Pachysandra procumbens - Allegheny Spurge

Sizes available: 1 quart

Basics: zone 5-9, 9-12" x 12"+, partial to full shade, fragrant white flower over velvety, matte foliage in mid-spring, drought tolerant once established.

Common names: Allegheny Spurge, Mountain Spurge

Family: Buxaceae

Origin/Distribution: West Virginia and Kentucky south to Florida and west to Louisiana

Habitat: Found in nutritious woodland soils over limestone, however, other sources indicate that it is not too picky about pH.

More: This ground cover is classified as an evergreen subshrub, which means that in our climate it may look a bit beat up in the spring with some leaves "surviving" the winter and others behaving as if deciduous, but I have found it to be quite resilient and it is a gradually establishing ground cover in my woodland beds. I was surprised by the fragrance of the flowers when I first grew it. That is a lovely bonus. Not exactly a replacement for non-native pachysandra as it is much slower to establish itself, but beautiful as part of woodland gardens nonetheless. 

Source: Van Berkum Nursery

Image credit: Wikimedia Commons