Japanese pachysandra
Pachysandra terminalis · Buxaceae Popular
Whorls of glossy, toothed, evergreen leaves form a uniform carpet under trees. Short spikes of white flowers appear in early spring.
- Size
- 8 in tall, 18 in wide
- Zones
- 4 to 9
- Light
- Part shade to shade
- Flowers
- Grown for its leaves; flowers mid April to early May
- Pets
- No toxicity recorded
- Job in a bed
- Carpet
A bed built around Japanese pachysandra
The planner designed this bed around Japanese pachysandra when this page was made: a 12 × 6 ft (3.7 × 1.8 m) cottage garden in zone 6, part shade. It chose the other plants from the 513 that suit those conditions, and says below why Japanese pachysandra stands where it does.
The plants
- 1 Japanese pachysandra × 21, dark green leaves
- 2 Moor grass 'Greenlee' × 8, tan
- 3 Tall astilbe 'Superba' × 4, purple
- 4 Mountain hydrangea 'Tuff Stuff' × 1, pink
- 5 Hellebore 'Ivory Prince' × 3, cream
- 6 Grecian windflower × 12, blue
- 7 Giant snowdrop × 10, white
Why this plant
- The only plant grown for its leaves. Leaf lasts all season, where a flower lasts a few weeks.
Why here
- Under the taller plants. It runs back between them as living mulch: there its job is to cover the soil, not to be looked at.
- 21 plants in 4 groups (9, 5, 4 and 3). Seen again further along, the same plant ties the bed together.
Why now
- Here for its leaves, all year. They cover the 11 weeks between early March and late November when nothing on the plan is in flower.
- One of two evergreens. They are what the bed has to show from November to March.
Planned as a cottage garden: 28 of the 37 plants (76%), bulbs aside, stand alone or in groups of no more than five, small enough for the kinds to mingle. The flowers stay on the cool side of the palette: purple, pink, blue, tan, cream and white. The bed is balanced: the left half carries 47% of the visual weight and the right half 53%.
The planner's own design check: 10 Excellent, 7 Good. It flags one thing to watch: Nothing on this plan is highly poisonous or an aggressive spreader.
Open this bed in the planner Change its size, the sun or the style, move plants about, or swap one for another.
Where Japanese pachysandra goes in a border
At 8 in it belongs at the front of a bed. In the planner's ten height classes it is low (6 to 12 in).
Its job: carpet. A groundcover planted in threes and fives to cover the soil: along the front, and just behind it.
The standard evergreen carpet for shade under trees. It needs shade and acid soil; in sun it turns yellow. Allegheny spurge is the native alternative.
- Evergreen groundcover in deep shade
- Under trees and shrubs
- Slopes in shade
What to plant with Japanese pachysandra
Plants recorded as good partners for it, and what each pairing does:
- Hosta: bold leaves against its medium ones; a low mound at the foot of its spires; tall enough (18 in) to stand behind it.
- Christmas fern: tall enough (20 in) to stand behind it.
- Lenten rose: adds the flowers, late March to early May; bold leaves against its medium ones; a low mound at the foot of its spires.
Choosing between it and a look-alike? Japanese pachysandra vs Allegheny spurge.
Questions about Japanese pachysandra
Does Japanese pachysandra need sun or shade?
Japanese pachysandra grows in part shade (2 to 4 hours of sun, mostly in the morning) and shade (less than 2 hours of direct sun, or bright dappled light). It is one of the few that also put up with deep shade.
It wants ordinary well-drained soil, rich in organic matter, and a good soak in dry spells. Once settled in, it stands drought.
What zones does Japanese pachysandra grow in?
USDA zones 4 to 9. It is hardy to zone 4, which means it survives winter nights down to about −20 °F (−29 °C).
Gardening in Canada? Use the USDA zone for your town: Canada's own zone map uses different numbers.
How far apart should Japanese pachysandra be planted?
8 in (20 cm) apart, from the middle of one plant to the middle of the next. That is a little closer than its full width of 18 in (45 cm), so a group knits into one patch.
It grows 8 in (20 cm) tall. Give it the full distance from anything taller, or it will lean out towards the light.
How many Japanese pachysandra plants do I need?
At 8 in apart, set out in staggered rows:
- 27 to fill 10 square feet (about 1 m²)
- 16 for a single row 10 ft (3 m) long
- 86 to fill a 4 × 8 ft bed on its own
In a mixed border, plant it as threes and fives, along the front and just behind it.
In the bed above, the planner used 21 in four groups.
Is Japanese pachysandra poisonous to dogs and cats?
No toxicity is recorded for dogs, cats, horses or people, according to NC State Extension.
"Not toxic" is not "edible": a pet that eats a lot of any plant can be sick.
Is there a native plant like Japanese pachysandra?
Japanese pachysandra comes from Japan and North Central China. These North American natives come closest to doing its job:
- Wild ginger: the same job in a bed and the same size; bold leaves, not medium, not evergreen.
- Dwarf crested iris: the same job in a bed and the same size; flowers late April to mid May, not evergreen.
- Rock polypody: the same job in a bed and the same size.
Matched the way the planner's Swap button matches plants: the same job in a bed, then size, then flowering time.
Do deer eat Japanese pachysandra?
Mostly not. NC State lists it as resistant to deer and rabbits. No plant is proof against a hungry deer in a hard winter, but this one is low on the menu.
Will Japanese pachysandra spread?
It spreads sideways, by runners or roots; the risk of it taking over is moderate. Spreads steadily by underground runners into a solid carpet, and has escaped into woodland in parts of the eastern United States. Keep it away from natural areas.
What does Japanese pachysandra look like in winter?
Japanese pachysandra keeps its dark green leaves all winter, so it is one of the plants that hold a bed together from November to March, when the perennials have gone.
Is Japanese pachysandra good for bees and butterflies?
Japanese pachysandra is visited by bees.
More Pachysandra
- Allegheny spurge Pachysandra procumbens
In these guides
- Plants for dry shade
- Plants for deep shade
- Plants for slopes and banks
- Deer-resistant plants for shade
- Rabbit-resistant plants
- Pet-safe plants for shade
- Plants for bees
- Low plants for the front of a border
- Groundcover plants
- Evergreen perennials, ferns and grasses
- Plants with spires: vertical accents
Zone guides: Zone 4 · Zone 5 · Zone 6 · Zone 7 · Zone 8 · Zone 9
Every fact on record
- Type
- Perennial (groundcover)
- Size
- 8 in (20 cm) tall, 18 in (45 cm) wide
- Plant
- 8 in (20 cm) apart
- Height class
- Low (6 to 12 in)
- Place in the bed
- Front
- Flowers
- Mid April to early May; upright spires; white
- Leaves
- Medium texture, evergreen; dark green
- Shape
- Mat-forming, spreading
- Hardy in
- USDA zones 4 to 9
- Light
- Part shade, shade
- Soil
- Rich, well-drained
- Water
- Moderate
- Feeding
- Light, in spring
- Family
- Buxaceae
- Comes from
- Japan and North Central China
- Attracts
- Bees
- Stands up to
- Deer, rabbits, drought, deep shade, erosion
Checked against NC State Extension and VASCAN (plants of Canada). Flowering times are for zone 5: later in colder zones, earlier in warmer ones. Toxicity and spread information is a general gardening guide, not veterinary or medical advice, and invasive status varies by region. If a person or pet eats a plant, contact poison control or a vet. Check your local invasive species list before planting anything with a spread warning.