Pachysandra is a workhorse evergreen groundcover for the spots where grass gives up. It forms a tidy carpet of glossy, whorled green leaves under a foot tall, topped with small white blooms in spring, and it spreads steadily by underground runners to knit an area together.

This is a shade plant through and through: use it under trees, along north-facing foundations, or on shaded slopes. It handles root competition, deer, and rabbits, and once established it shrugs off dry stretches. Set plants close together and let them fill in over a season or two.