13 Salt-Tolerant Evergreen Shrubs for the Sidewalk Strip

Never underestimate the power of a little bit of year-round greenery. It can truly do wonders for walkways – and for your mind.

When I lived in Oklahoma for two years, wintertime was difficult. There were few evergreen trees or shrubs in my neighborhood, and with no snow, just about everything that was once thriving and green turned a depressing shade of gray for months on end.

I’d come home from work and stare at the hedge of boxwoods in front of my porch, just to see something green. But you know what? It always made me feel just a little bit better.

If you’re looking for the best evergreen shrubs to provide year-round beauty in that strip between the sidewalk and the street, you’ve come to the right place. In this roundup there’s a shrub for everyone, even if you live in frosty Zone 2.

We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission.

To make a good street strip shrub in regions with cold and snowy winters, the plants that you choose can’t be sensitive to salt, as it’s often used to melt ice on the roadway.

Plants in coastal areas can also suffer from salt spray, or saline soil. And if you plant evergreens in the berm outside your house that can’t tolerate salt, they can suffer from discolored foliage, leaf burn, and stunted growth, or they may even die.

So what are the best salt-tolerant evergreen shrubs to shield your home from the road while providing year-round interest and a more pleasing view?

Here’s our selection of 13 of the best evergreen shrubs to plant between the sidewalk and the street.

If you want to grow a moderately salt-tolerant shrub that also