Pachysandra procumbens is superficially similar in appearance to its exotic and introduced cousin Pachysandra terminalis, with a few notable differences. The spikes of white to pink, bottlebrush-like flowers that emerge in early spring before new leaf growth emerges are very fragrant. The toothed leaves are dark green to blue-green and, as fall progresses, become marbled with showy silver veins. Commonly named Allegheny spurge, this plant is native to the rich woods in the Southeastern U.S., primarily on the Cumberland Plateau. It is thought to be introduced in Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Missouri.
Pachysandra procumbens grows in a variety of soil conditions, but heavy clay should be avoided. Good air circulation and drainage lessens the risk for leaf blight and root rot. If kept moist and under filtered light, it will form a beautiful ground cover that benefits from being highly resistant to deer. It is more attractive and less aggressive than the more commonly grown Pachysandra terminalis, and can be combined with other perennials without fear of their being choked out. Weed control is recommended during establishment; will tolerate dry conditions once it's established. This species is mostly evergreen within its native range—zones 6 and warmer—but is cold hardy well into zone 4 where it should be grown as a deciduous perennial.
Space plants 12" on center.
Not nearly as aggressive as Pachysandra terminalis, Allegheny Spurge will spread via rhizomes to form small patches (2' wide) that are truly lovely in the shade garden. It's a great choice where a small planting is needed. Place patches throughout the shade garden to tie your plant compositions together visually.
Pachysandra procumbens combines well with other filtered shade lovers like Sedum ternatum (woodland stonecrop), Chrysognonum virginianum (green and gold), Carex plantaginea (plantainleaf sedge), Carex radiata (eastern star sedge), Stylophorum diphyllum (celandine poppy), Packera obovata (roundleaf ragwort), and Mertensia virginica (Virginia bluebells)
Allegheny spurge also occurs on the Gulf coastal plain, but is much less common there and is imperiled or vulnerable within that range. The flowers are unisexual, meaning there are separate female and male flowers. The latter give rise to the generic name, which derives from the Greek pachy, meaning "thick," and andros meaning "male" or "man," and refers to the long, thick filaments on the stamen. Another interesting botanical tidbit: Pachysandra is in the boxwood family. Finally, take care with pets; the foliage of Allegheny spurge can be toxic to animals.
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Recorded County Distribution: USDA data.
AL, GA, IN, KY, MS, NC, PA, SC, TN, FL, LA |
Endangered | FL, IN |
MAP OF WETLAND DELINEATION REGIONS
Code |
Status |
Designation |
Comment |
OBL |
Obligate Wetland |
Hydrophyte |
Almost always occur in wetlands |
FACW |
Facultative Wetland |
Hydrophyte |
Usually occur in wetlands, but may occur in non-wetlands |
FAC |
Facultative |
Hydrophyte |
Occur in wetlands and non-wetlands |
FACU |
Facultative Upland |
Nonhydrophyte |
Usually occur in non-wetlands, but may occur in wetlands |
UPL |
Obligate Upland |
Nonhydrophyte |
Almost never occur in wetlands |
Kingdom | Plantae | Plants |
Subkingdom | Tracheobionta | Vascular plants |
Superdivision | Spermatophyta | Seed plants |
Division | Magnoliophyta | Flowering plants |
Class | Magnoliopsida | Dicotyledons |
Subclass | Rosidae | |
Order | Euphorbiales | |
Family | Buxaceae | Boxwood family |
Genus | Pachysandra | pachysandra |
Species | Pachysandra procumbens | Allegheny spurge |
mountain spurge
Sizes info
Shipping is free on all plants orders!
Your plants will ship using each grower’s preferred method: FedEx Ground, UPS Ground, or Spee-Dee Ground (in select midwestern states). Our growers ship orders Monday through Wednesday. The farther your plants need to travel, the earlier in the week they will ship. The goal is to have all plants delivered by the end of the week.
Shipping plugs:
Plugs are shipped in full flats, sometimes also referred to as trays. Multiple flats can be shipped in a single box. The flats are wrapped in netting or craft paper to secure the plants, and spacers are used between flats to keep the plants from being crushed.
When you unpack your plugs, the plants will have been somewhat flattened by the netting or craft paper. They will straighten out within a couple of days. You may also gently “fluff” them a bit to speed up the process. In some cases, your plants might have been cut back before packing, if the grower deemed them to have become too tall for safe packaging. Don’t worry, though, these guys know what they’re doing and would not compromise the health of the plants. They’ll fill back in in no time.
After receiving your plants’ journey in a dark box, it will be important to acclimate them to sunlight again. Over a couple of days, you should gradually move them into their preferred light exposure, and water them as per their requirement.
Although we always recommend putting your plants in the ground as soon as possible, they can stay healthy in the flats for a considerable amount of time. The key is to respect their growing requirements: if the species requires full sun, do not store them in the shade. If it is best adapted to dry soil, do not over-water.
Planting plugs:
We consider plugs ready to ship when the plants’ roots have filled the entire liner cell and the plants can easily be pulled out. In some cases you will have to go about it gently, wiggling the plant by the crown, and possibly squeezing the bottom of the liner to compress the growing medium and release the roots. Other times, the plants will appear to be root bound. They are not in the traditional sense. The plants are healthy but they have used up all the growing medium available to them. Plugs are at an aggressive stage of growth. As soon as planted the roots will immediately expand into your native soil. They establish faster than plants in larger containers, because they don’t have the luxury of a lot of growing media that can inhibit the roots from venturing outside of their comfort zone.
We are not going to address area preparation because the process can be complex and is always site-specific. However, as a rule, we recommend disturbing the soil as little as possible, and we do not recommend amending the soil. If you chose the right plant for the right conditions they will thrive. Any disturbance and amendments will only encourage weeds to emerge that never had a chance to do so before.
Installing plugs cannot be easier: dig a hole large enough for the roots to fit snugly inside, then water them in to eliminate air gaps. We recommend using a soil knife, sometimes referred to as hori hori, or a drill-adapted auger if it’s a large installation. If you use an auger, you will need a powerful drill. Depending on the size of the project and the type of soil, the process can be beyond what an average drill will bear. Mulching is recommended after installation to help keep weeds down while the plants establish. Be sure to keep it away from the crown of the plants. For large projects, you may want to mulch the area before planting, rather than tiptoeing through it after the fact. As a side note: if you are installing plugs in the fall, you might want to plant them so that the crown is about ¾” lower than the surrounding soil. The winter’s freeze/thaw cycles can push plugs out if the roots did not have enough time to establish and anchor them in.