Pachysandra terminalis aka Japanese Pachysandra

Pachysandra terminalis has two common names: Japanese pachysandra and Japanese spurge. It stays green year-round and lives for many years. It belongs to Buxaceae, the boxwood family. It grows wild in central and eastern China and Japan. Its range also reaches southern Sakhalin. Gardeners use it as low cover for shaded ground. Rhizomes, or stems below ground, spread out to form dense patches.

Most plants stand 0.5–1 foot [0.15–0.3 metres] tall. RHS gives a wider height range, reaching 1.6 feet [0.5 metres]. Each plant spreads about 1–1.5 feet [0.3–0.46 metres]. Older mats can reach 5 feet [1.5 metres] across. Smooth green stems lean along the ground and lack true bark. Shiny, dark green leaves crowd the tips of upright shoots. Each leaf has coarse teeth near its tip. Leaves grow in turn along the stem, rather than in rings. Yet their close groups look like whorls, or rings. They keep the ground green through winter.

Small white flowers grow in short spikes at shoot tips. Most sources give March and April as the bloom time. RHS gives early summer instead. The flowers have no petals. Their pale stamens draw bees. Small white or greenish-white fruits sometimes follow the flowers. These fruits are drupes. Garden plants seldom bear fruit. Plantings of clones limit the exchange of pollen between different plants. Plants For A Future lists the fruit as edible. It says the flesh is sweet and juicy. People eat it raw or cooked. That source lists no known hazards or uses as medicine.

Partial or full shade suits this plant best in gardens. Strong sun can bleach leaves or turn them yellow. It grows best in moist soil rich in humus. The soil must drain well. It prefers slight acidity, though RHS accepts a wider pH range. Once settled, it copes with some drought. It does not like very dry soil. Sources give USDA zones 4–9 or 5–9. RHS rates its UK hardiness as H5. Plant it under trees, near shrubs, or by shaded paths. Its spreading cover helps hold soil on shaded banks. Deer and rabbits tend to leave it alone.

It needs little care, but spreading mats can be hard to remove. Reports differ on how much it spreads beyond planted beds. Keep weeds down while young plants form their cover. Dense or stressed patches can get leaf blight and stem canker. Root rot can occur, and scale or mites may attack. Slugs and snails may also cause harm. When blight causes trouble, thin crowded growth to improve airflow. Do not water affected beds from above. Divide plants in spring, or take softwood cuttings in early summer.