Illustration
Pachysandra
Pachysandra terminalis
Pachysandra blooms from April through May.
Months here are Northern Hemisphere months; in the Southern Hemisphere, shift them by six months.
Growing Pachysandra
Plant it in full shade. It prefers moderate water. It is hardy in USDA zones 4–8. Expect it to reach about 8 in tall and 16 in wide at maturity, in roughly 2 years (not yet checked).
No toxicity note is on file for Pachysandra. That is not a clearance: check its safety for people and pets before planting.
What was checked
Mature height and spread, hardiness zones, sun and the trait tags were checked against named botanical sources for this plant. The bloom months and water need on this page were not, and each fact above says which. The planting, spacing and size sections are derived from these checked facts by a fixed rule, not checked separately, and the plant type is the library's own classification.
When to plant Pachysandra
Plant Pachysandra in early spring as soon as the soil is workable, or in early fall at least six weeks before your first frost, so roots establish in cool weather. In zone 6, the middle of its hardy zones 4 to 8, spring means March to May and fall means August or September. Once settled, it blooms from April to May.
Month-by-month timing for your zone is on the planting calendar; if you garden near zone 6, the middle of this plant's hardy range, start with zone 6 in March. Derived from the plant's category, zones and bloom months plus typical zone frost dates, not checked separately.
How big does Pachysandra get?
8 intall5 ft 7 inan adult16 inwideSee Pachysandra in a garden plan: the planner shows it in 3D beside everything else you add, growing toward this size over the years.
How far apart to plant Pachysandra
Derived from the mature spread above by a fixed rule, not checked separately: spacing is the spread, center to center.
Space Pachysandra about 16 in apart, center to center, so each plant has room to reach its full width.
Add Pachysandra to a garden plan and the planner draws it at its full width, so you see the spacing before you buy.
Where these facts come from
Pachysandra's height, spread, hardiness zones, sun and trait tags were checked against 11 published sources on August 1, 2026. Each one is linked below with every fact it carried, which can include a fact this page still marks as not yet checked, because a source carrying a value is not the same as the value being held to the standard. Facts not in that list, and the planting, spacing and size sections, are not covered by these sources.
- NC State ExtensionPlant Toolboxheight, spread, hardiness zones, sun, years to mature size and trait tags
- greenwoodnursery.comGreenwood Nurseryheight, hardiness zones, sun, years to mature size and trait tags
- Missouri Botanical GardenPlant Finderheight, spread, hardiness zones, sun and trait tags
- The Morton Arboretumheight, hardiness zones, sun, years to mature size and trait tags
- Chicago Botanic GardenPlant Finderheight, spread, hardiness zones and sun
- Clemson Home and Garden Information CenterClemson Cooperative Extension Home and Garden Information Centerheight, hardiness zones, sun and trait tags
- University of Illinois ExtensionHort Answersheight, hardiness zones, sun and trait tags
- University of Illinois ExtensionIllinois Extension Landscaping, Ground Coversheight, hardiness zones, sun and trait tags
- Oregon State UniversityLandscape Plantsheight, hardiness zones and sun
- plantdatabase.uconn.eduUConn Plant Database, University of Connecticutheight, hardiness zones and sun
- Iowa State University ExtensionYard and Gardenheight and sun
How the checking works, and what each standard covers, is on the verified plants page.
Good to know about Pachysandra
Curated from university extensions, botanic gardens and other primary sources, with the source named on every note. A note reports what its source says; where that differs from a fact above, the fact above is this entry's stored value, and its mark says whether it has been checked.
Worth knowing
Full sun bleaches the leaves and worsens its main disease, but dense airless shade traps moisture and feeds it too. Aim for shade with real air movement. per NC State and UConn
Zone range varies by source
NC State lists zones 4a to 9b; Clemson lists 5a to 8b. The reliable core is 5 to 8, with 4 the optimistic cold limit. per NC State and Clemson
Watch for Volutella blight
Its signature disease, Volutella blight, makes tan or brown target-like leaf blotches, then stem cankers that kill plants in expanding circular patches. It preys on stressed beds. per Penn State
Euonymus scale invites blight
Euonymus scale is more than its own pest: its feeding wounds weaken the plant and let Volutella blight in, so controlling scale is part of blight control. per Penn State and UConn
Use native Allegheny spurge
Not native and it can escape into woodlands, smothering native plants; Maryland no longer recommends it. Swap in the native Allegheny spurge (Pachysandra procumbens) for the same shade cover. per NC State and University of Maryland
Deer resistant
Rated resistant to deer browsing, which is a big part of its appeal as a low-maintenance shade groundcover. per NC State
What pairs well with Pachysandra
Good companions share its growing conditions and add something it lacks: an earlier or later bloom, a lower carpet in front, or structure through winter.
Summersweet
Takes part shade to full shade and moderate to high water; blooms in midsummer, extending the bed's season; stands well above at 6 ft, a canopy to plant beneath; its white flowers settle the white.
Goatsbeard
Takes part shade to full shade and moderate water; blooms in early summer as this one finishes; taller at 4 ft, for the layer behind it; its white flowers settle the white; this one spreads, so it will crowd its neighbor in time.
Rhododendron
Takes part shade to full shade and moderate water; overlaps, then carries the display into early summer; stands well above at 6 ft, a canopy to plant beneath; a soft color beside the white.
Lady's Mantle
Takes part shade to full shade and moderate water; overlaps, then carries the display into midsummer; taller at 1.5 ft, for the layer behind it; a soft color beside the white.
Ostrich Fern
Takes part shade to full shade and moderate to high water; taller at 4 ft, for the layer behind it.
Camellia
Takes part shade to full shade and moderate water; blooms in midwinter, before this one opens; stands well above at 6.5 ft, a canopy to plant beneath; a soft color beside the white; they only overlap in zones 7 to 8.
Ligularia
Takes part shade to full shade and moderate to high water; blooms in midsummer, extending the bed's season; taller at 4 ft, for the layer behind it; a soft color beside the white; this one spreads, so it will crowd its neighbor in time.
Northern Sea Oats
Takes part shade to full shade and moderate water; blooms in midsummer, extending the bed's season; taller at 3.5 ft, for the layer behind it; a soft color beside the white; this one spreads, so it will crowd its neighbor in time.
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