My pachysandra is dying

Question

We have pachysandra planted under our pine tree. It has done well there for years. Since spring began, it has been drying up and dying. We are watering it and it has been rainy. Any reason why it would die? I have noticed that the sun shines on it as the day goes on and I wondered if that hurts it. Maybe that will change as the sun direction changes in the summer. Any ideas would be appreciated.

Answer 1

Your pachysandra is probably suffering from scorch. More information on scorch can be found here:
http://extension.umd.edu/hgic/winter-burnleaf-scorch-annuals-bulbs-groundcovers-perennials-and-vines

I would trim back the damaged areas and keep the soil moist (pachysandra prefers moist soil) – it looks a little on the dry side. Once we start experiencing consistently warm spring temperatures your pachysandra should bounce back. I would also recommend rooting some pachysandra cuttings and starting some new plants for your bed. In the future, you may want to consider covering your pachysandra during the winter by raking leaves over it or applying a lightweight mulch over it to protect it – these past few winters have not been kind on our plant life.

For more information on pachysandra, please visit the following link:
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/groundcover/pachysandra/pachysandra-ground-cover.htm