An evergreen feature tree earns its position twelve months a year rather than putting on a display and then standing bare. That matters most in small gardens and courtyards where a single tree carries the whole space.

Magnolias give the largest flowers and glossiest foliage. Olives and Agonis bring silver and movement. Ficus and lilly pilly deliver dense green mass, and conifers hold rigid architectural shape.

Evergreens cast shade year-round, which is worth planning around. Where you want winter sun into a north-facing window, a deciduous tree is usually the better choice.