I had heard that partridgeberry was "slow-growing", but this is ridiculous.
In zone 6b, on the Blue Ridge, I put in a dozen plants a year ago. The soil
is typical woodland, acidic (from the oaks) clay. The plants were tiny when
received from a reputable supplier. All last summer, they seemed OK, added
an inch or two, grew a few new leaves. Now, after a cold winter, only half
of them are still alive, and those seem to have fewer leaves than last year.
I can see this is never going to be a "ground cover", but does anybody know
what I can do to keep these plants alive and encourage them?