Yes, it correct to state that Tetrapanax is an evergreen shrub as opposed to Hippophae which is a genus of sea buckthorns, a deciduous shrub.
Tetrapanax papyrifer (rice-paper plant, or "tong cao") is an evergreen shrub in the family Araliaceae, the sole species in the genus Tetrapanax. 
Hippophae is a genus of sea buckthorns, deciduous shrubs in the family Elaeagnaceae. 
