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Pachysandra terminalis - Growing Guide
Plants

Pachysandra terminalis - Growing Guide

Mountain spurge

This evergreen plant is invaluable to gardeners faced with bare patches of ground under trees or in very shady parts of the garden because they will carpet areas where little else will grow and thrive. P. terminalis is a ‘shrublet’ or dwarf shrub which is native to Japan.

They have rhizome like fleshy roots and stems with upright branches. The leaves are a glossy dark green and clustered at the ends of the short smooth stems in a diamond shape with teeth. Spikes of greenish white unisexual flowers are produced in February and March at the ends of the previous year’s growth.

P. terminalis grows to around 8in in height and few plants produce such a carpet of greenery in the most difficult parts of the garden. They thrive in moist or dryish soil under trees but are perfectly well suited to full sun where the leaves may become a bit yellowish by the end of the summer.

Pachysandra terminalis

The plant is gently invasive enough to be one of the easiest plants to propagate. Root cuttings can be prised from the ground at virtually any time of the year.

P. terminalis ‘Green Carpet’ is a more compact form with smaller more finely toothed leaves.