As far as focal points go, not many tree forms add interest to the landscape quite like weeping evergreens. Trees less than 35 feet tall create an eye-level display of year-round color and texture, making them an appropriate choice for urban gardens. Evergreen trees are classified as broad-leaved or narrow-leaved. Narrow-leaved evergreens have needlelike foliage; trees with wide leaves are broad-leaved. Narrow-leaved evergreens tend to require less moisture than broad-leaved evergreens.
Weeping trees in the Acacia genus include the weeping acacia (A. pendula), a 25-foot-tall evergreen with a low canopy. Native to Australia, this drought-tolerant tree grows in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 9 through 11 and tolerates alkaline soil. It has blue-green, lanceolate foliage and blooms with yellow flowers in spring. The sticky wattle (A. howittii) also grows in weeping form. It has a spreading canopy of dense foliage and produces large, brown seed pods in winter. The sticky wattle grows from 20 to 30 feet tall in USDA zones 8 through 10.
The weeping bottlebrush (Callistemon viminalis) has a low canopy of linear light- to gray-green leaves. It grows to 25 feet tall and in USDA zones 9 through 11. In spring, the weeping bottlebrush blooms with bright red blossoms. It grows well in alkaline soil and wet-to-dry sites. The “Red Cascade” cultivar grows to a similar size, but produces even more striking red flowers. The white bottlebrush (C. salignus) also has a weeping canopy. It tolerates salt and drought, making it an appropriate choice for coastal sites, and thrives in a range of soils. This Australian native grows to 25 feet tall in zones 9 through 11.
Other Broad-Leaved Evergreens
Perfect for sites with moist, sandy soil, the peppermint tree (Agonis flexuosa) thrives in USDA zones 9 through 11. This evergreen grows from 25 to 35 feet tall with lance-shaped foliage, white summer flowers and attractive red-brown bark. Peppermint trees tolerate alkaline, wet or dry soils and may require wind protection. The drooping melaleuca grows to 25 feet tall and has dark, linear foliage. It tolerates drought and alkaline soil in USDA zones 9 through 11. This Australian native blooms with abundant clusters of fuzzy white flowers in spring.
Other Narrow-Leaved Evergreens
The weeping blue Atlas cedar grows to 20 feet with sharply descending branches. It has blue-green needles and thrives in USDA zones 6 through 9 in sunny to partially shaded sites with well-drained soil. The mountain she-oak (Allocasuarina verticillata) grows to 35 feet tall with gray-green needlelike foliage. This Australian native has a low, weeping canopy and produces brown cones in spring. It grows in USDA zones 9 and 10 and tolerates a variety of site conditions, including acidic or alkaline pH, wet to dry soil and drought.
- American Horticultural Society: Weeping Trees
- Urban Forest Ecosystem Institute: Acacia
- Urban Forest Ecosystem Institute: Callistemon
- Urban Forest Ecosystem Institute: Peppermint Tree
- Urban Forest Ecosystem Institute: Drooping Melaleuca
- Urban Forest Ecosystem Institute: Weeping Blue Atlas Cedar
- Urban Forest Ecosystem Institute: Mountain She-Oak
- Colorado State University Extension: Evergreen Shrubs
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