Some 'Evergreens' Aren't

By Phran Novelli

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - Bronze isn't just a 3rd place medal, it's also the color of many evergreens in winter.

Some gardeners plant such evergreens because of this color change - shrubs like certain Leucothoe or Abelia as well as groundcovers and vines like Carolina jasmine whose leaves turn a reddish brown when it's cold out. They all reward you with a bronze in winter by adding interest in your garden.

Look at the arborvitaes around you, you'll often see them shimmering with a bronze hue in the winter sun. And like it or not, many boxwoods do it too.

Some people see bronzing evergreens and worry that they're dying -- but if the leaves are still supple and not dead brown or tan and brittle, your plants are probably fine.

So, if you have 'evergreens' that bronze, just enjoy it - it's pretty against the snow and gives your garden a little seasonal variation when there's little else to look at.

And once the temperatures warm up in a month or two, that bronze foliage usually bounces right back and greens up nicely in the spring.