Pachysandra

Family. Buxaceae.

Origin. Japan, China.

Description. Pachysandra is a perennial, evergreen, neat subshrub. The leaves are green, obovate, with large teeth along the edge of the leaf blade, collected in whorls on creeping, branched stems. Fragrant white or pink flowers with a sweetish smell appear in the spring, collected in an inflorescence - a spike, but the flowering is not of particular interest. Variegated varieties are distinguished by light cream or white stripes along the edges of the leaves.

Height. Often does not exceed 10 cm, grows slowly.

Planting and care

Reproduction

Using stem cuttings in the summer months, vegetative propagation is quite successful. Dividing plants during transplantation. 

How to keep

The pachysandra requires minimal care for a healthy and long life. It is enough to pinch the young shoots several times for better branching. 

Flowering time

Spring.

Growing conditions - temperature

During the growth period, it prefers normal room temperature - about 20 °C. During the winter dormancy period, the temperature is reduced to 10 °C.

Lighting

Pachysandra does not tolerate direct sunlight and prefers growing in partial shade or even shade. Leaves exposed to direct sunlight can get burned. 

Soil

Adapts well to most soil types with good drainage. It tolerates even soils poor in nutrients, but it is better to plant it in a substrate rich in organic matter in the form of peat and leaf humus with a slightly acidic pH ranging from 5.5 to 6.5. 

Fertilizer

From spring until autumn, feed every 2 weeks with complex liquid fertilizers. In the winter months, feeding is stopped. 

Spraying

Tolerates dry air in residential areas well. Place the plant in a ventilated room with constant air movement. 

Watering

Young specimens require regular and abundant watering to form a strong root system. Mature bushes tolerate short-term drought. In autumn, the frequency of watering is reduced in accordance with the temperature, but the soil lump is not allowed to dry out. It is advisable to use bottom watering.

Transfer

Adult plants are replanted approximately every 2 years in the spring into wide and shallow pots.

Pests and diseases

Late blight, sunburn. Spider mites when kept at home. When grown in open ground, plants can be attacked by snails and slugs.

Purpose

An excellent ground cover plant. 

Note

Pachysandra can live for many years in indoor conditions. 

Varieties:

Pachysandra terminalis Green Carpet

An evergreen ornamental foliage plant up to 20-30 cm high with flexible, abundantly branched stems. The leaves are green, oblong-oval, glossy. The leaf blades have large teeth along the edge and reach 5-10 cm in length. The flowers are small, white, up to 2 cm in diameter, appear on the tops of the shoots. Over time, it grows and forms a continuous grass carpet.

Pachysandra axillaris

A perennial evergreen ground cover plant with erect, branching shoots. The leaves are finely toothed, glossy, oblong-lanceolate, on long pinkish petioles. The flowers are fragrant, white, attractive, collected in small axillary inflorescences at the tops of the shoots.