Ilex x meserveae 'Blue Prince'

Evergreen plants retain foliage year-round but still shed and replace some leaves gradually as part of their normal growth cycle, rather than losing them all at once.

Deciduous plants shed all their leaves for part of the year (usually in autumn and winter), usually in response to colder temperatures or dry seasons, often producing seasonal colour before leaf drop.

Semi-evergreen plants sit between the two, keeping most of their foliage but losing some or all leaves briefly under cooler or drier conditions before quickly regrowing them.

When designing and planting your garden, it can be useful to know whether the soil is acid or alkaline, as different plants thrive in different soils. The soil pH is a number that describes how acid or alkaline your soil is. The soil pH scale will give you an idea of what soils a species will grow in.

Acidic soils have a pH below 7.0

Alkaline soils have a pH above 7.0

Neutral soils have a pH of 7.0