When and When Not to Implement Japanese Pachysandra at Home

When landscaping your garden, you will need to choose a diverse range of plants, with some having a practical purpose and some chosen purely for aesthetics. It is important to choose the right plants for the right areas. The Japanese Pachysandra is a versatile plant to include in your garden as it serves both a practical purpose and is also visually appealing when it flowers. Here is some more information about this plant, including when and when not to include Japanese Pachysandra in your garden.

What Is Japanese Pachysandra?

Also known as Japanese spurge, Japanese Pachysandra is a tough plant that is classified in plant taxonomy as Japanese terminalis and it is one of the plants in the Boxwood family. They are herbaceous evergreen perennials and they can live in some of the most challenging conditions.

Japanese Pachysandra Traits

Most people grow this plant because of its dark-green, leathery leaves that provide excellent ground coverage as these plants are wider than they are tall. The plant is at its most attractive during spring when the white flowers blossom.

What Are the Practical Purposes of Japanese Pachysandra in your garden?

There are some problems you may encounter in your garden for which Japanese Pachysandra is the perfect solution. Although it is best grown in acidic soil with added compost and in either full or partial shade, you can plant it in in the areas where you need to tackle a problem as they are versatile and can withstand some challenges. The problems that they can overcome include:

• Pests- If you have deer or rabbits that are making a nuisance of themselves in your garden and spoiling your landscaping, then Japanese Pachysandra is a good choice. It deters many garden pests, including deer and rabbits.
• Drought- Mature Japanese Pachysandra plants are tolerant of areas suffering from drought. This means you can add some greenery to your garden in areas where other plants may struggle to grow.
• Shade- Similarly, many plants struggle to grow in shaded areas and some gardeners may give up trying and leave an empty patch in their garden. Rather than doing this, Pachysandra is a good option to provide coverage in shaded areas.
• Clay-heavy soil- Another condition in which many plants struggle is surviving in areas with clay-heavy soil. If your garden has this type of soil, Japanese Pachysandra is one example of a plant that can stand up to this challenge.
• Weed control- If you have a problem with weeds in your garden and you are struggling to keep on top of the situation, then Japanese Pachysandra is a good choice as it creates a dense mat that limits weed growth.

Are There Any Problems with Having Japanese Pachysandra in Your Garden?

Like most plants, there are also some problems you can encounter if you plant Japanese Pachysandra in your garden. One problem is that leaves can become damaged in extremes of temperature. So, they can burn if they get too much sunlight or may develop brown patches in cold climates. Both have a negative effect on the appearance of the plants.

Another common problem with Japanese Pachysandra is leaf blight. This is a common plant problem caused by a fungal invasion. Two factors that can make leaf blight more likely are watering the plants from overhead and not enough circulation between the plants.

There are some steps you can take to reduce the likelihood of your Japanese Pachysandra suffering from leaf blight. First, only water the plants in hot weather and only do so from ground level and not from overhead. Second, make sure you do not plant them too closely so there is plenty of circulation. When planting remember that they can spread as much as 12-inches wide. Finally, you can improve air circulation around the plants by removing any fallen leaves.

Where and Why Should You Plant Japanese Pachysandra?

The most common reason that people choose Japanese Pachysandra is for ground cover in shaded areas of their garden. Another is as a pest deterrent, and it is particularly popular in areas where deer invade gardens. For these reasons, people often plant Japanese Pachysandra around the edges of their garden. Not only does this deter pests from entering the garden, but these plants are also a good option because they are suitable for the shade of any fences or trees around the edge of the garden.