The weeping juniper creates a dramatic figure in the garden with long pendulous branches and drooping foliage. From a distance the branches appear very moss-like as they hang. This evergreen prefers full sun and dry or well-drained soil.
Weeping Chinese Elm (Ulmus parvifolia ‘Sempervirens’) – Hardy zones 8-10. The weeping Chinese elm tree is often seen as a landscaping tree around office buildings or along parking lots because of its beautiful silhouette and structure. It is generally considered evergreen in zones 8 and higher, but in colder areas may loose it leaves after a colorful autumn show of red, yellow or purple foliage. Usually growing to around 30-40’ tall and wide some specimens have grown as large as 80’.
Weeping Bottlebrush (Callistemon viminalis) – Hardy zones 9-11. This tropical evergreen tree grows only 20-25’ making it useful even in small garden corners. The tree gets it common name from the brilliant red flowers that adorn the end of the branches and resemble large bottlebrushes. In the spring these red bottlebrush flowers dangle at the end of the arching branches and wave in the wind. Prefers full sun. The tree is multi-stemmed and will grow shrubby unless the lower branches are pruned. Trimming lower branches also shows off the long, pendulous nature of the tree branches and allows them to sway pleasantly in the breeze.
Sargent’s Weeping Canadian Hemlock (Tsuga canadensis var. ‘Sargentii’) - Hardy zones 3-7. This low growing, dense tree is one of the most common weeping evergreen trees for home garden use. Beautiful green foliage stays colorful all year. It is easy to prune this 10’ tall and 20’-30’ wide tree to create a unique silhouette. Gardener’s need to be aware that this tree will grow with a wide, spreading habit unless staked upright, but pruning is an easy to shape tree as desired.
Weeping Yaupon Holly (Ilex vomitoria ‘Pendula’) - Hardy zones 7 -9. This tree is a semi-drought tolerant weeping holly. The evergreen leaves are tiny and oval shaped. This holly has masses of bright red berries in the winter providing plenty of interest in addition to its unique silhouette and evergreen foliage. It prefers full to part sun and can grow as tall as 25’ and up to 12’ wide although smaller cultivars are available. This evergreen tree will tolerate poor, wet or dry soil conditions.
Weeping Norway Spruce (Picea abies ‘Pendula’) – Hardy zones 3-7. This form of the Norway spruce is unique because of the weeping branches that shoot off from the central stem and carry their own drooping branchlets. A dark green tree with evergreen foliage, this spruce will grow to about 15’ if stacked but will lean dramatically if left to grow unstaked. Prefers the colder climates and will not do well south of zone 7.
See other plants with weeping form.
- Weeping Deciduous Trees
- Weeping Evergreen Trees
- Weeping Deciduous Shrubs
- Weeping Evergreen Shrubs
- Cascading Perennials
- Cascading Annuals
Or find out how to use plants with interesting silhouettes for winter interest.
