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.
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