Seen here is one plant I wish had the ideal location for it to grow. Ideal location you ask? OK maybe I’m putting words in your head but let me add an image too. Think shade, think moist, think well drained, think shade garden. I don’t have that place…yet.
This little plant was planted in a nearly ideal location in my parent’s yard during a garden remodel last spring. I love the variegation in shade plants and this evergreen groundcover is a good one. Pachysandra grows fairly slow and will take a couple years to fully establish as a groundcover. Of course you can help your groundcover along when planting by spacing the plants closer together. That means more money on the front end for faster gratification. To reduce your cost you could propagate pachysandra by stem cuttings. Propagating pachysandra is fairly straightforward. Take a stem cutting with a leaf attached, dip in rooting hormone, place in filtered light while keeping the soil moist and you may have rooting in a few weeks. You can also divide the plant occasionally to increase your plantings. Once you have a few cuttings you can plant them in the gaps of your groundcover to thicken it up a little faster.
Behind the backyard greenhouse shed is an area I hope to one day cultivate with shade plants like pachysandra, hosta, and heuchera. I have too many things on my plate to worry about a new shade garden yet but I can dream!
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I love pachysandra. I don't have the variegated but it would sure brighten up a dark corner. I have regular old green that I had picked up from the Amish a few years back. Do you know I spotted blooms on it a week or so ago? I was amazed as I had not seen it bloom before. Mine has spread rather nicely. It is in full shade under some hydrangea Limelights, dogwoods and a black gum. It is doing good even without water. Good thing as it far back there. I love it. I hope you find a spot for some.
Pachysandra, love it or hate it…..I guess I am in the hate it camp. Once established it can border on being invasive. I do like the looks of the variegated one…but I am steering clear of moderately invasive plants.
The variegated is distinctive. I planted the plain green plant around a couple of trees 8 years ago… so it was in a confined, very shady spot. It took most of that time to fill in the bed. I really liked it. However, the trees were felled a year ago, and now the plant is crazily multiplying. Hmmmm. What to do? I cannot throw it away. I'm sure there's a good spot for it.
I am not very fond of variegated plants, but a few of them can make a nice garden accent. This pachysandra looks nice though.
Tina,
I hope you took a picture of the flowering! Not much else happening outdoors right now!
Janet,
Typically variegated plants aren't as prolific growers as their counterparts. Your garden conditions must be just right for it! Definitely wise to be wary of an invasive.
Shady,
It sounds like your pachysandra was more behaved than Janet's!
Gisele,
I like interesting variegated plants like lacecap hydrangeas and hostas. It's definitely true that not all variegated plants are worth planting.
That is a pretty plant but I can't have any type of invasive plant as I live in town. That would be a no-no.