Paxistima canbyi
Canby Paxistima, Rat-stripper
Celastraceae
ExpandHabitat
- native to the central Appalachian Mountains of the eastern United States
- zone 4, possibly 3
- mostly found on calcareous soils and rocky locations
Habit and Form
- a low, multi-stemmed groundcover
- stems are fine and flexible
- slow growing evergreen
- 12" tall, spreading to 3' or 4' or more
Summer Foliage
- opposite, simple, evergreen leaves
- 0.25" to 1" long and less than 0.2" wide
- lustrous dark green color
- petioles are short; leaves crowded on stem
- leaf margins are coarsely serrate, mostly above the middle
Autumn Foliage
- evergreen
- foliage bronzes some in the winter
Flowers
- small greenish or reddish flowers
- held in small clusters
- blooms in early May
- not particularly showy
Fruit
- a small ornamental unimportant capsule
Bark
- not of ornamental importance
Culture
- prefers moist, but well-drained soil
- likes high soil organic matter content
- tolerant of high pH soils
- full sun is best, partial shade is tolerated
- avoid high fertilization
Landscape Use
- as an evergreen groundcover
- rock gardens
- filler among other evergreens
- low maintenance plant once established
- for high pH soils
Liabilities
- foliar burn in severe winters
- euonymus scale
ID Features
- evergreen leaves, crowded on stem
- dark green, lustrous leaves with coarsely serrate margins
- multi-stemmed groundcover
Propagation
- by cuttings
- by division
Cultivars/Varieties
- none