We tend to take evergreen shrubs somewhat for granted. You plant them properly, and beyond that, they take care of themselves. The fact is, though, all evergreens lose their leaves. The question is a matter of when they lose them. Deciduous shrubs and trees lose leaves all at once, and stay bare for part of the year.

Evergreens keep their foliage longer, and lose it more gradually. Narrow leafed evergreens, such as juniper and yew, can keep their leaves for two years or longer. Broad leafed evergreens, such as barberry and boxwood, keep it for a year. Both lose the old foliage gradually to new growth, which typically appears in spring.

Evergreen shrubs are also more than, for example, English boxwood and holly and arborvitae. Three especially popular evergreens--azalea and rhododendron and mountain laurel--are all flowering shrubs that many take for deciduous. Broad leafed and closely related as well, they do well in many home garden settings, whether as specimen plants, foundation shrubs, or hedges.

Mountain laurel (Kalmia latifolia) should not be confused with its Mediterranean cousin bay laurel (Laurus nobilis). It's also important to remember that while all azalea are Rhododendron, all Rhododendron are not azalea. Rhododendron, capital R, is a plant genus, established by Linnaeus in 1753, a member of the heath family. In 1834 the English naturalist George Don broke the genus down into eight categories. Azalea--evergreen and deciduous--are two of these.

Starting Evergreen Shrubs

Like many deciduous shrubs such as honeysuckle and forsythia, evergreens can be propagated by cuttings. Because evergreen stems tend to be old growth, it's best to take cuttings from the tips of plants. The cutting should be between four and 10 inches long, and taken from the youngest branches. If taking a cutting during winter, straight cuttings are preferred. When cuttings are taken is important. Narrow-leafed evergreens do best from late fall through winter. Broad-leafed, on the other hand, do best during the growth season.