Scientific Name:
Euonymus europaeus
Pronunciation:
you-ON-ih-mus yure-oh-PEE-um
Common Name:
common spindle tree, European euonymus
Family Name:
Celastraceae
Plant Type:
Shrub - deciduous, Tree - deciduous
Key ID Features:
Narrow, upright when young, broadening with age; leaves opposite, most elliptic, 3-7cm long x 1-3cm wide, margin finely serrate; flowers 1-1.5cm wide, 4 yellow-green petals, May; capsules 1-1.5cm wide, 4 lobed, pink-red, seeds orange. Winter ID: imbricate plump tear-drop shaped flower buds.
Habit:
Irregular, Upright
Form:
Oval - vertical, Round
Texture:
Medium
Mature Height:
7 - 10m
Mature Spread:
5 - 7m
Growth Rate:
Moderate
Origin:
Central / west Asia, Europe (escaped into USA)
Hardiness Rating:
Zone 4: (-34 to -29 °C)
Exposure:
Full sun, Part sun/part shade, Filtered shade
Soil/Growing Medium:
Acidic, Well-drained
Water Use:
Low
Landscape Uses:
Hedge row, Screening, Small garden/space, Wind break, Woodland margin (Caution: poisonous parts)
Additional Info:
Leaf Morphology:
Form:
Simple
Arrangement:
Opposite
Texture/Venation:
Soft flexible, Pinnate venation
Surfaces:
Glabrous
Colour in Summer:
Dark-green
Colour in Fall:
Red, Dark-red
Shapes:
Elliptic, Lanceolate, Obovate, Ovate
Apices:
Acuminate
Bases:
Cuneate
Margins:
Crenate, Serrate, Serrulate
Additional Info:
Spectacular fall colour, one of the first plants to leaf out in the spring
Inflorescence Type:
Cyme
Flower Morphology:
Flowers perfect
Number Of Petals:
4
Corolla Shape:
Cruciform
Ovary Position:
Inferior
Colour (petals):
Not showy, White
Flower Time at Peak:
May
Fruit Type:
Capsule
Fruit Colour:
Pink, Red (aril orange)
Fruiting Time:
Aug, Sep, Oct
Additional Info:
Showy
Bark Morphology:
Lightly fissured
Bark or Stem Colour:
Grey, Brown
Leaf Bud Type:
Ovoid
Leaf Scar Shape:
Crescent shaped
Propagation:
Softwood cuttings
Maintenance:
Low
Pest Susceptibility:
Scale insects (Pest resistant, Disease resistant, Rabbit resistant, Drought tolerant)
