Spreads more slowly and is less available in commerce than P. terminalis (Japanese spurge), but the latter is invasive while this species is native.
Competes well with tree roots. Universally agreed (among my sources) to be deer resistant. Recommended for small-scale groundcover use.
Persistence, of all things, is debated: Stoecklein says deciduous, Dirr says evergreen, Sunset and UConn say semievergreen, Missouri BG says deciduous in USDA zone 6 and colder, Rick Darke says evergreen in USDA zone 5 and warmer. The only pattern I can detect is that the Midwestern sources (Missouri BG and Stoecklein) call it more deciduous than the Eastern sources do (Dirr, UConn, Darke).
May be susceptible to boxwood blight. Avoid overhead watering to help prevent diseases.
Sources: Sunset, Stoecklein, JerseyYards.org, Missouri BG, Rutgers, UConn.
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