Pachysandra terminalis 'Green Carpet' (Japanese Spurge)

Green Carpet is a compact, well-behaved selection of Japanese spurge that earns its place as one of the most reliable shade ground covers available for Pacific Northwest gardens. Where grass fails, where hostas get too large, and where mulch keeps washing away, Pachysandra moves in and stays. Green Carpet is a tighter, more controlled cultivar than the straight species, forming dense mats of glossy, deep green foliage on stems that stay six to eight inches tall without trailing or flopping. The waxy leaves catch light even in deep shade, giving the planting a polished, maintained look year-round.

In spring, small spikes of tiny white flowers appear at the stem tips, lightly fragrant and attractive to early-season pollinators before disappearing back into the foliage. The evergreen leaves persist through the winter with minimal browning, which is particularly valuable in the gray-green Pacific Northwest winter when you want something that holds its color. It spreads steadily via underground stems to fill in gaps over two to three seasons, eventually forming a weed-suppressing carpet that requires almost no maintenance once established.

Plant in part to full shade in moist, well-drained, slightly acidic soil.