Japanese Pachysandra
Pachysandra terminalis
フッキソウ
Buxaceae
Pachysandra terminalis is a creeping evergreen perennial of cool
Native Container Wildlife value: low Maintenance: low ground cover
Planting calendar (Tokyo baseline)
Pick a region in the header to shift the window.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Planting | ||||||||||||
| Flowering | ||||||||||||
| Fruiting |
Tokyo baseline: months 3, 4, 10
Growing requirements
| Light | shade |
|---|---|
| Water | medium |
| Soil | humus-rich, slightly acidic, free-draining |
| Hardiness | Tokyo lowland |
| Container | Yes · Min container size: 12 L |
| Maintenance | low |
| Common issues | leaf blight in poorly drained soil |
Where to source
Seedlings, divisions, or seed. Native plant suppliers in Japan are the right starting point.
- Search Japanese suppliers for seedlings · native-plant suppliers
About this native
Pachysandra terminalis is a creeping evergreen perennial of cool
montane forest floors, native west of the Kanto plain. The Japanese
species (distinct from the more common American P. procumbens) is
valued for tolerating dim, dry, root-competitive ground — exactly
the conditions where most ground covers fail. Spreads slowly by
rhizome, ~20–30 cm a year. Spring spikes of white flowers attract
small native bees but are easy to miss visually.
Usage
Definitive shade ground cover. Long-term-stable in containers.
Standard understory mat for zōki-bayashi mixed plantings.
Practical info
| Native | Yes |
|---|---|
| Edible | No |
| Wildlife value | low |
| Attracts |
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Sources
Primary references, publications, and observation data this page draws on. How sources are picked is described in About the data .
- 環境省 自然環境保全基礎調査
- Catalog editor (niwa, 2026-05)