Semi-evergreen
/seh-mee-EV-er-green/🌱 Growth Habits●● Intermediate
Also known as: semi-deciduous
A plant that keeps a portion of its foliage through the cold season but may shed some or all leaves in colder parts of its range. In mild winters or warmer zones, semi-evergreen plants often behave as full evergreens; in harsher conditions, they may become fully deciduous. This trait makes them useful transitional plants in mixed borders where year-round structure is desired but not guaranteed.
Etymology
Latin semi- (half) + evergreen
Example
“Ligustrum japonicum is semi-evergreen, holding its glossy leaves in mild winters but dropping them when temperatures fall below −10 °C.”