Ferns

• Ferns reproduce through spores instead of flowering. Hardy ornamental species used in landscaping include the Christmas fern (Polystichum acrostichoides), an evergreen that grows from 12 to 36 inches tall. This adaptable ferns tolerates dry soil and shade and is hardy in zones 3 to 9. Christmas ferns grow in a round clump of dark green foliage.
  
  The giant wood fern (Dryopteris goldiana) thrives in partial to full shade and prefers fertile, moist soil. Giant wood ferns grow from 3 to 4 feet tall and have gold-green, deciduous fronds that turn yellow in autumn. Plant these ferns in zones 4 to 8.
  
  

Conifers

• Coniferous plants do not flower; rather, they produce conelike structures that hold their seeds and pollen. Most conifers are evergreen trees or shrubs, such as pines, firs, junipers and yews, but some are deciduous, such as the cypress. The bristlecone pine (Pinus aristata), an evergreen tree, grows to 20 feet tall and produces 2- to 4-inch-long, cylindrical cones. Bristlecone pines thrive in sun and tolerate a range of soils. They are hardy in zones 4 to 7 and grow slowly in an irregular shape.
  
  The bald cypress (Taxodium distichum) grows to 100 feet tall and produces 1- to 2-inch cones that attract birds. This deciduous conifer prefers full sun and tolerates a range of soils. It is hardy in zones 4 to 9 and has green, needlelike foliage that turns brown to orange in fall.
  
  

Cycads

• Like conifers, cycads reproduce through cones instead of flowers. They resemble palm trees or shrubs. The sago palm (Cycas revoluta) generally grows from 3 to 5 feet tall but can reach a height of 10 feet. It can grow in sun to shade and prefers moist, rich soil. A sago palm has a single, unbranched trunk and stiff, frondlike foliage.
  
  The coontie (Zamia floridana), a Florida native, grows from 2 to 5 feet tall and has lustrous, dark-green foliage. These cycad shrubs grow in a rounded shape and can also be grown as ground cover. They tolerate full sun to partial shade and produce large, red-brown cones.
  
  

Vines

• Gardeners can use nonflowering vines as privacy screens or to add a textural backdrop against a wall or fence. The Algerian ivy (Hedera canariensis) grows to 30 feet long and can be used as a climbing vine or a ground cover. Algerian ivies have large, lustrous evergreen leaves that may turn bronze in winter. Plant this fast-growing vine in partial to full shade in zones 7b to 8.
  
  Japanese ivy is also grown for its foliage. This evergreen vine grows from 10 to 12 feet long and climbs by twining. Hardy in zones 8 an 9, this fast-growing plant prefers sun to partial shade. Japanese ivy has large, glossy leaves and purple to green stems.