Felder Rushing
Family
Buxaceae
Botanical Name
Pachysandra
Plant Common Name
Spurge
General Description
Most familiar to gardeners in the form of Japanese spurge (Pachysandra terminalis), these attractive and serviceable dwarf shrubs are among the best groundcovers for shady areas of temperate gardens. They are grown primarily for their handsome whorled, toothed, evergreen or semi-evergreen leaves, which provide a dense low cover. Short spikes of frothy white flowers lend additional interest in spring. Japanese spurge is a large-scale and widely used groundcover with glossy evergreen leaves and vigorously colonizing underground runners. Several of its cultivars are also common in gardens, including the low-growing 'Green Carpet' and glossy-leaved 'Green Sheen'. Its less aggressive, less evergreen, and less ubiquitous cousin Allegheny spurge (Pachysandra procumbens) forms slowly spreading mounds of grayish green leaves which are often attractively mottled. Least known of all is Pachysandra axillaris, which in effect is a clump-forming version of Japanese spurge.
These shade-loving plants favor moist, well-drained, acid soil, becoming yellow and sickly in alkaline conditions. Japanese spurge excels as an industrial-strength groundcover for shade, although it is becoming increasingly susceptible to disease, including the destructive pachysandra leaf blight. Use Allegheny spurge as a refined small-scale groundcover, or in combination with other shade-lovers such as fringed bleeding heart (Dicentra eximia) and Japanese painted fern (Athyrium niponicum 'Pictum').
Characteristics
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Plant Type
Broadleaf Evergreen
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Sun Exposure
Partial Sun, Partial Shade, Full Shade
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Height
6"-12" / 15.2cm - 30.5cm
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Width
2'-6' / 0.6m - 1.8m
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Bloom Time
Spring
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Native To
Southeastern United States, Eastern Asia
Ornamental Features
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Flower Interest
Showy
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Flower Color
White
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Foliage Color (Spring)
Gray Green, Dark Green
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Foliage Color (Summer)
Gray Green, Dark Green
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Foliage Color (Fall)
Gray Green, Dark Green
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Foliage Color (Winter)
Dark Green
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Fragrant Flowers
Yes
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Fragrant Fruit
No
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Fragrant Foliage
No
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Bark or Stem Fragrant
No
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Flower Petal Number
Single
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Repeat Bloomer
No
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Showy Fruit
No
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Edible Fruit
No
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Showy Foliage
Yes
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Foliage Texture
Medium
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Foliage Sheen
Glossy
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Evergreen
Yes
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Showy Bark
No
