Ornamental · Buxaceae
Japanese Pachysandra
Pachysandra terminalis
Give it deep shade and rich, moist soil, and pachysandra spreads into a glossy evergreen carpet that sticks around for years.
Full shade
Every 7–14 days
USDA 4–9
6–12 in · 15–30 cm
Overview
Got a shady spot where the grass just gives up? Pachysandra is made for exactly that. It's an evergreen groundcover in the boxwood family, from Japan and China, where it creeps along the forest floor on underground runners. Plant it under some trees or along the shady north side of the house and it'll do the same thing, weaving into a low, dark green mat.
What's great is how little it asks for. It hangs onto those glossy leaves all winter, stays around 6 to 12 inches (15 to 30 cm) tall, and smothers weeds once it fills in. You'll get little white flower spikes in early spring, but let's be honest, most people grow it for the leaves, not the flowers.
Two things really keep it happy: shade and airflow. Put it somewhere the sun can't bake it and the leaves dry off quickly after rain, and it pretty much runs itself. Cram it into damp, stuffy air, though, and you're asking for Volutella blight, which is about the only real headache this plant hands you.
Care
The short version: part to full shade, in rich, moist, well-drained soil that's a little acidic. Water it through dry stretches, don't let the bed get crowded and stuffy, and rake off the fallen leaves, and you'll keep blight in check.
Light
Pachysandra is a real shade plant, so it wants part to full shade. Dappled light under trees or the shady side of a building is just right, while full sun bleaches and scorches the leaves and leaves the plant weaker.
Water
Keep the soil evenly moist, watering about every 7 to 14 days when rain's been scarce, though a settled bed handles dry shade just fine. Water down at the base with drip, not from above, since wet leaves are exactly what Volutella blight wants.
Soil
Give it rich, moist, well-drained soil that's a touch acidic, ideally a pH of 5.5 to 6.5. Loam or clay both work, as long as the water actually drains, because soggy ground will rot the roots.
Temperature
This one's seriously cold-hardy, taking anything from about -29°F to 95°F (-34°C to 35°C). It rides out tough winters right in the ground, though a drying winter wind can scorch any leaves left out in the open.
Humidity
Regular outdoor air is all it needs, so there's no humidity number to hit. What matters way more is airflow, because it's those crowded, still beds where leaf blight gets going.
Feeding
Pachysandra barely needs feeding at all. A light balanced fertilizer in spring is plenty, and piling on more just invites disease by pushing soft, crowded growth.
Pruning
There's not much to do here. Thin or mow a crowded bed to let air move through, pull out any diseased or scorched leaves, and rake up fallen ones so spores can't spend the winter there.
Repotting
This is a groundcover, not a pot plant, so it's hardly ever containerized or repotted. Once it's in the ground it stays put and spreads on its own by runners.
Size & spacing
Plants stay low at 6 to 12 inches (15 to 30 cm) tall and each one spreads 12 to 18 inches (30 to 45 cm). Set new divisions 6 to 12 inches apart and they'll close the gaps over a few seasons.
When to plant
Pachysandra is a hardy perennial that settles in slowly, so don't expect a rush. Plant it in spring or early fall while the soil's cool and damp, keep an eye out for the short white flower spikes in early spring, and give the bed about three years to close into a full groundcover.
Northern hemisphere
Southern hemisphere
Typical months for a temperate climate: start earlier in warm zones, later where spring frosts linger.
- Plant: spring or early fall
- Harvest: early to mid spring (April)
Hardiness
USDA hardiness zones: 4–9
Temperature: down to -34°C
Troubleshooting
Most pachysandra trouble shows up in the leaves, either as bleaching from too much sun or as the spots and dieback of disease. Spot the early signs and you can jump in before a patch takes over the whole bed. Find the one below that matches what you're seeing, then act while it still helps.
Target-ringed spots, dark stems, and dying patches
This is Volutella leaf and stem blight, and it's the one problem that really matters with this plant. It loves crowded, damp beds, so you'll see tan spots ringed like a bullseye, stems turning brown to black, and salmon-pink spore masses when the weather's wet. Here's the plan: cut the sick growth out on a dry day, thin things out for airflow, keep scale under control, and water down at the base instead of over the top.
Fix:
- Cut out and dispose of infected leaves and stems when dry
- Thin crowded plantings to improve air circulation
- Control scale insects
- Avoid overhead watering; use drip irrigation
- Apply fungicide during wet weather if severe
Wilting and mushy black stems in wet ground
When the soil just won't drain, root and stem rot can creep in and leave the roots and stem bases soft and dark. You'll notice it hangs around the low, soggy spots. So sort out the drainage, back off the watering a bit, and pull any plants that have already flopped.
Fix:
- Improve drainage
- Reduce watering and avoid waterlogged sites
- Remove and discard affected plants
Speckled leaves with little white waxy bumps
See those white or brown crusts on the stems and leaf undersides? That's euonymus scale, and if the leaves look finely speckled with a bit of webbing, spider mites are around too. Both quietly sap the plant and leave it looking dull. Prune out the worst stems, treat scale with horticultural oil, and don't let up, because scale can invite Volutella blight in.
Fix:
- Prune out heavily infested stems
- Apply horticultural oil for scale
- Manage mites with appropriate miticide or oil
Leaves going pale or crisping up brown
Getting too much sun? That's the usual culprit here, since pachysandra is a shade plant and bright sun washes its glossy green out to yellow and crisps the edges. Drying wind and a rough winter can do it too. Just move the plant somewhere shadier, keep the soil moist and rich, and the color comes back.
Fix:
- Transplant to part or full shade
- Provide a moist, organically rich site
- Water during drought and avoid hot, exposed locations
Toxicity
Good news: pachysandra is a safe pick around pets, livestock, and kids. It isn't on the ASPCA toxic list, and while a mouthful of leaves might leave a nosy cat or dog with a quick tummy ache, nothing serious comes of it. So go ahead and plant it wherever animals and children roam.
Safe for
People · Cats · Dogs · Horses · Rabbits · Livestock · Birds
Cats None
Cats are fine around pachysandra. If one has a nibble, you might get a bit of drool or a mild stomach upset, but that's really as bad as it gets.
Dogs None
Dogs can hang out in the garden no problem. The leaves aren't on the ASPCA toxic list, and a mouthful just leaves a dog a little queasy for a while.
Horses None
Horses have nothing to worry about here. There's no toxin that hurts them, and honestly they usually walk right past the low, glossy leaves anyway.
Rabbits None
Rabbits are perfectly safe nearby. Wild ones and pets both nibble around it without any trouble, though it's not exactly their favorite snack.
Livestock None
Cattle, goats, and sheep can graze close by and be fine. In the little bit they'd ever taste, there's nothing here to upset them.
Birds None
Birds are totally safe with this one. Plenty of them use the thick mat for cover and foraging, and the leaves and stems don't bother them at all.
People None
People have nothing to fear from it either. Nobody eats it and it isn't poisonous, so it's an easy, worry-free pick for a yard with kids.
Discourage pets from chewing the foliage; not listed among ASPCA toxic plants but the alkaloid-containing leaves can irritate.
Helpline numbers
United States
ASPCA Animal Poison Control: (888) 426-4435 (fee applies)
United Kingdom
Animal PoisonLine: 01202 509000 (fee applies)
Australia
Animal Poisons Helpline: 1300 869 738
Varieties
A handful of named picks show up next to the plain species. These are the ones worth knowing before you shop.
Green Carpet
It's a compact, low grower, and folks love it for those dark, glossy green leaves.
Variegata (Silveredge)
Its leaves have white edges, and it takes it slow, growing with less vigor than the plain green kind.
Pachysandra procumbens (Allegheny spurge)
It's a clumping native with matte blue-green leaves mottled purple and white, and it stays put a lot more than P. terminalis does.
How to propagate
Pachysandra is really easy to multiply from plants you've already got, and that's the route almost everybody takes instead of fussing with seed.
DivisionEasy
Spring or early fall · About three years to fill in as a groundcover
Division is the go-to way to make more, and it's easy. In spring or early fall, dig up a settled clump or a rooted runner, set the pieces 6 to 12 inches apart, and then just be patient, since it takes about three years to knit into a solid groundcover.
Stem cuttingsEasy
Late spring to summer · Several weeks to root
Want a faster route? Take tip cuttings from late spring through summer and pop them in a moist mix, where they'll root in a few weeks. It's a handy way to grow a bigger patch from the plants you've already got.
SeedModerate
Spring · Slow and seldom used
You can sow seed in spring, but it's slow and honestly hardly anyone does. Just about every planting comes from divisions or cuttings, since those come true and settle in way faster.
Myths
Pachysandra grows well in full sun.
Nope, it's a shade groundcover through and through. Stick it in full sun and wind and the leaves yellow, bleach, and scorch, plus that sun stress can bring on Volutella blight. Give it part to full shade and you'll get the deep green it's really known for.