How to Utilize Pachysandra Responsibly from the Landscape



Pachysandra is a low-maintenance, evergreen ground cover that spreads quickly. Its leaves are a lighter shade of green than many evergreens, and it blooms with sweet, vibrant white blossoms in early spring. It is deer and rabbit resistant and can survive a drought. Pachysandra thrives in partial to full color, which makes it a fantastic choice for under trees, together a base on the shady side of the home.

However, nonnative Pachysandra terminalis, the most popular selection, has a dark side — it can take over woodlands and streambeds and isn’t easy to eradicate. Commonly called Japanese spurge, this plant is considered an exotic invasive in some countries. Years ago I would have recommended it to get woodland edge gardens; however, due to its invasiveness, this is no longer a responsible use of the plant. I’ve spoken with a few specialists to find out how to utilize Pachysandra in a responsible fashion and how to avoid letting it invade delicate ecosystems.

The New York Botanical Garden

Botanical name: Pachysandra terminalis and other varieties. This has been hailed as a aggressive spreader in some regions; consult your regional nursery for the appropriate variety for the ecosystem — you don’t want the plant to become invasive in an area beyond your garden.
Common names: Pachysandra, Japanese spurge
USDA zones: 5 to 8 (find your zone)
Water condition: Moist soil is ideal, even though it can endure drought
Light requirement: Partial to full shade.
Mature size: Approximately 6 to 12 inches high and 12 inches wide
advantages and tolerances: Tolerant of full shade, deer, rabbits, drought and clay dirt; fills in massive regions within a few years
Seasonal curiosity: This evergreen gives a lush green ground cover all year round and blossoms in early spring.
When to plant: After the last frost in spring or at the fall

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Distinguishing attributes. Pachysandra’s capability to spread as an elegant ground cover and the fact it is an evergreen make it a very popular option.

The New York Botanical Garden

Pachysandra is a member of the boxwood household; it’s a coarser, wider-spreading, larger-leafed ground-covering cousin of English and American boxwood. By”coarse,” I suggest the leaves have somewhat jagged borders and aren’t as shiny as boxwood’s. Additionally, it blooms with spikes of white blossoms in the spring.

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How to utilize it. Pachysandra is a great pick for a border garden. Its lighter green colour also creates contrast alongside hedges and evergreens.

I talked with landscape architect Meg Arnosti of Windsor Businesses about utilizing Pachysandra responsibly. “Pachysandra isn’t regarded as invasive in Minnesota,” she says,”and on the record of invasive plants in the USDA it’s in the last class,’Local Concern and Tracking.’ As soon as we use it, it’s always bound by clipping to keep it set up. It spreads very slowly, and I have not experienced it growing out of boundaries, nor have I heard complaints in my most gardener friends.”

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Employing Pachysandra to cover large regions is likely its most frequent use. However, Pachysandra can’t take the trampling of a hard raking, so don’t plant it in an area you will have to walk . Remove any leaves with a very light touch with a rake. I can’t bring myself to recommend a leaf blower, because I loathe blowers with the power of a thousand suns, but I have heard it recommended by other people.

Pachysandra is a fantastic base planting, since you’re able to plant up it next to your home, yet it won’t block access to the home like trees and shrubs do.

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Planting notes.
Soil ought to be moist and well drained; Pachysandra prefers acidic soils but can withstand neutral and slightly alkaline soils.Edge the boundaries of the region where you’re planting to prevent spreading.Place the plants about 8 inches apart. If you’re anxious to find complete coverage straight away, you might plant them closer together, however patience (that is, waiting only a few years for them to have started ) can save you a great deal of money.Water the region and gently add a layer of mulch.Make sure the soil is moist and well drained.After a few decades, you will have a compact cover. Do not let it get too dense; lean the plants if needed.

Planting don’ts. I requested Chad Nelson, a horticultural expert and assistant professor of landscape design in the University of Delaware, about the ethics of using Pachysandra terminalis. “With regards to invasive Pachysandra is, I’d consider it irresponsible to plant in the woods or along a streambank, however in little urban settings it isn’t going to spread tremendously, since it doesn’t spread by windborn seed,” he says.

“The true problem is it can tolerate deep shade, which a lot of other plants can’t, so it can persist on woodland floors and slowly spread, smothering out all of the wonderful little trilliums and Jack-in-the-pulpits,” Nelson says. “But it’s not as awful as English ivy, for sure.”

Nelson also recommends utilizing the native species, Pachysandra procumbens (common name: Allegheny spurge).

“Where Pachysandra terminalis is evergreen and shiny and just a little bit plastic-y, the native Pachysandra procumbens isn’t quite evergreen, and its leaves are a little larger and duller, but I think that’s a good thing,” he says. “Since the leaves emerge from the spring they’re actually a brighter green, almost lime but not quite, they then mellow to the duller green with white blotches, and sometimes they turn burgundy in the winter.”

When you have questions regarding planting nonnative plants, consult the regional nursery and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s lists.

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