Courtesy Mary Henry
Once the last, vividly colored deciduous leaf drops and our spectacle of autumn color is over, the Northwest gardener’s eye for beauty turns to the sculptural forms of naked branches and the looming power of conifers. Beautiful as all this is, it helps to have unexpected spots of bright leaves to catch the eye, especially within the confines of the small urban garden. There are a handful of winter bloomers, but to lighten the dark carpet of winter for the entire season, nothing can rival Euonymus fortunei.
From a genus of over 170 species, both deciduous and evergreen, the many cultivated varieties of E. fortunei have climbed up trellises, spilled over rock walls, and sprawled between clumps of ferns and ground cover conifers with dense coverings of small, evergreen leaves that are often celadon and cream or lime green and yellow. They pull the eye to the form, texture and contrasting deep green of other plants producing a vignette that, without them, would be lost to winter grey.
With variety names like E.f. ‘Golden Prince’, ‘Ivory Jade’ ‘Canadale Gold’ they come as shrubs that can reach 4 to 5 feet with a width two-thirds their height. Or, they grow in mounds, 2 to 4 feet high, or they crawl along the ground. The latter are commonly called Winter Creepers. These cascade over rocks, snake between taller plantings, often sending down roots where the stems are flat against the soil. One of these varieties, E.f. radicans ‘Colorata’ has purple leaves.
Disease resistant, they are not fussy about soil, albeit they are happiest in loose, rich, moist soil, yet tolerate drought. Adaptable to full sun or deep shade, these sturdy evergreens have another great virtue: hardiness. They’ll stand up to freezing temperatures that may hover at zero for days. They’re also great subjects for large containers and, if flooded every couple of weeks, even in the hottest weather, they seem indifferent to scorching temperatures.
Shop nurseries this month and next for these versatile plants. Get them in the ground early to enjoy through the coming dark months. Most often sold in 4-inch and 1-gallon containers, they are easy to tuck into the garden. Water them in well when you plant them. After that, nature should give them all they need. A light dose of fertilizer (12-12-12 is a good choice) in March and again in July will encourage robust growth. Tip pruning will result in plants that stay compact sporting thick, lush bouquets of foliage. Trimmed springs, taken inside will embellish a window sill, a kitchen table or night stand and, quite often, the cutting will root if you keep the water in the container full and fresh. Flower arrangers love these long-lasting boughs of foliage.
When you visit the nursery to shop for Euonymus, you might be led to Euonymus alatus, commonly called Burning Bush. This is the most famous member of the deciduous side of the family. You’ve likely noticed this shrub at this time of year when the leaves turn flame red before they drop exposing handsome but odd stems with bark that grows, forming wing-like ridges along the branches. This is a very interesting plant and valued for its burst of autumn glory, but unlike its cousins, it does little to embellish the winter garden.
Shop now, plant soon, enjoy the bright, glossy leaves through the dark months ahead. Aptly named, Euonymus fortunei is, to the gardener and the winter garden, a discovery of good fortune.