Buxus sempervirens - Boxwood

Latin plant name Buxus sempervirens Common plant name Boxwood Plant type Woody evergreen shrub Size (meters) < 35 m Distinguishing features Arranged in opposite pairs along the stems, the leaves are green to yellow-green. Slow growth of box renders the wood ("boxwood") very hard (possibly the hardest in Europe) and heavy, and free of grain produced by growth rings, making it ideal for cabinet-making, the crafting of clarinets, engraving, marquetry, woodturning, tool handles, mallet heads and as a substitute for ivory. It was used for the propellers in I World War. The biggest boxwood trees (35m) are found in Ireland because they were not cut down during the war.

Cotoneaster

Latin plant name Cotoneaster Common plant name Cotoneaster Plant type Semievergreen woody shrub Size (meters) < 5 m Distinguishing features The leaves are arranged alternately, 0.5–15 centimetres (0.20–5.9 in) long, ovate to lanceolate, entire; both evergreen and deciduous species occur. The flower is either fully open or has its five petals half open 5–10 millimetres (0.20–0.39 in) diameter. They may be any shade from white through creamy white to light pink to dark pink to almost red, The fruit is a small pome 5–12 millimetres diameter, pink or bright red, orange or even maroon or black when mature, containing one to three seeds. Fruit on some species stays on until the following year. The flowers attract bees and butterflies and the fruits are eaten by birds. They are used as a valuable source of nectar when often the bees have little other forage in the June Gap. The red berries are also highly attractive to blackbirds and other thrushes.

Thuja

Latin plant name Thuja  Common plant name Thuja Plant type Evergreen tree Size (meters) < 3 m Distinguishing features The leaves are arranged in flattened fan shaped groupings with resin-glands, and oppositely grouped in 4 ranks. The mature leaves are different from younger leaves, with those on larger branchlets having sharp, erect, free apices. Several species are widely known as cedar but because they are not true cedars (Cedrus) it has been recommended to call them redcedars or whitecedars.

Aucuba japonica - Spotted laurel

Latin plant name Aucuba japonica Common plant name Spotted laurel Plant type Evergreen woody shrub Size (meters) < 1,5 m Distinguishing features The leaves are opposite, broad lanceolate. Aucuba japonica are dioecious, they have separate male and female plants. The flowers are small, 4-8 mm diameter, with four purplish-brown petals. The fruit is a red berry approximately 1 cm in diameter, which is avoided by birds.

Hydrangea - Hortensia

Latin plant name Hydrangea Common plant name Hortensia Plant type Woody flowering shrub Size (meters) < 2 m Distinguishing features Hydrangea flowers are produced from early spring to late autumn; they grow in flowerheads at the ends of the stems. In many species, the flowerheads contain two types of flowers, small fertile flowers in the middle of the flowerhead, and large, sterile bract-like flowers in a ring around the edge of each flowerhead. The color is affected by the pH of the soil; going from white to black, through blue, pink, red and purple. White flowers in the most acid soils and black in the most alcalines. The coffee in the soil will turn the flowers into black. The concrete close to the plant, as it contains lime, will turn the soil into alcaline and  the flowers will be darker.

Rosa robosa - Japanese rose

Latin plant name Rosa rugosa Common plant name Japanese rose Plant type Woody flowering shrub Size (meters) < 1,5 m Distinguishing features Single pink flower nicely scented. They can be either cultivated or wild. They flower during the summer a flat flower and have continous flowering. Attractive red hips that can be used in jellies and drinks.

Hypericum hidcote

Latin plant name Hypericum hidcote Common plant name St. John's wort Plant type Woody semievergreen shrub Size (meters) < 2 m Distinguishing features Lovely yellow flower 2 inches diameter.

Potentilla fruticosa

Latin plant name Potentilla (dasiphora) fruticosa Common plant name Plant type Woody semievergreen shrub Size (meters) < 2,5 m Distinguishing features Yellow flowers and small leaves. The flowers are always small, flat, and round, but there are many dozens on each bush. It is very often used by cities and businesses for landscaping because of its hardiness and low maintenance. It gets leggy when it is old.

Viburnum davidii

Latin plant name Viburnum davidii Common plant name Viburnum Plant type Woody evergreen shrub Size (meters) < 2 m Distinguishing features The flowers are produced in corymbs 5–15 cm across, each flower white to cream or pink, small, 3–5 mm across, with five petals, strongly fragrant in some species. The fruit is a spherical, oval or somewhat flattened drupe, red to purple, blue, or black, and containing a single seed; some are mildly poisonous to people.

Ribes uva-crispa - Gooseberry invicta

Latin plant name Ribes uva-crispa Common plant name Gooseberry invicta Plant type Fruiting woody shrub Size (meters) < 1,5 m Distinguishing features Thorny stems. Delicious edible green berries. Gooseberries are often used as an ingredient in desserts, such as pies, fools and crumbles. They are also used to flavour beverages such as sodas, flavoured waters, or milk, and can be made into fruit wines and teas. Gooseberries can be preserved in the form of jams, dried fruit, or as the primary or a secondary ingredient in pickling, or stored in sugar syrup. Deciduous plant.

Ilex x meserveae - Blue holly

Latin plant name Ilex x meserveae Common plant name Blue holly Plant type Woody evergreen shrub Size (meters) < 2 m Distinguishing features Cultivated holly from Germany. It doesn't have berries and the leaves are not prickly. Low maintenance. It can stand very low temperatures. Ideal for hedging. When the leaves are very light it means that they are not doing the photosynthesis.

Ilex aquifolium - Common holly

Latin plant name Ilex aquifolium Common plant name Common holly Plant type Woody evergreen shrub Size (meters) 1-10 m Distinguishing features Holly is dioecious, meaning that there are male plants and female plants.  In male specimens, the flowers are yellowish and appear in axillary groups. In the female, flowers are isolated or in groups of three and are small and white or slightly pink, and consist of four petals and four sepals partially fused at the base. has bright red berries. It is a slow growing shrub.

Hebe - Green globe

Latin plant name Hebe Common plant name Green globe Plant type Woody evergreen shrub Size (meters) 50 - 100 cm Distinguishing features Low maintenance. Its leaves arrange around the stam in a square fashion. No flowers.

Fuchsia magellanica - Hardy fuchsia

Latin plant name Fuchsia magellanica Common plant name Hardy fuchsia Plant type Woody flowering shrub Size (meters) 2-3 m Distinguishing features It's grown for its flower. It's not native of Ireland, it was brought from South America 200 years ago. It has no fragance. Frost will kill the flower