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The Daily Insight

How do you plant Pachysandra terminalis

Author

Mia Lopez

Updated on April 18, 2026

To plant, dig a trench 3 inches deep and up to 4 feet long. If planting under trees, use a sharp hoe to grub out tree surface roots, add pachysandra cuttings and cover with fresh potting soil. Alternately you could lay 3 inches of soil over tree roots and plant the pachysandra into that.

What is the best time of year to plant pachysandra?

Pachysandra should be planted in the early spring or early fall. It most commonly thrives in USDA hardiness zones 3 through 9, depending on the variety. Pachysandra prefers full shade and deepens in color when it’s out of the harsh sunlight.

How many pachysandra do I need?

The closer together you plant the Pachysandra, the faster it will fill in. I typically advise 3 to 4 plants per square foot.

How do you get pachysandra to spread?

The plant actually spreads by underground runners, and it is true that a light shearing or pinching in early spring can encourage the plants to send up more runners and thus thicken the planting faster. This can be done by hand or in some cases with a lawn mower.

How do you prepare soil for pachysandra?

Prepare soil by breaking it up 3 to 4 inches deep, removing weeds and rocks. This groundcover perennial thrives in soil that’s rich in organic matter. Work decayed manure, leaves, compost or other locally available material into beds prior to planting.

Will pachysandra grow in rocky soil?

Pachysandra grows best, and spreads best, in soils that are loose and rich in organic matter.

Does pachysandra need a lot of water?

If you have just planted the Pachysandra plants and they are not mature, you need to provide them water regularly. Mostly they require watering every 5 to 7 days as they need the soil to be moist. Mature plants also like moist soil, but they are also capable of surviving the drought conditions for the short term.

How much does a flat of pachysandra cost?

Flats for $50! Pachysandra is a favorite ground cover plant in hard-to-plant areas such as under trees, or in shady areas with poor or acidic soil.

Is Pachysandra terminalis invasive?

Pachysandra is an invasive perennial ground cover that spreads throughout the garden by means of underground stems and roots. … Pachysandra plants can overrun your garden and escape into wild areas where it displaces native plants.

How much area does a flat of pachysandra cover?

45 square feet per plant for a total of 172 pachysandra plants. Pachysandra is commonly sold in flats of 24, so you would need seven flats of plants to fill the bed on 8-inch planting centers.

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What can I plant with pachysandra?

  • Boxwood.
  • Hosta.
  • Bleeding Heart.
  • Astilbe.
  • Foxglove.
  • Camellia.
  • Hardy Kiwi.
  • Monkshood.

How do you find the center of a plant?

To determine the total space needed by each plant, multiply the distance between plants within the rows (X) by the distance between the rows (Y). A. For a square planting pattern with plants spaced 6″ on center (O.C.), X = 6 and Y = 6. Therefore, 6 × 6 = 36 in2.

How long does pachysandra take to root in water?

7. Check for roots in approximately two months. Gently tug the base of the cutting and feel for movement; if the cutting moves, it hasn’t rooted yet.

How long does it take to root pachysandra?

In about two months, you should be able to see tiny white roots through the drainage hole in the bottom of the container. At that time, the pachysandra cuttings will be ready to plant outdoors.

Can you step on pachysandra?

Using Pachysandra to cover large areas is probably its most common use. But Pachysandra cannot take the trampling of feet or a hard raking, so don’t plant it in an area you’ll need to walk through.

How often should you water newly planted pachysandra?

Water well during the first 2 weeks while the roots are being established. Water once a week thereafter to encourage faster spreading. Pachysandra is drought resistant, but watering often helps it spread faster.

What is the best fertilizer for pachysandra?

Although pachysandra plants do produce tiny clusters of white flowers in late spring, their main ornamental feature remains the evergreen foliage. Therefore, any fertilizer product with a balanced formulation, such as 8-8-8 or 12-12-12, suffices.

How do you edge pachysandra?

Unroll the plastic landscape edging and insert the end of it at one end of the trench. The “V” side of the edging should face down and toward the pachysandra planting location. Continue unrolling the edging until you reach the end of the trench and cut off the excess with a utility knife.

Should you rake leaves out of pachysandra?

In areas where the pachysandra appears to be thin, try raking off the leaf cover to reveal the spaghetti-like root system underneath. This uncovering may be all that is needed to free the pachysandra and encourage it to grow. The raked-off leaves should not be considered garden waste either.

Why do pachysandra leaves turn yellow?

The leaves may yellow if plants get too much sun or if soil nutrients are lacking. Solution: Move plants to a shadier location or provide shade. Have soil test run to determine nutrient and lime needs. Fertilize and lime as needed.

Will pachysandra grow in full sun?

Pachysandra, sometimes known as Japanese spurge (Pachysandra terminalis), hardy in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 5 through 9, is a low-growing evergreen groundcover. … The plants work best in part to full shade and can suffer leaf burn or sun scald if they are exposed to too much light.

Will pachysandra grow in clay?

Being tolerant of both shade and drought, the pachysandra plant is easy to care for. You can grow it in clay soil or dry soil in USDA zones 4-8 easily. It will form a dense shrubby mat, even with less watering and limited to no access to direct sunlight.

Will pachysandra grow under pine trees?

Pachysandra is the only satisfactory plant that will grow as a ground cover under Pine Trees. This plant is used extensively under large spreading trees, back of buildings or in other situations too shady for grass to grow.

How do you keep weeds out of pachysandra?

Fill in the space between pachysandra plants with 2 to 3 inches of mulch, such as bark or wood chips. Mulch shades the exposed soil, preventing many types of weeds from growing.

Where is Pachysandra terminalis native to?

Pachysandra terminalis, the Japanese pachysandra, carpet box or Japanese spurge, is a species of flowering plant in the boxwood family Buxaceae, native to Japan, Korea and China and introduced to eastern North America.

What animals eat pachysandra?

Scale Insects This oblong, white, small scale insect essentially sucks the life out of pachysandra causing it to discolor and die off completely or in large areas. Once the population is heavy it is extremely hard to control.

Will bulbs grow through pachysandra?

An established bed of pachysandra, ajuga or perennial candytuft (Iberis sempervirens) easily can host spring bulbs, as does perennial alyssum, even though the chrome-yellow flowers demand a quieter bulb color. … Bulbs tuck beautifully into small spaces, wiggling into bloom even from tiny spots.

Is pachysandra a good ground cover?

Pachysandra is a favorite ground cover plant in hard-to-plant areas such as under trees, or in shady areas with poor or acidic soil. Unlike other plants, pachysandra ground cover does not mind competing for its nutrients, and growing pachysandra plants is easy if you have an abundance of shade in your landscape.

Can you sell pachysandra?

From our own Pachysandra nursery, we sell Pachysandra plants in five different varieties and offer FREE shipping nationwide for orders over $100. At JW Pachysandra, we cultivate our own plants and do not send them out to customers before the plant’s root system is adequately developed.

How many plant do I need?

To estimate the number of plants needed, measure the length and width of the landscape bed in inches. Then, divide the width by the plant spacing to find the number of columns. To find the number of rows simply divide the length by the row spacing.

How many plant flats do I need?

Plant Size =4″2 1/4″Flats18/Flat36/Flat1183623672354108