Family

Celastraceae

Common name/s ?

Fortune’s spindle, winter creeper.

Skill rating

Easy

Origin

Asia

Type of plant ?

Evergreen perennial shrub.

Hardiness zone ?

RHS zone

Hardy

EGF zone

H4

USDA zone

5-9

Eventual size

1m height by 1.5m spread.

Growth rate ?

Slow; it reaches its full height in 10 to 20 years.

Shape it grows into

Bushy shrub.

Season/s of interest

Rounded, white edged, deep green leaves. Leaves are tinged pink in winter.

Where to grow it

Happy in full sun or part shade.
Prefers well drained to moist soil.

Tolerates coastal conditions and other exposed locations, and can be grown in a container.

Euonymus fortunei 'Emerald Gaiety'

Features

Rounded, white edged, deep green, evergreen leaves. Leaves are tinged pink in winter. It rarely flowers.

What to use it for

Ground cover, containers, winter border interest, or to brighten up a dark corner. It can also be grown as a low hedge.

Good for all sorts of gardens including low maintenance, formal and informal gardens.

How to look after it

Trim in spring if required.

How to prune it

Prune to remove stems which contain green (ie unvariegated) leaves back to their origin to prevent further reversion.

When trimming, avoid cutting through leaves which will turn brown and become unsightly.

How to propagate it

Semi-ripe cuttings in summer.

Common problems

Can suffer from caterpillar and euonymus scale insect attacks. Also prone to powdery mildews and leaf spot.

Other useful information

If eaten, any parts of this plant can cause severe discomfort.

Has received the Royal Horticultural SocietyAward of Garden Merit‘.

The species is named after the 19th century Scottish botanist and plant explorer, Robert Fortune.