Have you been searching for a hardy, low-growing, broadleaf evergreen that isn’t fussy about soil and light conditions and will resist deer? Haven’t we all been searching for that elusive shrub at one time or another? I may have found one, and it is a native shrub, which adds to its desirability.

There is one boring area around the base of a tall tree near our detached garage that needs something leafy and green to soften the harsh appearance of the gravel parking area. We planted daylilies, but insufficient sunlight prevented them from blooming. We then planted mid-sized hostas, which looked beautiful until the deer discovered them and munched them to the ground in one night. I admit, I should have known better than to plant hostas where deer can get at them, but at that time, the critters had not ventured so close to one of our buildings.

Over the last year, we have researched several evergreen shrubs, most of them Asian natives. Many require full sun and are not deer resistan...