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11 Plants that Stay Green in Winters

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Do you want to bring life to your garden even in the harsh winters? Here are 11 of the Best

Plants That Stay Green in Winters!

Usually, plants wither after the first touch of chilling winter winds, but there are some plants that don’t mind the harsh cold weather. These are Plants that Stay Green in Winters, and you must plant some of them to keep your garden attractive during winter and early spring.

1. Wintergreen Boxwood (Buxus sinica)

Hardiness zones: 4-9

Wintergreen boxwoods can be a great addition to your winter garden as they do not lose leaves in winters and can even survive under the snow blanket. You can grow these versatile broadleaf plants on hedges, patio, entryways, and garden borders that receive sufficient sunlight.

Growing Tip: 

2. Blue Spruce (Picea pungens)

Hardiness zones: 3-8

Colorado blue spruce is one of the best winter garden plants that look beautiful wrapped in snow. It presents a unique, silver blue-green color all year round and grows in a pyramidical shape. It’s a perfect conifer for large backyards and open landscapes. Apart from that, you can grow the dwarf form of blue spruce in small gardens, patios, and terraces.

Growing Tips:

To know more about Blue Spruce’s growth and care, click here! 

3. Evergreen Hollies (Ilex aquifolium)

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Hardiness zones: 3-9

Hollies belong to the ilex genus of plants, from the family Aquifoliaceae that includes 480 evergreen and deciduous species, many of them having striking green leaves. You can grow a variety of holly trees for creating a hedge or can also use them as a barrier plant. If you are looking for plants that stay green in Winters, this is it!

Growing Tip:

Note: All berries from the holly tree are toxic if consumed.

4. Hellebore (Helleborus orientalis)

Hardiness zones: 4-9

Also famously known as the lenten rose, hellebore is an ideal choice for winter garden, as it flowers in the darkest month of the year. The strong, deep growing root structure of hellebore helps this plant to survive in chilly winters, but keep in mind to protect it from harsh winter breeze.

Growing Tips:

5. Winter Daphne (Daphne odora)

Hardiness zones: 4-9

The winter daphne has yellow bordered leaves and rose-pink flower buds that blossoms in late winter and early spring in white scented flowers. You can grow this fragrant flowering plant on a patio or in a shade garden.

Growing Tips:

6. Japanese Andromeda (Pieris japonica)

Hardiness zones: 5-8

Pieris japonica is a broad-leaved evergreen shrub that stays green during the entire winters. In spring, new foliage grows in red, turning dark green in winters. It starts to flower in late winter and early spring for 2-4 weeks and produces a bunch of copper-pink flowers, making it one of the best plants that stay green in winters.

Growing Tip:

7. Honeywort (Cerinthe)

Hardiness zones: 7-10

Honeywort is also known as a blue shrimp plant, which is native to the Mediterranean region. It is drought-resistant, thriving on neglect. The leaves of honeywort plants become deep blue when the outside temperature gets colder.

Growing Tips:

8. Partridge Berry (Mitchella repens)

Hardiness zones: 3-8

Partridge berry is a low maintenance showy plant, ideal for your winter garden. It produces white fragrant flowers with attractive foliage and scarlet berries. You can grow them around ponds, under trees, or as a ground cover.

Growing Tips:

9. Sweet Alyssum (Lobularia maritima)

Hardiness zones: 8-11

Sweet alyssum is a cool-season flower that can be grown during fall and winter in frost-free climates. It produces tiny fragrant flowers with black or red berries. Some of the varieties die out in the heat but flower again in the fall. If you are searching for plants that stay green in winters, you must pick this!

Growing Tips:

10. Winter Honeysuckle (Lonicera fragrantissima)

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Hardiness zones: 2-5

Winter honeysuckle is an easy to grow, drought-tolerant plant that produces white flowers with citrus-like smell during winters. You can grow it as a barrier or background plant. Take care of the plant as it may get affected by thrips or aphids. It is one of the best plants that stay green in winter.

Growing Tips:

11. ‘Emerald Green’ Arborvitae (Thuja occidentalis)

Hardiness zone: 2-7

Also known as ‘Smaragd’ in the Danish language (which means emerald), this cultivar was originally evolved in Denmark. It is a semi-dwarf variety, with a narrow pyramid structure that maintains the vibrant green color of its foliage in winters as well. You can grow this arborvitae variety as a barrier or hedge plant.

Growing Tips:

Don’t miss checking out shrubs that bloom in winters

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10 beauties for year-round interest |

(Image credit: Future)

Surely everyone wants the prettiest evergreen plants for their backyard? Because while it's important to have color and scent in summer, and greenery at the very least in the winter, why not get the best of both worlds with the most beautiful of evergreens year-round?

‘Every planting scheme should have some beautiful evergreen shrubs to create interest all year round and act as the backbone to the garden design,’ advises Chris Bonnett, founder of Gardening Express .

‘There are lots to choose from and it’s always important to check your soil type so you get the right for the conditions in your garden,’ notes Chris. ‘Generally, these are pretty hardy and can withstand most growing conditions. So when you make your choices, think about your overall garden design or theme, consider your soil type and most importantly pick a plant you love and you know you’ll enjoy whatever the season.’

Below, we've picked out the prettiest evergreen plants for your backyard.

Prettiest evergreen plants

The prettiest evergreen plants aren't just limited to shrubs. You can plant evergreen climbers and evergreen trees for your garden, too, to get color and beauty throughout your space.

1. Hebe

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Sun-loving shrubs from New Zealand, hebes are highly decorative evergreens, and one of the best plants for pots all year round. Instantly recognizable for their mass of perfect, tiny leaves you can choose from variegated varieties or those that are tinged with pink, silver, blue or purple. Sending out purple, white, mauve, blue or pink flower spikes throughout the summer, they are a magnet for bees and butterflies and provide a valuable habitat for other insects too.  

Their dense leaf cover makes them ideal for topiary too. 

Guy Watts, founder of Architectural Plants says, 'Hebe Sutherlandii has a neat compact little leaf which will give you crisp and defined lines when you clip them as a pillow or ball. 

For a looser, fluffier and incredibly dynamic shape to either complement a finely defined cloud pruned or raised head tree, we love to use Hebe paviflora ‘Angustifolia’. Clipped into a pillow they move with sublime elegance in the breeze.'

2. Ceanothus

(Image credit: Alamy)

Also known as Californian lilac, this dazzling shrub puts on a stunning show of vibrant blue or white fuzzy blooms every spring and summer. But it’s not just its floral display that can entertain, the mass of deeply crinkled leaves come in both the deepest glossy green and other variegations including the yellow-green ‘Pershore Zanzibar’ and ‘El Dorado’ and the white-edged green-leaved ‘Silver Surprise’. 

Tough and fairly fast growing, Ceanothus come in many different shapes and sizes. Select from low growing – prostrate varieties, that are brilliant ground cover, spreading up to 6-8ft (180-240cm) wide or tall, upright specimens that can reach anywhere from 6ft (180cm) to 15ft (450cm) – check out ‘Sierra Blue’ and ‘Ray Hartman’. This drought-tolerant plant does vary in its temperature tolerance though, so do check your chosen plant is compatible with your local HDSA zone. 

Portland Nursery specialize in West Coast natives and have a wide range of differing ceanothus. ‘What they all have in common, however, is their need for excellent drainage, lack of summer watering and nutritionally lean soil. Overwatering and overfeeding will shorten the lifespan of your Ceanothus considerably. In their native habitat, they reside in dry forests, dry rocky slopes, and dry wooded canyons.’

3. Camellia

One of the best shrubs for shade, you can grow camellias for their showy blooms, though the gorgeous camellia flower, so associated with luxury brand Chanel, only bloom during the spring months. However, the plant is a beautiful touch year-round, as the leaves stay green throughout. ‘Camellias bring a real show to the garden and make fantastic specimen shrubs, to bring a focal point to borders,’ says Charles Carr, Head of Hillier Wholesale Nurseries .

Place in large containers on your patio, or use in borders as part of a mixed planting scheme.

‘Many camellias can be grown as wall shrubs which makes them invaluable for smaller gardens or for placing beside a narrow walkway,’ says Crocus ’s Plant Doctor Helen Derrin. ‘Simply secure a sturdy support or trellis to a wall or fence, and tie on the pliable stems – ideally in a fan shape to get even coverage.’

Learn to prune camellias to get this shape perfectly formed.

4. Aucuba

(Image credit: Getty Images)

For a shrub that looks slightly tropical the lovely aucuba can actually cope well with most growing conditions. 

The large, eye-catching speckled leaves will stay pretty and green all winter.

'Spotted laurel will grow in deep shade or full sun, making it one of the most resistant and easily-established hedging types available,’ says Morris Hankinson founder of Hopes Grove Nurseries . 

Extremely fast growing and unfussy about most soils, it’s perfect if you need shade and is one of the best shrubs for privacy. The green glossy leaves are splashed with yellow, and once established needs very little attention or pruning. Hardy down to 5℉ (-15℃). 

5. Fatsia japonica

(Image credit: Getty Images)

For a plant that will grow in most conditions, check out the Fatsia japonica.

The hardy shrub will bloom unique white flowers in late fall, but the large, glossy leaves are the real star here. 

Perfect for adding an architectural edge to any size garden, this relatively slow-growing shrub can reach up to  8-13ft (2.5-4m) high. It also grows happily in a large container. 

‘Fatsia japonica looks fantastic planted amongst other plants with a particularly tropical feel, such as bamboo or palms,’ say the team at The Palm Centre .

6. Yew

(Image credit: The Woodland Trust)

The Yew is very easy to grow, and a lovely alternative to a traditional topiary plant, such as buxus. 

The deep green foliage-laden plant will grow almost anywhere as long as the soil drains well. As a bonus, the yew will produce bright red fruit in fall. 

‘Yew hedges are incredibly dense, offering protection and nesting opportunities for many birds,’ say the team at Woodland Trust . 

‘The fruit is eaten by birds, such as the blackbird, mistle thrush, song thrush and fieldfare; and small mammals, including squirrels and dormice. The leaves are eaten by caterpillars of the satin beauty moth.’

7. Magnolia grandiflora

(Image credit: Getty Images)

The magnolia grandiflora is a beautiful evergreen with glossy leaves, large creamy white flowers, which bloom between late summer and fall. 

Slow growing – it can take nearly 100 years to reach a maximum height of 26ft (8m) – and with its dense canopy and only occasional leaf loss, its perfect for providing privacy.  

Experts at Paramount Plants say, ‘It grows best in sheltered warm positions – sunny or partial shade will be good provided not exposed to cold drying winds.’ 

They also add, ‘Native to and symbolic of South-Eastern America the Magnolia grandiflora is amongst the oldest trees on the grounds of The White House, USA.’  

Once the flowers have dropped, the dark green leaves and their rusty coloration underneath become the star of the show, and learn how to prune a magnolia tree to help them keep their shape.

8. Box

(Image credit: Annaick Guitteny)

Box, with its pretty tiny green leaves, is a highly popular plant for hedges, as it's easy to trim, and can even be used as topiary. 

A large shrub or small tree, it grows best in well-drained soil and a sheltered spot in partial shade, as its leaves are prone to scorching in strong sun and winds. 

‘Left untouched, this tree will reach around (7m) over about 40 years, however it is most commonly seen clipped into shapes, hedges and used in gardens for screening,’ say hedging specialists at Practicality Brown .  

‘Clip in the spring, after the last frost to stimulate new foliage development, which will be soft when it emerges, and then hardening to protect itself before the colder weather returns.’

9. Lavender

The perennially popular lavender is a great choice for all year-round interest for both humans and bees alike with its with its scented foliage and flowers.

Grow lavender in a border, edging or place in various pots on the patio. There are numerous varieties available so make sure to choose the best suited to your plot. Flowers range from deepest navy blue, purple through to pale lilac and white. They do vary in strength of fragrance, with the hybrid lavandine and some English varieties such as Hidcote and Munsted amongst the most potent.

‘The care of lavender is especially easy,’ says the team at Red Rock Lavender Farm. ‘It does not require a lot of nurturing and in fact too much watering after established and also using the incorrect fertilizer will often destroy the plants. ’

Learn how to prune lavender to keep the plant dense and well-shaped.

10. Holly

Holly isn’t just for Christmas, although the famous red berries do look extra special with a touch of frost.

The deep green, sharp pointed leaves add of interest to your yard all year round, and you'll always have foliage for a holiday centerpiece to hand.

Nibble resistant and perfect grown as a hedge, tree or shapely shrub, there are many tempting holly varieties to grow, each with their own distinct characteristics. 

Specialists Holly Ridge Nursery suggest Ilex Opaca is ‘The aristocrat of evergreens, this very deer-resistant holly has been overshadowed in recent years, although the popularity if the plant remains strong. This pyramidal keeps its vibrant fruit through the winter when the red of the berries contrasts against the green foliage and is a striking specimen all year.’ 

Other must -grow hollies include the exceptionally hardy ‘Carnival’ with its deep green leaves and large red berries and slow-growing ‘Old Heavy Berry’ that produces dense clusters of dark red fruit.

What is the most beautiful evergreen plant?

We think the magnolia grandiflora is the most beautiful evergreen plant. It is endowed with a profusion of huge blooms in the spring, which give off a gorgeous scent. 

What is an evergreen shrub with large flowers?

The camellia is an evergreen shrub with large, beautiful flowers, which appear in early spring. 

Jill Morgan has spent the last 20 years writing for Interior and Gardening magazines both in print and online. Titles she has been lucky enough to work on include House Beautiful, The English

Home, Ideal Home, Modern Gardens and Gardeningetc.com. Although much of her career has involved commissioning and writing about reader homes and home improvement projects, her

everlasting passion is for gardens and outdoor living, which is what she writes about for Homes & Gardens. 

90,000 trends 2022: What is fashionable to plant and grow

tips

photo
@JDUNCANCANCAMPBELL

1.

Eternally green Plants

Ground a rather large group of plants that remain green year -round. They do not shed their leaves and needles, but simply gradually replace them with new ones throughout the year. Due to their perpetually fresh appearance, they are popular with gardening enthusiasts. These include: juniper, rhododendron, heather, camellia, star anise, ivy, boxwood, thuja, laurel, etc. . Don't be afraid to plant them on your balcony: many species thrive in pots and will delight you with their greenery all year round!

The most unpretentious and winter-hardy types of rhododendrons: Dahurian rhododendron (Rh. dahuricum), it begins to bloom at the end of April, then Ledebour's rhododendron (Rh. ledebourii) and Canadian rhododendron (Rh. canadense).

Photo
Getty Images

2. SUMMER GARDEN FLOWERS

Summer garden flowers such as daffodils, peonies, roses, phloxes, lupins, pansies and other garden classics are gaining popularity again. They are easier to grow than many vegetables, look good in flower beds, and many are suitable for planting on balconies. Don't be afraid to mix different varieties: small-flowered with large-flowered, tall with short and curly - variety is in trend now! The beauty of garden flowers is that the more you cut them for summer bouquets, the better and more magnificent they grow. nine0003

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@lukeedwardhall

TIP: Make each flower bed unique. For example, if you like dahlias, plant a garden plot with them - you will get a beautiful corner. Or plant a whole bed of flowers in your favorite color. Don't be afraid to choose plants with different flowering times so that your garden will be pleasing to the eye throughout the whole season!

Photo
@mccormickcharlie

3.

WILD AND MEADOW HERBS

“Gardens that imitate wild meadows are the latest fashion in landscape design, they leave no one indifferent,” says Yury Fomenko, landscape architect at the Mokh bureau, the author of the herb garden on New Holland Island. “They have everything, starting with pictures-memories from childhood, wind and dew drops in the panicles of cereals, amazing metamorphoses of the garden throughout the year and ending with an atmosphere of relaxation and tranquility. New Perennials style flower beds are built with a combination of grasses and perennials from all parts of the world, planted in large groups based on flowering times.” nine0003

Photo
Richard Bloom
Photo
Richard Bloom (Richard Bloom)

Stone, shadow forms a dense carpet in well-shaped places, in late May is covered with an inconspicuous amount completely changing its appearance.

“Small clusters of flowering plants precisely set accents: somewhere they look elegant and subtle, but somewhere they look bright and piercing,” says Yuri. - Perennials in the flower garden are secondary, but at the same time, as a talented actor in an episodic role, they are absolutely indispensable: thanks to them, the flower garden changes quite noticeably in two weeks, and after a month it begins to look completely new. Grasses and perennials are complemented by several types of annual plants: Bonar verbena, Lindheimer's gaura and common fennel . A fast-growing verbena with an openwork cap of bright purple-lilac inflorescences blooms for a very long time, from July almost to the end of September. White gaura gives lightness and light, and fennel delicately connects the color spots of neighboring plants with its yellow-green openwork umbrellas. By adding other annual plants, you can give the flower garden new features every year - so with well-chosen accessories the same outfit looks different. nine0003

The flower garden shimmers softly with the gold of cereals. They are complemented by perennials and several types of annual plants: Bonar verbena, Lindheimer's gaura and common fennel.

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RICHARD BLOOM

TIP: Choose plants of different heights, forming different levels in the flower garden. The same principle applies to decorating a balcony or terrace with potted plants: make picturesque groups of plants of different heights and shapes. nine0003

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@alexander.hoyle

4. STEPPE PLANTS

Steppe plants can be found more and more often in parks and city beds. They feel great near the facades of houses, especially on the south side, where it is always hot and dry. Sage, tuberous firewort, feather grass, silver fescue are just a few examples of herbs that thrive in dry climates.

Garden by landscape designer Piet Oudolf. On the lawn is a raging ocean of perennials. Main plants: Canadian burnet Blackthorn, amsonia tabernemontana, spotted steaper Atropurpureum, plant-bearing mountaineer Alba, rod-shaped loosestrife and scabiose-leaved patrinia. nine0003

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SABINE BUNGERT

There are also many varieties of frost-resistant grasses with beautiful decorative spikelets, panicles or spectacular feathers. If your balcony is facing south, consider drought and heat resistant plants. Steppe sage, for example, will look great not only in the garden, but also in a box on the balcony.

5. MINI GARDEN ON THE BALCONY

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Getty Images

The mini garden on the balcony is a fashion trend of the last few years, which is only gaining popularity with the onset of the pandemic. To decorate the balcony with plants, use all possible surfaces: shelves, lattices, floor tubs, boxes on the railing, hanging planters. As the main accent, choose a balcony tree in a large pot, you can arrange smaller flowers and plants around, plant 9 in boxes0015 herbs, clematis, daylilies, sweet peas, sage and lavender . Turn your balcony into a piece of paradise!

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Getty Images

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In winter and summer... Which perennials remain green all year round | Flowers | Dacha

Maria Yurasova

Estimated reading time: 7 minutes

24131

AIF at Dacha No. 21. Cabbage: a new approach 11/11/2015

Among my dacha neighbors there are many pensioners who live outside the city almost all year round. Contrary to popular belief, they grow not only potatoes and cucumbers on their plots - after all, man does not live by bread alone. Ornamental trees and shrubs are planted, flower beds are laid out. Yes, that's the trouble: already in October there is little left of all this beauty, except for the coniferous trees. But in my garden, green leaves can be seen almost at any time of the year: I specially planted perennials with wintering foliage. Neighbors often ask for advice on what exactly should be planted on the site so that it looks more fun in the off-season. Perhaps winter-green herbaceous plants will also interest you. nine0003

Carved leaf

Number one on my list of herbaceous perennials with wintering leaves are geuchera, geucherella and tiarella. I give them the palm for a reason. Not only that, their foliage does not wither after the first frost, but decorates the garden until the snow falls. The spectacular leaves of these plants have a wide variety of colors. This is especially true for geyher and geyherella. Green, yellow, orange, purple and "silver" bushes flaunt in the deserted autumn garden against the background of the bare earth. But the carved leaves of tiarelles attract attention primarily with their shape, reminiscent of exquisite jewelry. nine0003

In the spring, the old foliage of the geyher must be cut off, but only after the young leaves start growing.

I have heard that geuchera and geucherella are very capricious plants and die in the very first wintering. In fact, this is not so at all. If you plant them according to all the rules, choosing a place in partial shade and making good drainage, then they will easily endure all the hardships of our long winter. They are not afraid of severe frosts, because they hide from the cold in snowdrifts. In winter, they face only two misfortunes. Firstly, on heaving soils (namely, this is the one I have in my area), plants stick out of the ground during alternating thaws and frosts, and then their roots can really freeze. To prevent this from happening, when planting, I always try to deepen my geyhers, and in the fall I additionally spud them with compost or light earth. Secondly, these plants are very sensitive to wetting and with excess moisture, they rot or rot. Therefore, when choosing a place for them in the garden, it is necessary to ensure that it is dry there not only in summer, but also in autumn and spring. And for those who are still afraid that these delicate-looking plants will not overwinter, I can advise you to cover them with non-woven material just like roses. By the way, geyhers can become excellent partners for the latter. And there is no need to build additional shelter. True, in this case, they will not decorate the autumn garden for long, and you will deprive yourself of the pleasure of admiring their frost-covered foliage, when after night frosts the garden is exactly in a silver haze, and each geyhera bush seems to be a masterpiece of jewelry art. So don't be afraid to take the risk of leaving these plants uncovered - it's worth it! nine0003 Badan. Photo: Maria Yurasova

Not the same flowers

Badan is next on my list. A wonderful plant: unpretentious, reliable, and most importantly, beautiful both in summer and winter. Its large leaves sometimes even peek out from shallow snowdrifts, making you believe that the ice captivity is not eternal and sooner or later spring will definitely come. In addition, in addition to the species badan, which is well known to many summer residents, there are now many different varieties of hybrid origin that differ in size, shape and color of leaves and, of course, flowers, which in this case is not so important, because in autumn it is the foliage that comes to the fore . nine0003

In some badans, with the onset of cold weather, the foliage acquires rich red tones. But, as a rule, not the whole leaf turns red, so the autumn palette of bergenia is a contrasting combination of greens and purple.

Plants with overwintering foliage also include hellebore. Of course, they are planted for the sake of magnificent spring flowering, but dense, strongly dissected leathery leaves on high petioles are also very good, especially in autumn under the canopy of trees against the background of fallen yellow leaves. Dark green, shiny, they argue with bad weather and impending cold weather with all their appearance. A large hellebore bush at this time may well compete in decorativeness with miniature coniferous plants. nine0003

Carpets under the trees

Among other winter green perennials, there are also ground cover plants on my list. Pretty emerald rugs give the autumn garden a special charm, and a couple of leaves that have planned from the nearest tree seem to be woven on a green background with a pattern carefully thought out by nature itself.

Of the ground cover perennials, first of all I would like to mention Goryanka and Periwinkle. The first, unfortunately, is not familiar to all flower growers. It's a shame: after all, this wonderful plant pleases the eye throughout the season. In spring, during flowering, it is simply amazing (it is not for nothing that in Germany it is called the flower of elves), and in summer and autumn it attracts attention due to its spectacular foliage. In many species of Goryanka, the leaves remain green in winter, while they are dense, leathery, sometimes with a wavy or jagged edge. Goryanka grows at a moderate rate, forming dense low curtains, which look especially good under the canopy of trees or large shrubs. nine0003

My dearly beloved periwinkle is notorious among some summer residents. Believe me, this is nothing more than superstition. The fact that this plant is planted in cemeteries speaks only of the amazing vitality of the periwinkle, which, without any watering and care, is able to withstand any Spartan conditions. Growing, it forms dense beautiful carpets, and its small dark green shiny leaves look like the scales of a fabulous dragon dozing in the garden. In addition, the periwinkle has variegated forms that look more cheerful. nine0003

Of course, my list doesn't end there. But even the listed perennials are enough to keep the garden attractive and pleasing to the eye during the dreary off-season.

perennials badangoryanka

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