Arum italicum pictum sprouts in fall and stays green all winter, Some epimediums are semi evergreen.

I saw this healthy greenery this morning. Might it be wild ginger?

That’s the Arum laceyvail refers to.

I have some evergreen ferns and many other perennials which stay green eg. Japanese anemones, Acanthus, Penstemon, Omphalodes, Irises, Cyclamen, Liriope, Chrysanthemum, etc

I have quite a lot - hellebores, epimediums, most of what floral grows, heucheras, bergenia, sedums, hens and chicks, a couple hardy geraniums, helianthemums, farfugium and all my groundcovers.

Since I live in a mild climate and with minimal snow, I want to see signs of life in winter!! 😊

Want to add Christmas fern--Polystichum aristochroides, which handles quite dry woods.

I'm always surprised by how dark green and lush the hellebores suddenly seem at this time of year. Most of mine are in spots where other plants cover them up during the summer, so I kind of forget they are there until the other things freeze back, and when they do it's like seeing a whole different garden emerge!

Now I'm going to be the wet blanket who points out that arums and cyclamen are technically not evergreen since they go through a summer dormancy...

Does kale count? I'm sure I should rip it out next spring and not let it become a mess of yellow gone-to-seed flowers, but chances are it will stay and I'll be answering 'why did you leave that' questions all year

Dear hellebore people, when do you trim off old foliage? I trim mine in January because the plants bloom in February here. A volunteer at the public garden where I work told me it was time to trim hellebores in mid October because the staff at Lewis Ginter had been trimming theirs when she visited. I refused to trim ours thinking that they're young plants so let 'em photosynthesize with the old foliage as long as it looks good. Does it matter?

I think climate/zone/location makes an impact on the importance/relevance of evergreen perennials. Since most years here there are months where perennials are buried under snow, it doesn’t matter whether they are evergreen or not! It is nice though to have things that stay green late into the Fall and things that are green and/or flower early in Spring. I assume that would be what you’re looking for too Rouge…? Sometimes they are the same things and sometimes not… For example, I have mums that flower almost to the end of November but they are late to start growing in Spring. Snowdrops and early crocuses provide flowers in early Spring. So none of those are ’evergreen’ but together they provide color and interest early and late in the growing season, with snow obscuring/hiding their place in winter. Evergreen shrubs, trees, and vines have more relevance here than evergreen perennials. Of course, in areas that are warmer and snow-free in the winter, evergreen perennials would be more relevant.

Cecily, I trim my hellebores just when I see the first new green coming out which is usually late winter/early spring. I have no idea if that is how I am supposed to do it. Well, sometimes I trim a little sooner if the ones near the front door are looking particularly ratty. I will admit to also waiting too long and having to manoeuver around the new foliage. Sigh. I am pretty much a hopeless case.

Thanks for responding Cyn, it's good to hear from someone in my area. I've just trimmed off ratty stuff for years because I like the strong dark green foliage in winter. I wonder if Lewis Ginter trims theirs early to finish up gardening work for the season while they have volunteers available.

Apart from Hellebores & Epimedium the Euphorbia myrsinites, Pachysandra, Phlox stolonifera and Yucca are all looking good.. It has been well below freezing many nights and last night was -7C that is 19F. I must say while certainly not evergreen Pulmonaria 'Mrs. Moon' also still looks quite good and will be one of the first to rise and bloom.

Is ajuga evergreen? It certainly loves the colder weather! It’s now covered with snow but this pic was taken last week:

For me, liriope, hellebore, heuchera, & sedum (and here, so far, the deer ignore all four); all of the groundcovers (vinca, creeping veronica, woodland phlox (until quite late in winter), lamium; and I won't swear, but I think that the beebalm and lobelia rosettes stay green once the spent flowering stalks have been removed.

Ajuga is certainly evergreen here.

Roses keep their leaves for quite a while. Columbines also remain green for the most part. I am leaving penstemon Hartwegi in gallon plastic pots out this time. They are green after a few nights  that dipped to freezing temps but not sure if the greenery or the plants will survive through the winter. I might chicken out and bring them in at some point.




reezing

Asarum splendens caught my eye this morning. Mine is an agonizingly slow grower and I haven't seen blooms yet (after five years) but the foliage is lovely. Plain old dusty miller hasn't been mentioned but it's an evergreen perennial here.

Extra excellent post @NHBabs z4b-5a NH!

....several of the sedges/Carex, including the native pensylvanica and the Asian ’Ice Dance’....

And lo and behold today I spied our one Carex "Ice Dance"

(It continues to look good until the rabbits deem it as food in the late winter)

Forgot Ophiopogon and Liriope.

O. nigrescens in January..

Pachysandra :) ... other favorites are the hens and chicks and ajuga, dianthus as well.

Evergreens not noticed among those listed in above comments are Geum. G. borisi quite evergreen in my 7b zone. Also Stokesia and Mazus. The Autumn Fern stays beautifully evergreen. Others, like Epimedium, Hellibores and Asarum europeaum all look ratty by February, and need cleaning up. Epimedium is easily string trimmed to the ground then, to make way for a better bloom display. My blog is 'the garden of Bogturtle'

Hmmm. I just trimmed a few hellebores back this afternoon in spite of their lush winter foliage. The snowdrops will be sprouting soon and I don't want them stretching to get through the hellebore foliage!

Having a few things stay green was nice for a while but endless evergreen reminds me of cemetery landscaping. What I really need are more berries and colored twigs such as red dogwoods or willows, they'll set off the conifers and hollies I think.

Not to be ungrateful, I put some of my hardworking hellebore trimmings into the holiday planters, I guess they're kind of a poor-man's magnolia lol