Japanese Spurge care — light, water, toxicity and hardiness
Japanese Spurge (Pachysandra terminalis) wants full shade and a drink about every 7 days once established. It is hardy in USDA zones 4 to 8. It is safe to have around pets.
| scientific name | Pachysandra terminalis |
|---|---|
| family | Buxaceae |
| category | flower |
| plant type | perennial |
| light | full shade |
| water cadence days | 7 |
| mature height cm | 20 |
| min zone | 4 |
| max zone | 8 |
| frost tolerant | true |
| toxic to pets | false |
| toxic to humans | false |
| edible | false |
How often should I water Japanese Spurge?
Dry shade under trees where nothing else grows.
Who eats it
Palatable to browsing animals such as deer: low. Palatable to grazing animals: low. Palatable to people: no.
What it needs
Its shade tolerance is low. Its moisture use is high. Its drought tolerance is low. It wants at least about 36 inches of rain a year. Above roughly 60 inches of annual rain it struggles. It tolerates soil down to pH 5.5. It tolerates soil up to pH 7.5. Its fertility requirement is high. Adapted to coarse, sandy soils: yes. Adapted to medium, loamy soils: yes. Adapted to fine, clay soils: yes. It needs at least 100 frost-free days. Its salt tolerance is low. Its tolerance of chalky soil is medium. Its fire tolerance is high. Fire resistant: yes. It has been recorded down to -28°F. It suppresses neighbours chemically: no.
How it grows
It grows as a rhizomatous form. Its growth rate is slow. Its lifespan is moderate. It puts on most of its growth in spring and summer. It spreads vegetatively at a moderate rate. It resprouts after damage: no. Coppices: no. At maturity it reaches about 0.8 feet. Its roots go down at least 12 inches. Its shape is erect. It holds its leaves through winter: yes.
What it looks like
It blooms in early summer. The flowers are white. Conspicuous in flower: yes. The foliage is dark green. The foliage texture is medium. In summer the canopy is dense in porosity. In winter it is dense in porosity. Fall colour: no. The fruit persists on the plant: no. The fruit is conspicuous: no.
Growing more of it
Propagated by seed: no. Propagated by cuttings: no. Propagated by container: yes. Propagated by bare root: no. Propagated by bulb: no. Propagated by corm: no. Propagated by tubers: no. Cold stratification required: no. Commercial availability: routinely available.
Source: Drafted from US Cooperative Extension horticulture guidance; pending HUMAN-05 review (issue 280) · ASPCA Toxic and Non-Toxic Plant List · 2026-09-02