Semi-Evergreen Shrub Of The Day

Euonymus fortunei 'Emerald Gaiety'

Wintercreeper, Wintercreeper Euonymus

Type Shrub, woody plant

Hardy range 5A to 8B

Height 4' to 5' / 1.20m to 1.60m

Spread 24" to 36" / 60cm to 90cm

Growth rate Slow

Form Upright or erect and variable spread

Exposure Partial shade or partial sun to full sun

Persistence Semi-evergreen

Bloom Color Green and white

Bloom Time Summer

Environment

This plant tolerates drought.

This plant will grow in very dry soil.

Suitable soil is well-drained/loamy, sandy or clay.

The pH preference is an acidic to alkaline (less than 6.8 to more than 7.7) soil.

Leaf Color Green, silvery and variegated

Fall Color Red

This plant has attractive fall colors.

Culture Notes

Wintercreeper can be a trailing, vine like plant or an upright shrub, depending on the cultivar. This cultivar forms a compact shrub but will climb up a nearby shrub or wall. This cultivar can be trained into an espalier. Transplanting is no problem, but the growth rate is slow. A north or west exposure is best--during the winter, shade will keep the foliage from burning. If used as a ground cover, it can be sheared to keep it neat.

This member of the genus is the most susceptible to Euonymus scale so should not be selected for low-maintenance landscapes. Large plants become heavily infested before the insect is noticed. A good ground cover for slopes. Many plants give good purple fall color.

Planting and establishing shrubs

The most common cause of young plant failure is planting too deep. Plant the root ball no deeper than it was in the nursery. In most instances, the root flare zone (point where the top-most root in the root ball originates from the trunk) should be located just above the landscape soil surface. Sometimes plants come from the nursery with soil over the root flare. If there is soil over this area, scrape it off. The planting hole should be at least twice the width of the root ball, preferably wider. In all but exceptional circumstances where the soil is very poor, there is no need to incorporate anything into the backfill soil except the loosened soil that came out of the planting hole. Never place ANY soil over the root ball. If a row or grouping of plants is to be installed, excavating or loosening the soil in the entire bed and incorporating organic matter enhances root growth and establishment rate.

Weed suppression during establishment is essential. Apply a 3-inch thick layer of mulch around the plant to help control weed growth. Keep it at least 10 inches from the trunk. If you apply it over the root ball, apply only a one or two inch layer. This allows rainwater and air to easily enter the root ball and keeps the trunk dry. Placing mulch against the trunk or applying too thick a layer above the root ball can kill the plant by oxygen starvation, death of bark, stem and root diseases, prevention of hardening off for winter, vole and other rodent damage to the trunk, keeping soil too wet, or repelling water. Regular irrigation through the first growing season after planting encourages rapid root growth, which is essential for quick plant establishment.

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