Pachysandra terminalis
Japanese spurge
Common names: Pachysandra
At a glance
- Light
- Shade
- Pot size
- from 5 l
- Lifespan
- Perennial
- Flowering
- Apr–May
- Hardiness
- Hardy down to −25 °C
- Water need
- Medium
Photo: Kurt Stüber [1] · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Source
Description
Pachysandra terminalis, also called Ysander, Dickmännchen or Schattengrün in some regions of Germany, is an evergreen ground cover native to Japan and China. Its glossy dark green leaves have toothed margins and grow in clusters at the shoot tips. The plant grows 15 to 30 cm tall. Through underground runners it gradually forms a dense mat that leaves little room for weeds. In spring, usually in April and May, small cream-white flower spikes appear, which are fairly inconspicuous. Its value lies in its year-round greenery in places where little else grows, such as under trees and larger shrubs, on the north side of a house, or on shaded slopes. Note that Pachysandra spreads and will spread without limits into neighboring beds.
Care instructions
Plant Pachysandra in spring or September in a shady to partly shaded spot with humus-rich, fresh soil. It struggles in calcareous or very dry soil. Before planting, thoroughly remove all perennial weeds and space the plants about 35 cm apart, which is roughly 8 plants per square metre. Water regularly during the first two years; later, rainfall is usually sufficient. Until the mat is closed, pull emerging weeds by hand. In spring, if needed, the stand can be cut back hard with a hedge trimmer or a mower set to a high cutting height, after which it branches more densely. If shoots grow very densely and stay wet for long periods, leaf spots may appear: cut out diseased shoots and thin the stand. A deeply buried edging restrains its spread.
The care notes were machine-translated from German.
Garden year
FloweringApr–May
Soil & site
Soil pH
Soil type
humus-rich, moist, well-drained, lime-avoiding
Japanese spurge grows best on humus-rich, moist and loose soil, such as forms under trees and shrubs. It likes slightly acidic to neutral soils. On very chalky soil it struggles and turns yellowish, and on dry soil the carpet stays patchy. It doesn't tolerate waterlogging well. Improve dry, sandy soils with plenty of leaf compost and keep the soil moist with a mulch layer of leaves.
Feeding
Light feeder
Months
Apr
Japanese spurge needs hardly any fertiliser. A thin layer of leaf compost in spring, spread loosely on the soil, is quite enough and replaces the leaves that would fall to it by themselves in a wood. On nutrient-poor sandy soil, a second thin dose of compost in early summer helps. Too much fertiliser only promotes soft foliage.
Overwintering
Japanese spurge is hardy and stays green in winter too; it needs no protection. After frost without snow cover or strong winter sun, individual leaves can turn brown. Cut such shoots back in spring; the plant shoots again freshly. In a container, place the pot in winter against a sheltered wall that isn't too sunny, wrap it in horticultural fleece in hard frost and water lightly on frost-free days.
Propagation
Methods
- Division
- Cuttings
The easiest way to propagate Japanese spurge is via its runners. In spring or autumn, cut out pieces with roots and several shoots at the edge of the carpet and plant them straight away in prepared, loosened soil; water in well. Alternatively, from June to August cut shoot tips about 10 cm long, remove the lower leaves and insert them in sandy, humus-rich soil that you keep evenly moist. After a few weeks they have formed roots and can go to their place in autumn.
For your garden
Grow Japanese spurge yourself
Gartenkern tells you when frost is coming, when to sow and when to harvest, for your location.
Free, no time limit
Notes from real gardens
What other gardeners have written down about this variety, anonymous and voluntary.
No notes shared yet. Will you be the first to write one down?