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Purple Wintercreeper {2 1/4 in. Pots, min 54}
59 customer reviews
Euonymus fortunei 'Coloratus' (AKA E. f. radicans, E. japonicus coloratus, Purpleleaf Wintercreeper, Fortune's Spindle)
Pronunciation: yoo-ON-ih-mus for-TOO-nee-eye kol-or-AY-tus
Product: 721
Shipping description: This product cannot be shipped to AZ, CA, NV, OR, or WA

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20034+: $2.94 each
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Content note — AI-assisted: Some images, descriptions, and specs on this page may have been generated with AI and might not be perfect. If you’re new to this plant, please check verified photos [here] and feel free to contact us with questions.
Because of the rich burgundy tone she turns in autumn, two for the price of one is the name of the game with this gorgeous evergreen trailing groundcover. Coloratus' 1 to 2 1/2 inch oval leaves are a jewel-toned emerald in spring and summer and turn deep maroon late in the season. With its rapid growth rate, you can cover a large, needy area such as a slope (it is excellent for erosion control) quickly.

Coloratus will put up with any well-drained soil conditions, is moderately tolerant of salt and foot traffic, (though the latter is not encouraged) and promises to deliver depth of color all year round. in virtually any environmental conditions such as a wide pH range, poor soils, and anything from dense shade to full sun.

Things To Note
Coloratus is invasive and should be planted in contained areas or spaces where you don't mind her taking over.

If you are considering purchasing this plant in bare root form, please read about bare root plants so you know what to expect.
See other plants that go well with this plant.
General information about Euonymus fortunei (Wintercreeper):
If you want something similar to Ivy, but different, this plant will be a perfect fit for you. Euonymus fortunei, often referred to as Wintercreeper or even Fortune’s Spindle, is an elegant, understated woody evergreen vine native to China, Korea, and Japan.

It is excellent for slopes and erosion control. Stems root along nodes, spreading indefinitely as a sprawling, tangled, bushy carpet somewhat similar in appearance to Vinca from a distance. Similar to ivy, using small rootlets on stems to climb, Wintercreeper reaches heights up to 65 feet in her attempts to gain more sunlight.

Its approach to climbing is not the only character trait Wintercreeper shares with Ivy. Both ivy and Wintercreeper have a sterile, juvenile, non-flowering, climbing, (or creeping) phase. After growing tall enough to reach the crowns of trees, Wintercreeper develops into an adult. This flowering phase does not have climbing rootlets. The (1 to 2 1/2 inch long and 1/2 to 1 1/2 inch broad) leaves are arranged in opposite pairs, elliptic to elliptic-ovate, with a finely serrated margin.

The flowers are inconspicuous (1/8 inch in diameter), with four small greenish-yellow petals, and the fruit, if any, are four-lobed, pale green pod-like berries. Inside each lobe is a single fleshy-coated orange seed. In the end, the rich emerald to bright green foliage is the real show stopper offering the benefit of climbing for rock walls, topiaries, arbors and more.

Gardener Tips
Euonymus fortunei responds beautifully to an early spring pruning, some elect to mow it on a high setting to keep a tidy appearance.
Specifications
Shipping
No unusual shipping concerns for this plant.
FREE SHIPPING - Classy Groundcovers offers free shipping, and your plants never spend more than three days in transit.

Precise delivery - another benefit from shopping with us is that you know hpw to control exactly when your order will be shipped.

Shipping information that applies to all plants:
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Care
In areas where spreading is not desired, trim back the runners before they take root or prune ruthlessly once a year.
General information that applies to all plants:
- Ground preparation, fertilization, pH
- Planting instructions
- Explanation and description of bare roots
- How to plant bare root plants
- If you cannot plant bare roots right away

Reviews
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Nice selection of bare root plants. Not tiny stubs as I expected, but roughly 12" stems and 3-4" root sections. Arrived damp and tightly bundled.
review
06/05/2014 By Judith Van Caster
Product reviewed: Purple Wintercreeper {Bare Root Plants, min 50}

I was impressed by the healthy looking plants when they arrived. planted them the same day, now i will wait and see how they take root and grow.

I ordered 100 Purple Wintercreepers over the weekend with some reservation about doing so. I had no idea of who Classy Ground Covers were etc. I have ordered from other mail order plant companies and was disappointed, But I needed at least 100 plants and... Read full review >
Healthy plants
04/11/2014 By Kara Horstman
Product reviewed: Purple Wintercreeper {Bare Root Plants, min 50}

The plants were shipped at the time I requested. I ordered bare root and they came with sphagnum moss wrapped around the bundles of plants, as well as moist newspapers. The roots were well hydrated and the plants were a minimum 12" in length. No signs of... Read full review >
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