Pachysandra terminalis

Evergreen perennial groundcover for covering the kind of ground you thought uncoverable. A valuable, tough, drought and shade-tolerant ‘shrublet’ (adorable) from Japan, Korea and China. 

Essential in an East-Asian inspired garden design, given its origins, and a tremendous plant for steadily carpeting areas of dryish and poorish soils, even managing in quite deep shade. It’ll do this rather ponderously at first but once a thick coating of shiny leaves in all shades of green is achieved you’ll be pleased with your patience. Magnificent after rain with droplets pearling from each tip and an easy plant to plonk and rely upon to look after itself as it’s no bother to keep tidy. Once it thickens-out and begins to take over (politely) it’s a natural weed-suppressor and adds a more substantial texture to a covering of, say, just ivies. Combines well with ferns and all the usual woodlandy characters. This plant suits a garden that’s heaving with masses of foliage at all levels and where some gloss and polish is needed at that crucial layer that’s trickiest to fill: the lowest. It will do pretty little greenish flowers in spring, by the way. These blooms aren’t the star attraction, but they are another nice subtle twinkle against the stiff wavily-edged foliage, and lighten any gloom more than a little. Very adorable, indeed.