Native to the Philippines, Japan and coastal China.
Considered highly invasive in the US.
All parts of the plant may cause vomiting, diarrhea, weakness, chills, coma or convulsions if ingested.
Shrub or woody vine which grows quickly and in a very thick, dense form.
Depending on its form, it can grow up to 20 feet wide or 15 feet tall.
Evergreen or semi-evergreen depending on the climate, with its round, opposite-patterned green and white leaves not changing color in the fall.
Fruits display in the fall as bright white capsules on the tops of stems.
Grows well in nearly all conditions - from total shade to full sun, dry to moist, and all textures.
Hardiness zone 5-9
Sentimental and Symbolic Value
The genus Euonymus is also known as spindle, because it was often used to be make spindles for spinning wool.
During the Black Death, British superstition held that a spindle flowering early would be a sign of an outbreak of the plague.
Specimen photographed at Mount Auburn Cemetery in Cambridge, Massachusetts
Plant History and Etymology
Euonymus comes from the Ancient Greek εὐώνυμος (euṓnumos, “lucky”), from εὖ (eû, “good”) + ὄνομα (ónoma, “name”). The specific epithet is a reference to Robert Fortune, a Scottish botanist known for introducing over 250 Asian ornamental plants to the UK and US. It was commonly cultivated as an ornamental in its native east and south Asia before being introduced to Europe by Robert Fortune in 1867. It was well recieved in Europe, but less so in the US, where it was described as "useless" for horticulture. It did catch on later though, and began being cultivated in the eastern US around the turn of the century. By the 1990s, it had widely naturalized and become invasive.
Design Considerations
Because of how quick-growing and aggressive it is, it is considered invasive in most of the eastern US, so it should be avoided. However, it is a widely cultivated ornamental plant and has many cultivars and varieties which select for traits such as slower growth and a specific form. Some common cultivars include E. fortunei 'Colorata', a climber which turns purple in autumn, 'Sunspot', a less aggressive, compact shrub, and 'Silver Queen', a variant with small, pale flowers that attract bees.
Sources
“Euonymus Fortunei (Climbing Euonymus, Japanese Euonymus, Spreading Euonymus, Wintercreeper, Winter Creeper, Wintercreeper Euonymus) | North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox.” 2021. Ncsu.edu. 2021. https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/euonymus-fortunei/.
Wikipedia Contributors. 2021. “Euonymus Fortunei.” Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation. March 21, 2021. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Euonymus_fortunei.
“Winter Creeper, Euonymus Fortunei Celastrales: Celastraceae.” 2017. Invasive.org. 2017. https://www.invasive.org/browse/subinfo.cfm?sub=3024.
“Euonymus Fortunei (Wintercreeper).” 2019. Cabi.org. 2019. https://www.cabi.org/isc/datasheet/23204#tohistoryOfIntroductionAndSpread.
Woodland Trust. 2021. Woodland Trust. 2021. https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/trees-woods-and-wildlife/british-trees/a-z-of-british-trees/spindle/.