Native to China, Korea, and Japan, Euonymus fortunei is a woody evergreen or semi-evergreen member of the bitterseet family, Celastraceae, that also includes crucifiction thorn. The species can be grown as a ground cover, mounding shrub, or vine but the cultivar ‘Coloratus’ tends to be a trailing ground cover 6-9″ tall until it comes in contact with a vertical surface and then it acts as a vine and begins to climb up to about 20′. The ovate to elliptical leaves are up to 2″ long and shiny dark green until fall they they turn reddish purple. Somtimes plants produce small inconspicuous greenish-white flowers in early summer, most often when growing on a vertical surface. Plants tend to spread by forming roots from trialing stems as they creep along the ground surface. Plants can be used to control erosion and are vaued for covering a wall, fence or other structure. The genus name, Euonymus, is the Latin word meaning, of good name, referring to the poisonous nature of the plant to animals (sic). The specific epithet, fortunei, honors Robert Fortune (1812-1880) Scottish horticulturist and plant collector in China.
Type: Evergreen shrub or woody vine
Outstanding Feature: Foliage color; wide tolerance of light and soil conditions
Growth Rate: Rapid
Bloom: Sparse, inconspicuous greenish-white flowers in early summer
Size: 6-9″ H or 20′ as vine
Light: Full sun to partial shade
Soil: Average, medium moist, well-drained; drought tolerant
Hardiness: Zones 3-9
Care: Low maintenance
Pests and Diseases: Anthracnose, crown gall, leaf spot, mildew, scale, aphids
Propagation: Stem cuttings, seed
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