Theodore Klein Plant Awards
Small Evergreens
Below you’ll find the Small Evergreens that have received the honor of “Theodore Klein Plant Award” in alphabetical order based on its Latin name.
Carex
‘Ice Dance’
- Cold Hardiness: Zone 5-8
- Size: 1' 3" x 3'
- Light Requirement:Full Sun to Full Shade
- Flowering Time: n/a
- Kentucky Native: No
- Year added to list: 2016
Outstanding evergreen groundcover that makes 15″-tall masses of broad, grass-like leaves edged in creamy white. Extremely vigorous and durable in sun and shade. Deer proof. Few pests. May be a bit too agressive for mixed planting with less vigorous perennials.
Cephalotaxus harringtonia
Chinese Plum Yew
'Duke Gardens'
- Cold Hardiness: Zone 5-8
- Size: 4' x 4'
- Light Requirement: Full Sun to Full Shade
- Flowering Time: n/a
- Kentucky Native: No
- Year added to list: 2017
Outstanding evergreen shrub with deep green needles and a rounded shape. Tolerates heavy pruning althogh plants are best left unpruned for best performance. One of the most cold tolerant and more compact and uniform in growth of the Cephalotaxus cultivars. Slow growing but long lived and durable plant.
Chamaecyparis obtusa
Dwarf Hinoki Faslecypress
dwarf cultivars
- Cold Hardiness: Zone 4
- Size: 3'-8' tall
- Light Requirement: Partial Shade to Full Sun
- Flowering Time: n/a
- Kentucky Native: No
- Year added to list: 2025
Diverse group of low growing, sculptural, compact evergreens maturing at 3’ to 8’ depending on cultivar. Many varieties available with either bright or dark green or bright gold foliage. Best in full sun or light shade. Useful as a featured specimen, container plant, or in a rock garden specimen.
Disporopsis pernyi
Evergreen Solomon Seal
- Cold Hardiness: Zone 5
- Size: 12" Tall
- Light Requirement: Full to Partial Shade
- Flowering Time: Spring
- Kentucky Native: No
- Year added to list: 2025
Stunning low groundcover to about 12” tall with evergreen (down to about 8 degrees F) glossy, deep green leaves. Spring flowers are white/green bells to about ¾” long, hanging below the foliage. Modest spreader, easy to grow with average moisture and full to light shade.
Euphorbia amygdaloides var. robbiae
Wood Spurge
- Cold Hardiness: Zone 5-7
- Size: 1' x 3'
- Light Requirement: Full Shade to Partial Sun
- Flowering Time: Spring
- Kentucky Native: No
- Year added to list: 2010
This evergreen, pest-resistant groundcover is excellent for any shady garden and even works well in dry shade. It produces a dense carpet of deep green, slightly glossy foliage with bright chartreuse spring flowers. Spreads slowly in dry shade but in good soil and moderate moisture it is a rapid spreader.
Be careful of white, milky sap in stems as it can be a skin and/or eye irritant.
Fargesia rufa
Clumping Bamboo
'Green Panda'
- Cold Hardiness: Zone 5-9
- Size: 6' x 6'
- Light Requirement: Partial Shade to Full Sun
- Flowering Time: n/a
- Kentucky Native: No
- Year added to list: 2011
This 6’x6’ bamboo is a clumping grower that won’t spread in the landscape. A graceful, fountain-like grower, it prefers part shade, moderate moisture and is highly pest resistant.
Helleborus x hybridus
Lenten Rose
- Cold Hardiness: Zone 4-9
- Size: 1' 6" x 1' 6"
- Light Requirement:Full Shade to Partial Sun
- Flowering Time: Winter, Early Spring
- Kentucky Native: No
- Year added to list: 2004
This evergreen herbaceous perennial is the star of the winter shade garden. Mounds of glossy green foliage bear heavy crops of flowers from January through early April in shades from white to pink, burgundy, yellow, apricot and almost black. They are not browsed by deer, have few pest/disease problems and love the shade. Excellent cut flowers as well..
Heuchera villosa var. macrorhiza
Coral Bells
‘Autumn Bride’
- Cold Hardiness: Zone 5-8
- Size: 1' x 2'
- Light Requirement: Full Shade to Partial Sun
- Flowering Time: Winter, Spring
- Kentucky Native: Yes
- Year added to list: 2013
Outstanding, green leafed coral bells selection with a low mound of fuzzy green foliage topped in fall with 2′-tall wiry stems with delicate white flowers. Incredibly drought tolerant, works well in shade or part sun and very easy to grow.
Ophiopogon umbraticola
Chinese Mondo Grass
'Sparkler'
- Cold Hardiness: Zone 5-9
- Size: 1' x 1'
- Light Requirement: Full Sun to Full Shade
- Flowering Time: Summer
- Kentucky Native: No
- Year added to list: 2017
This diminutive evergreen groundcover or pocket perennial forms delicate mounds of threadlike foliage to abotu 8″ high and spreading slowly. In mid summer, plants produce small sprays of clear white blooms followed by dark cobalt blue fruit. Durable and easy to grow plant.
Formerly sold under the name O. chingii.
Rohdea japonica
Sacred Lily
- Cold Hardiness: Zone 5-10
- Size: 1' 6" x 1' 6"
- Light Requirement: Full Shade
- Flowering Time: Summer
- Kentucky Native: No
- Year added to list: 2006
This uncommon, evergreen perennial is one of the most overlooked hardy foliage plants available. Long, strap-like evergreen leaves form small clumps that increase slowly. The orange fruit is showy all fall and winter. Somewhat slow growing but durable, resistant to deer browse and tough as nails.
There are many variegated selections that can be quite stunning (and expensive!) in the garden.
Viburnum
Viburnum
'Eskimo'
- Cold Hardiness: Zone 6-8
- Size: 5' x 5'
- Light Requirement: Partial Shade to Full Sun
- Flowering Time: Spring
- Kentucky Native: No
- Year added to list: 2001
This US National Arboretum introduction makes a dense, compact shrub with leathery, semi-evergreen leaves and creamy white snowball-like spring masses of flowers. Tolerant of a wide range of growing conditions, this is a highly adaptable shrub that will fit in many landscapes.
