Admiring the bright colors of the autumn forest, you involuntarily freeze in front of a bushy tree of extraordinary beauty. Its branches with multi-colored leaves are decorated with delightful fruit earrings. People call them “robin berries” - nimble birds peck berries from elegant bushes in the fall. This plant is euonymus (Euonymus).
They say that a poisonous bush was grown by a witch who was offended by people. But then she still took pity on them and made the plant medicinal. And she herself turned into a robin - a gray bird that is not poisoned by the fruits of this beautiful plant and spreads it: it eats the fruit, the seed soon ends up in the ground and a charming bush appears in its place.
There is another legend. During the creation of the plant world, the goddess Flora lost a brooch with flowers from her dress and an earring from her ears. She did not look for her jewelry, but turned them into plants: one with dead flowers from a brooch, the other with earrings.
And as punishment for being lost, she made the plants poisonous. Both the brooch and the earring were lost in one place, which is why the euonymus was born, which bears dead wax flowers in the spring and earring berries in the fall.
All shrubs have a beautiful openwork crown. The leaves are usually dark green in spring and summer. Flowering begins at the end of May, but it does not attract attention either. The plants are especially beautiful in autumn.
At this time, the bushes are completely transformed: in September, in just a week, white, yellow, orange, pink, red, carmine and purple “flashes” flash on them. A single sheet can be painted in 5-6 colors!
By October there are more and more red colors. And with their bright fruits, euonymuses decorate the garden until the onset of severe frosts.
It is no coincidence that the name of the genus - Euonymus - is translated as “alluring beauty” (from the ancient Greek “ey” - the best and “entanglement” - calling, alluring).
The fruit is a dry, leathery, usually four-part capsule containing white, red or brown-black seeds. They are covered with fleshy tissue - the appendix.
Depending on the species, the appendix is colored orange, red or red-brown. The fruits give the plant a special decorative effect in the fall.
Immature pale green boxes, invisible in summer, acquire a bright color in September, which, depending on the species, can be yellow, pink, scarlet, crimson, burgundy or dark purple.
When ripe bolls crack at the seams, it seems as if parachutes with parachutists (several seeds covered with acetum) are hovering on the plant. Only euonymus has such original fruits.
However, it must be remembered that they contain a number of poisonous alkaloids and are not suitable for human consumption.
Young shoots, covered with greenish or brownish bark, in some species are round in cross-section (large-winged, Sakhalin, few-flowered species), in others - tetrahedral (European euonymus, Siebold, Maack, Bunge, Hamilton), persistent longitudinal ridges of gray color.
But there are those (winged, cork) in which, instead of rollers, four sharp cork ribs run along the young shoot, giving the bush a unique appearance, especially in winter, when snow lingers on these ribs.
Euonymus, although distinguished by its decorative nature and unpretentiousness to growing conditions, does not yet receive due attention from our gardeners. Some species are quite winter-hardy, and their cultivation in the middle zone is very possible.
Varieties and types
For landscaping a garden plot, it is good to use the following types:
European - deciduous tree no more than 5-7 m high (sometimes grows as a bush), young branches are green, tetrahedral. In September-October, the leaves become purple-red, and the fruit boxes, cross-shaped, are dark red or pink, with hanging orange seeds.
To produce more fruit, you need cross-pollination. To do this, at least two specimens of this species are planted on the site. European euonymus is undemanding when it comes to soil. Shade-tolerant. At the same time, for the bright autumn color of the leaves, a sunny location of the plant is necessary.
Winged is a deciduous shrub. Shade-tolerant. Its homeland is the Far East, where it grows up to 2 m. In our conditions - up to 1 m, but it can be higher.
Young branches are green, rounded-tetrahedral, with longitudinal brownish cork wings up to 0.5 cm wide. Fruit capsules are dark red, four-membered. The leaves turn bright red in autumn.
Fortune is a creeping evergreen shrub 30-60 cm high (homeland - China). The branches reach a length of 3 m, take root at the nodes, and cling to support, if any. The leaves are small, pointed, leathery, up to 2-6 cm long.
Euonymus Fortune loves loose, fertilized soil. Frost-resistant. Prefers partial shade. It has many decorative forms.
Dwarf is an evergreen ornamental shrub with beautiful leathery leaves. Shade-loving. Vertical shoots reach a height of 1 m. Leaves are 1-4 cm long, finely toothed.
The fruits are pale yellow-greenish capsules and ripen in August-September. When trimmed, the plant makes a wonderful border. And if you graft it onto a Japanese euonymus, you can admire the amazing weeping form of the plant.
Semenov's euonymus is an evergreen shrub up to 1 m high, often creeping. The mountains of Central Asia are considered its homeland, where it grows under the forest canopy. The leaves are leathery, yellowish-green, with short petioles (1.5-6 cm long and 0.5-2 cm wide).
The flowers are small, dark purple, collected in small umbrellas along the edges of the branches, petals with greenish edges. Blooms in July, bears fruit in August. Winter-hardy. Prefers to grow in shady places with moderate humidity.
Japanese in nature (in the south) is an evergreen shrub or liana up to 7 m, in our country it is a shrub up to 0.5 m high. The leaves are 3-8 cm long, leathery, dark green, sometimes shiny on top.
Many of its variegated and small-leaved forms are known. Requires shelter for the winter.
The plant is wonderfully suitable for growing indoors (landscaping apartments, offices, loggias, winter gardens). Variegated forms with yellow or white spots and a border on dark green leaves are photophilous.
The Japanese species easily tolerates dry indoor air, thanks to its leathery leaves, and tolerates partial shade. In summer, it is advisable to take pots with plants out into the open air; in winter, keep them in a cool room (at an air temperature of +5-10 degrees) with sufficient lighting. Water as the soil dries out.
In spring and summer, feed once every 2-3 weeks. Plant the plant in a mixture of turf and leaf soil, peat and sand (2:3:1:1). This plant is very plastic, lends itself well to shaping by pruning (in May and again in early autumn), pinching, bending and twisting shoots. The stem quickly thickens.
Japanese euonymus makes a wonderful bonsai, as well as various geometric shapes (balls, cubes, cones, pyramids) and figures.
From historical sources it is known that Pliny the Younger had formed figures of various animals - deer, elephants, tigers, etc. - growing on green lawns.
Application in the garden
When choosing a shrub for landscaping your garden, consider its dimensions. Thus, there are very impressive plants that, given sufficient space and good care, reach a height and crown diameter of 7-8, and sometimes 10 m.
These are Euonymus macroptera, Maak's, Maksimovich's, Hamilton's, European, broadleaf.
Medium-sized representatives of the genus (corky, Bunge) are more characteristic of the shape of a tall bush, reaching a height and diameter of 4-5 m.
Small shrubs, such as warty, winged, Siebold, and Sakhalin shrubs, are suitable for small gardens. The height of these plants is usually 1-2 m, they grow 2-2.5 m wide. But in all cases there is no need to be afraid of large species, they all tolerate any pruning that can be used to restrain growth and create a dense, compact crown. Many of these plants can be used to create hedges.
Fortune's, dwarf and Koopman's euonymus are creeping and have practically no trunks, but they have many thin recumbent or slightly erect stems, densely covered with numerous evergreen leaves.
With good care (regular feeding and weeding), you can create thick green mats from these plants. And if Fortune's euonymus is light-loving and not very winter-hardy, the last two species are suitable for creating a wonderful lawn in shady areas of the garden. These “creepers” look beautiful in the form of clumps in tree trunks and on an alpine hill.
Care
Shrubs cannot tolerate stagnant moisture. For successful cultivation, neutral or slightly alkaline soils are required; lime should be added to acidic ones.
Different types of shrubs have different attitudes to light. It is better to plant Maak's euonymus in an open place. In partial shade, among tall, overgrown trees, the European and warty species will be comfortable.
When creating a decorative group on a slope, it is better to choose large-winged and Sakhalin shrubs, where they can grow well due to the rooting of the lower branches.
Diseases and pests of euonymus
The main diseases and pests are mold, aphids, caterpillars, mealybugs, etc. At the same time, it was noticed that if everything on the euonymus planted near fruit trees is covered in cobwebs with nests of caterpillars, then on the apple trees growing nearby it is completely clean.
So it can be used to protect the garden from pests, especially since this plant can be easily treated with any pesticide without fear of causing damage to the crop.
Reproduction
Most species reproduce well vegetatively - by dividing the bush, root suckers, and green cuttings.
For cuttings in June-July, young but already quite elastic shoots are chosen. Cuttings 4-6 cm long with one internode are cut from them. They are planted in a greenhouse under a film in a substrate of fertile soil, on top of which sand is poured in a layer of 5-7 cm. The roots develop in 1.5 months.
Seed propagation is somewhat more complicated. When sowing without stratification and in nature, the bulk of seeds germinate only in the second spring. Therefore, immediately after collection, the seeds should be stratified, for which they are mixed with coarse calcined sand or slightly decomposed moistened sphagnum peat (1:2).
For 3-4 months, the seeds are kept at a temperature of 10-12 degrees. When the shell of most of them (70-80%) bursts, the temperature is reduced to 0+3 degrees. And in such conditions they are stored for another 4-5 months.
To prevent them from rotting, before planting they are cleaned of their roots and pickled in a 0.5% solution of potassium permanganate.
Sow euonymus seeds on beds in shallow (about 2 cm) grooves in a substrate of leaf and turf soil, humus and sand (4: 1: 2: 1). Shoots appear in 2-3 weeks. In spring and autumn, it is recommended to mulch the seedlings with peat crumbs in a 3 cm layer.
During the summer, the plants are watered and fed with mullein, and covered with spruce branches for the winter. In the 3rd year they are transplanted to a permanent place.
Euonymus is gas and smoke resistant, so it grows well in urban environments.
By properly caring for plants, you can get a dense crown of an interesting shape, because this is where their beauty lies.
Euonymus sap is poisonous! Be careful and careful when pruning plants.
Among the variety of euonymus species, there are more than 200 specimens, but only 20 of them are able to grow freely in our climate. These can be evergreen or deciduous shrubs or trees. Despite the medicinal properties of this plant, almost all types of euonymus are considered poisonous. Among the main advantages of the culture is its tolerance to poorly lit areas and high air pollution. The only exception is the Maak euonymus, which prefers well-lit areas. Trees and shrubs can withstand frosts of twenty degrees, if they are short-term. Under this condition, it is normal for the ends of the branches to freeze, so they must be removed in the spring. Such a nuisance does not harm subsequent growth. Almost every variety is unpretentious, but each representative has certain requirements for agricultural technology standards.
Euonymus macroptera
Greatwing
Under natural conditions, group or solitary growth is observed in moist and shady mixed cedar, broad-leaved and spruce forests. The birthplace of the culture is China, Korea, Japan, the Kuril Islands, Sakhalin, as well as the Khabarovsk and Primorsky territories. Stone placers near cliffs are most preferable. This species is represented by a deciduous tree, the height of which reaches 9 meters. Bush-like specimens are also found. The trunks of adult representatives are covered with dark bark, while in young trees it is green and gradually becomes gray or light brown. The shape of the foliage is oblong-ovate, the base is wedge-shaped, and the apexes are pointed.
This type of euonymus has 2-3 forked multi-flowered inflorescences, long peduncles. After flowering, the fruits begin to ripen, which are represented by four-lobed capsules with wings up to 15 cm, the shape is flattened, spherical. Ripening gives them a dark crimson color. At the end of summer, the capsules open, from which seeds emerge in a bright orange sac. The flowering period begins in May, and by September the fruits are fully ripened.
The first fruiting occurs in the seventh year. The tree is characterized by slow growth and complete winter hardiness. Within 5-7 months, the seeds must be stratified and stored in a box with cold sand for subsequent cultivation. Seeds must be planted to a depth of 2-3 cm. In 80% of cases, propagation by cuttings is successful if the cuttings are treated with a 0.05% IBA solution.
Optimal development conditions require high air humidity, shade tolerance is high, but with good lighting, more active development is observed. This type is resistant to euonymus moth. Valued for its high decorative value during the fruiting period. Recommended for group or single planting in the park.
Euonymus pauciflora or warty
The widest distribution of this species is observed in the mountainous areas of South-Eastern, Central and Southern Europe, as well as the European part of Russia. Such shrubs are found in nature reserves in the Baltic states, the Caucasus and Russia. The most suitable are the lime-rich, fertile soils of the undergrowth of deciduous and coniferous forests. As mentioned earlier, this species is represented by a shrub form, the height of which reaches 2 m, but tree-like specimens 5-6 m high are also less common. The shoots have a bright green color, and black-brown warts strew the branches, which is precisely why the name of the euonymus in question. Pink capsule fruits stand out against the background of light green foliage, especially when in the fall some of the leaves turn soft pink. Before planting, it is necessary to stratify the seeds for 5-7 months; they have 100% viability. Distinctive features: winter hardiness, ease of care, shade tolerance. Suitable for single plantings, forming hedges and group plantings. The most popular species for growing as an ornamental plant.
European euonymus
Natural growth is concentrated in Asia Minor, Western Europe, the Caucasus, Crimea and the European part of Russia. The reserves also contain. Any soil is suitable for cultivation; its decorative properties are pronounced. In America, the European euonymus is called strawberry bush or spindle tree. This species is equally likely to grow in the form of a bush and in the form of a tree up to 6 m high. Obovate or ovate leaves reach 11 cm in length and are dark green in color. Longitudinal corky growths can often be found on young shoots.
During the fruiting period, the bush is very elegant thanks to the four-leaf fruit boxes. The orange seed bud completely covers the seed, the viability of which is 95%. The duration of stratification for seeds of this variety is only one and a half months. Rooting by cuttings is also allowed. When propagating by seeds, there is no need to cover the seedlings. The main differences are drought resistance, winter hardiness, light-loving properties, and resistance to gas pollution. Specimens tolerate shearing without problems, so it is important to use them for forming hedges, as well as single and group plantings. It goes well with trees that have a golden or yellow crown. This crop has over 20 decorative forms with different fruit colors.
Euonymus dwarf
The area where this species is common is the mountain forests of Northwestern China, Romania, the Caucasus, Crimea, Ukraine and Moldova. During the Soviet era it was listed in the Red Book. Carbonate soils are most favorable for growing. Dwarf euonymus is represented by evergreen shrubby forms no more than a meter high. The stems are easy to root; ascending shoots appear abundantly and quickly. The species in question is distinguished by its peculiar narrow-lanceolate oblong leaves, no more than 4 cm long. Their edges are slightly bent. The seeds are surrounded by a brownish red color and covered halfway with an orange amyelium. Propagation by cuttings gives 100% rooting even without special treatment.
Koopman's euonymus
This specimen grows in Central Asia and is one of the most interesting due to its ability to form climbing, creeping branches that take root if they are too close to the ground. The shoots rising from them do not exceed a meter in height. The foliage shape is linear-lanceolate or narrow-lanceolate. They are dark green on top and bluish underneath, with slightly rolled edges and a leathery texture.
Euonymus redfruited
The red-fruited euonymus lives mainly on the Kuril Islands and Southern Sakhalin. The main difference between this specimen and the large-winged euonymus is the color of the flowers - they are reddish, but not greenish. The wings are shorter. And the fruit boxes have a distinct bright color. Closer to autumn, all parts of the plant look dark purple against the backdrop of the blazing sun. There is always abundant flowering and fruiting. Distinctive properties are shade tolerance, average moisture tolerance, resistance to gas contamination and requirements for nutritious soils; they must be light and contain lime. This species does not need pruning, but it tolerates shearing without problems, so it is often used to form a hedge, as well as single or group planting. Demonstrates high levels of winter hardiness. For spring sowing, seeds must be stratified; for autumn sowing, it is not necessary. Reproduction is also possible by root suckers, summer cuttings and layering. The decorative effect of the plant is due to the color of the fruits and foliage in autumn.
Euonymus winged
This species is distributed along mountain streams, in river valleys, on rocky mountains and in shady deciduous forests of China, Japan, Korea and South Sakhalin. The shrub is distinguished by powerful branching and a height of up to 2.5 m. Less commonly, the species is represented by a tree-like form up to 4 m high with light gray bark and slightly winged branches. The flowers are greenish and the fruits are red. The decorative effect is due to the color of the fruits in autumn and the winged shape of the branches.
Euonymus Maak
The homeland of this species is considered to be sandy and sandy loam soils, valleys of large rivers, floodplain meadows, hill slopes and deciduous forests of Northeast China, Primorsky Krai and Eastern Siberia. Often the plant is represented by a shrub form no more than one and a half meters high, less often - a tree up to 8 meters in height. Distinctive features are the absence of problems during transplantation, rapid growth and development, demanding soil conditions, drought resistance, frost resistance and light-loving properties. Reproduction is available by sowing seeds, cuttings, root suckers or layering. Excellent for landscaping edges, especially if you create a single standard planting on the lawn.
Beresklet Maksimovich
The plant grows mainly among small forests and shrubs, on rocky slopes of sea coasts, mountain slopes and in coniferous-deciduous forests of Northeast China. The species in question is the most decorative due to its soft pink foliage, against which the dark red fruits stand out in contrast, remaining on the branches until the beginning of November. The shoots are often cut along with the fruits and used to create bouquet arrangements.
Sakhalin euonymus
The plant is native to East Asia and the Far East. The shrub reaches 2.5 m in height and has large elliptical leaves, the length of which reaches 11 cm. Thin hanging peduncles hold small purple flowers, which begin to appear in May; by September, carmine-red fruits ripen. The shrub is unpretentious and looks impressive in a hedge or group planting.
Sacred euonymus
It is native to Japan, North Korea, Northeast China, and the Far East. The usual habitat is bush thickets, mountain slopes, meadows in river valleys, undergrowth of broad-leaved and mixed forests. The shrub can be called relatively low - 1.5 m, and is distinguished by a branched crown. Other features include shade tolerance, lack of soil requirements, and slow growth. The decorative effect is due to burgundy fruits and bright leaves in autumn, as well as wing-shaped outgrowths on the shoots. The relevance of use is observed when decorating rocky hills, but the ability to bush also allows such shrubs to be planted for hedges.
Euonymus Fortune
China is the birthplace of Fortune's euonymus; cultural plantings are concentrated in Ukraine and the Caucasus. In this case, we are talking about a ground cover plant, which differs significantly from the previously listed species. The shrub spreads and has long shoots; moreover, this deciduous plant is evergreen and can grow in central Russia. This species is frost-resistant because in winter it is completely covered with snow.
Euonymus latifolia
It grows mainly in fir, hornbeam and beech forests of Western Europe, the Caucasus and Crimea. The tree cannot be called tall, sometimes it can even grow in the form of a bush with very large leaves up to 16 cm long. Their color is greenish-white, and the flowers are slightly brown. The ripening period is in August. Features include shade tolerance and lack of soil requirements. It has not yet found application in private gardening.
Each of the presented types of euonymus has its own characteristics, both agrotechnical and decorative. In most cases, the plant is suitable for landscaping park areas, but a properly selected variety can also be used for private gardening.
Sacred euonymus (lat. Euonymus sacrosancta)–decorative shrub; representative of the genus Euonymus of the Euonymus family. Originates from North Korea, Japan, Northeast China and the Russian Far East. It is found in bush thickets, meadows, stream and river valleys, deciduous and mixed forests, as well as on mountain elephants.
Characteristics of culture
Sacred euonymus is a deciduous shrub up to 1.5 m high with a wide branched crown and a tap root system that forms a huge number of surface roots. Young shoots are green, round, tetrahedral, often equipped with thin longitudinal gray or brown wings, reaching a width of 0.5-0.6 cm. Usually this feature is also characteristic of old branches.The buds are small, ovoid, up to 0.4 cm long. The leaves are dark green, membranous, leathery, glabrous, elliptical or oblong-obovate, sharp or obtuse at the ends, with a wedge-shaped base, finely serrated along the edge, up to 8 cm long, sessile on short petioles. On the underside the foliage is lighter and ciliated. In autumn the leaves turn bright red or burgundy red.
The flowers are five-petaled, greenish-white or greenish-purple, inconspicuous, reaching 1-1.2 cm in diameter, collected in simple semi-umbrella inflorescences located on drooping peduncles formed in the axils of the lower leaves of the shoots. The sacred euonymus blooms in May - June, for 10-12 days.
The fruits are spherical, 1-5-locular capsules, covered on the outside with awl-shaped outgrowths, and can be red or pink in color. The seeds are brown, ovoid, up to 0.4 cm long, covered with bright orange or bright red arils. The fruits ripen in September – October.
Like other species of the genus, the sacred euonymus is especially decorative in the second half of summer, when bright fruits begin to form on the bushes, combined with rich green foliage. In autumn, euonymus becomes most attractive due to its red foliage. For this reason, the plants are ideal for autonalia (gardens of autumn flowers), they are in perfect harmony with other shrubs and trees that change the color of their foliage in the autumn.
Also, sacred euonymus is suitable for erecting hedges, decorating rocky gardens and borders. Shrubs can be used in both single and group plantings on the lawn. Euonymus looks very attractive in any composition. Many gardeners consider this species to be the most decorative.
The species is winter-hardy, shade-tolerant, and has an average growth rate. It grows from the second ten days of April to mid-late September; the exact growing season depends on climatic conditions. Sacred euonymus seeds are 100% viable, but soil germination is low and does not exceed 30%. But this species is easily propagated by cuttings; when cuttings are treated with growth stimulants, rooting reaches 95-100%, and we are talking about both green and semi-lignified cuttings.
Features of cultivation
Sacred euonymus is a supporter of slightly acidic, neutral or slightly alkaline, loose, light, water- and breathable, loamy soils. Does not do well in heavy, waterlogged, compacted, clayey and highly acidic areas. It tolerates partial shade easily and develops better in the light. Suitable for growing under tree canopy and near buildings. It is propagated by seeds, cuttings and root shoots; plants have no problems with the latter, since root shoots are formed in huge quantities.The seed method is ineffective and is rarely used. Seeds are sown in autumn in greenhouses or in spring in open ground with preliminary two-stage stratification: 3-4 months at a temperature of 15-20C, 3-4 months at a temperature of 0-3C. Like other ornamental shrubs, the sacred euonymus attracts pests and is often affected by various diseases, as a rule, this occurs when care rules are not followed or unfavorable conditions. Among the pests, it should be noted aphids and apple moths, the caterpillars of which cover the shoots and leaves with a thick web and eat them almost naked, as a result of which the bushes lose their former decorative appearance.
The fight against apple moth is difficult; in order to prevent damage, plants are systematically treated with decoctions and infusions, for example, onion or mustard infusion, decoction of red hot pepper or citrus infusion. When pests and nests are detected, they are collected manually; if treatment is not carried out in time, the caterpillars will begin to spread with enormous speed and infect nearby growing crops.
Unlike other ornamental plants that lose their attractiveness by autumn, euonymuses decorate the area before snow falls or all year round. In nature, there are more than two hundred of these deciduous and evergreen shrubs or trees. Wild varieties of euonymus are most common in Asia; several dozen species are native to the Old World, including the European part of Russia. There are native euonymus on the shores of North America.
Looking at photos of euonymus during flowering, it is difficult to imagine that the plants are classified as ornamental crops and can decorate any park, garden or personal plot. The main treasure of the euonymus is not tiny brownish or greenish flowers, but foliage of the most amazing colors and bizarrely shaped fruits, sometimes remaining on the branches even in the winter months.
The smooth leaves, depending on the type and variety, can be densely green or variegated. And by autumn the foliage changes, becoming purple, bronze, yellow or even white. No less amazing are the fruit-boxes, which, as they ripen, turn burgundy, yellow, pink or scarlet. Inside the fruit are seeds surrounded in an equally bright, dense pulp.
Many varieties of euonymus are winter-hardy and thrive as garden crops from St. Petersburg to the Black Sea subtropics, from Pskov to Sakhalin.
But even if they are closely related, they are strikingly different from each other. Descriptions and photos of all types of euonymus, adapted to Russian conditions, are a good help in choosing the best specimens for landscaping a house and site.
Euonymus macropterus
Among the numerous Asian species, the euonymus stands out for its large fruit-boxes, which, when ripe, become deep crimson and open spectacularly, thanks to wings up to 1.5 cm long, turning into something like a bright flower. As you can see in the photo of the euonymus, seeds are attached to the inside of the fruit, hidden under the orange shoot.
In the Far East, the homeland of the plant, this species is a large deciduous tree up to 9 meters, but in the middle zone the height of the crown does not exceed 3 meters, and the euonymus has the appearance of a large bush.
Small greenish flowers of the large-winged euonymus appear in May and are collected in voluminous branched inflorescences. Seed ripening begins in September, and a little later the smooth, ovoid-pointed foliage of the plant changes color. The decorative effect is maintained until permanent snow cover is established.
Japanese euonymus (Euonymus japonicus)
On the Japanese Islands, China and Korea, another variety of euonymus grows with oval dense leaves and orange seeds in neat pink boxes. This is a Japanese euonymus, reaching a height of 2–8 meters in adulthood.
Plants prefer partial shade, easily tolerate a lack of moisture, and in the second half of May they open inconspicuous whitish flowers with a sour smell. Fruit ripening occurs in autumn.
This variety of euonymus is popular as an ornamental plant in many Asian countries, the USA and Europe. Dwarf and small-leaved forms, as well as numerous original varieties, have been bred for landscaping.
The dwarf Japanese euonymus of the Microphyllus variety is used to create hedges and dense borders. The plant tolerates even extensive pruning and easily restores its decorative appearance.
Cultivars with variegated or yellow leaves have also quickly become popular throughout the world; they adapt well to all types of soil and are easy to care for. An example of a variegated plant is a photo of the euonymus variety Ovatus Aureus with foliage with areas of green and bright yellow adjacent to each other.
Euonymus verrucosa
Euonymus warty is one of the indigenous Russian species that can easily be found in the lower layer of deciduous or light coniferous forests. In nature, shade-tolerant plants can reach a height of 6 meters, but more often they look like bushes no higher than 1.5–2 meters.
In the photo of the euonymus, convex growths covering all the shoots of the plant are clearly visible. Thanks to these wart-like formations, the species received its name.
The blooming of brownish flowers, held on long petioles, begins in late spring and lasts about a month. Pink fruits with shiny seeds covered with red-brown buds adorn the bushes from August until persistent cold weather. Plants with excellent winter hardiness are suitable for arranging hedges, single and group plantings. This is one of the most affordable and unpretentious types of euonymus, which has been used in landscape design for more than 40 years.
European Euonymus (Euonymus europaea)
Another accessible and often found in its natural habitat variety of euonymus grows in the European part of Russia, as well as in the Caucasus and Crimea. Unlike the previous species, the European euonymus is light-loving and prefers to settle in deciduous forests.
In natural conditions, adult specimens reach 6 meters in height and may look like a small tree or spreading bush. Plants are easy to form and adapt to urban conditions, so they have long been used for landscaping a wide variety of objects.
Flowering continues from June to July, and in the second half of August the fruits that appear on the branches turn dark burgundy and pink. The seeds are completely hidden in the tissue of the orange shoot. The plants in the photo, like all types of euonymus, retain their fruits until winter. And in autumn, besides them, the bushes are decorated with purple foliage.
Today, gardeners have at their disposal not only traditional plants, but also specially bred forms that differ in crown and foliage color. If you want to plant European euonymus on your site, you should pay attention to:
- on pendula specimens with a weeping crown;
- to small or even nana, that is, dwarf plants;
- on especially decorative forms of intermedia;
- on the euonymus variety with yellow-green aucubaefolia, purple atropurpurea or silver-green argenteo-variegata foliage.
Dwarf euonymus (Euonymus nanus)
In the southern regions of Europe, in the Caucasus, as well as in certain regions of China, wild dwarf euonymus is found. Unlike all species, the euonymus in the photo is really small. Its height does not exceed 1 meter, and thanks to quickly rooting shoots, the shrub often takes on a creeping form. Thin green shoots are covered with narrow lanceolate leaves up to 4 cm in length.
The flowers, like those of other varieties of euonymus, are very small, held on elongated purple, brown or green peduncles. Flowering lasts less than a week. If the fruits manage to ripen in the middle zone, brown-red seeds in orange seedlings emerge from the capsule.
Winged euonymus (Euonymus alatus)
Large plants with a height of 2 to 4 meters can be seen in nature in the Russian Far East, Sakhalin, as well as in other countries in this region. A distinctive feature of the winged euonymus is the unusual shape of the branches with flat longitudinal formations on the bark, reminiscent of blades or wings.
Greenish flowers, opening at the end of May, are grouped in groups of three into small inflorescences. When ripe, the fruits acquire a bright scarlet color; the capsule doors are dark, almost brown, and very small.
In natural conditions, the plant is extremely unpretentious, easily tolerates frost, is not afraid of drought and shading, but grows better in well-lit areas.
Maack's euonymus (Euonymus maackii)
Another indigenous Russian species of euonymus, in the photo, grows in Eastern Siberia, Primorye, and is also found in the northeast of China.
Adult specimens, depending on conditions and care, grow up to 2–8 meters. In autumn, this variety of euonymus amazes viewers with clusters of graceful pink boxes on long peduncles and large, up to 8 cm pink-purple foliage.
American euonymus (Euonymus americanus)
In its homeland, in the eastern states of the United States, this variety of euonymus is called the strawberry bush or “broken heart.”
The deciduous species in adulthood forms a bush up to two meters high. The shoots are thin, green or grayish-brown. Single greenish or brown-pink flowers are formed in the axils of the leaves. The leaves are dense, oval, with a serrated edge and an even green color.
Unlike all types of euonymus, in the photo of the American plant the rough surface of the dense leathery capsule is clearly visible. Inside the carmine-colored fruit there are 4 seeds hidden in orange seedlings.
Wilson's Euonymus (Euonymus myrianthus)
A rare but very decorative variety of euonymus is found in nature in western China, and was brought to Europe in 1908 by Ernest Wilson, a famous botanist and plant lover. As you can see in the photo of the euonymus, its fundamental difference is the yellow color of the seed pods, which gives the bush or low tree a very elegant, unusual look.
Fortune's euonymus (Euonymus fortunei)
Euonymus of Chinese origin became known in Russia at the beginning of the last century, when the first specimens of the bush were brought to the parks of the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus and Crimea. Today, Fortune's euonymus is at the peak of popularity, the reason for which is not only the pronounced decorativeness of the plants, but also their diversity and endurance. This is a rare variety of euonymus that remains evergreen and survives Russian winters.
In addition to the traditional form of the plant with lanceolate leaves and small white-red fruits, as in the photo of the euonymus, there are numerous creeping varieties. It is they who are of interest to Russian lovers of ornamental crops.
Fortune's euonymus has a mass of small-leaved and variegated forms that do not bloom, but overwinter well and reproduce vegetatively.
The flowers are small greenish-white, the fruit-pods are also smaller than those of other species. They are flattened-spherical in shape and wingless. In the middle zone and to the north, only creeping forms are stable.
For example, a variety of euonymus fortunei var. radicans is a fast-rooting, climbing or trailing small shrub suitable for planting as a border or ground cover.
The fortune euonymus variety Emerald Gaiety, with a height of only 30 cm, simply cannot be ignored due to its bright oval foliage with a contrasting white edge. This color is typical for summer; by autumn, the evergreen euonymus turns pink-purple.
The spectacular and very unassuming euonymus fortunea Emerald Gold is another variegated variety, but with yellow-green foliage. The maximum height of plants does not exceed 50 cm, but tenacious shoots actively grow and form a crown up to one and a half meters wide.
Fortune's euonymus Harlequin is even more decorative than previous varieties of this amazing plant. Its young foliage is almost white. Greenery is present on it in the form of small chaotic spots. Only as it grows older does it acquire a more traditional color, but the light border still remains.
Small-leaved euonymus Fortune Minimus is one of the smallest and most graceful varieties. Its height is only 15 cm, but it is impossible to pass by it. Bright rounded leaves attract the eye both in summer and winter.
In the spectacular variety of euonymus Sunshine, yellow is the main color of the small oval-pointed foliage. The plant holds its shape perfectly, can be shaped and will become an original decoration for a living border, flower bed or alpine slide.
Video about euonymus
Euonymus
Simple, perfectly adapted to harsh climates and at the same time inimitably bright and elegant, euonymus is a unique shrub. A wide variety of species of different heights and decorativeness make it possible to use euonymus in forest imitations, in natural plantings, and in regular or modern styles. Stability and bright details are the main advantages of this familiar, but not boring shrub.
Reliable shrub with high decorative value
The euonymus received its name Euonymus, associated with the Latin “good, glorious,” because of its exceptional practical and decorative advantages. Toxicity is the only drawback of these plants. Euonymuses are magnificent all-rounders, attracting attention with their bright autumn leaves and fruits no less than with their beautiful transparent crown.
Euonymus are evergreen and deciduous low shrubs or trees with beautiful round or tetrahedral shoots, most often covered with cork growths and warts. The leaves are smooth, leathery, from lanceolate to oval, small in creeping species, up to 11 cm in shrubby ones. The basic dark or bright green summer outfit is usually combined with dazzling light young leaves and pure acrylic colors of autumn foliage - pink, red, crimson, white , violet, purple, orange colors. There are euonymuses that look like a solid “candy” spot, and there are species that captivate with a combination of dozens of shades.
The flowers are inconspicuous, collected in the axils of the leaves in semi-umbrellas, and are hardly noticeable against the background of the leaves. Euonymus blooms during the unfolding of leaves, at the end of spring. But the fruits, even though they ripen for a long time - until September-October, are irresistible. A winged, leathery capsule with four wing-lobes and seeds covered with a fleshy, bright seedling looks original and dazzling, as if clusters of berries are hanging down from the flower. The red or pink color of the wings is combined with the orange, red or pink color of the aneurysms. Bright fruits decorate gardens even after the plant has shed all its leaves.
Euonymuses are one of the most reliable shrubs that add interesting color and texture to the garden. They reach their peak in decorativeness in the fall, but there is also something to admire during the rest of the year.
Growing conditions and planting
Euonymuses are amazingly unpretentious and resilient plants. They are perfectly compatible with urban conditions, are smoke-resistant, and are not afraid of a polluted environment and even proximity to the roadway. They adapt well to different lighting conditions. All euonymus can grow in the sun and in partial shade or shade, although some species have their own characteristics (Maak's euonymus is light-loving, sacred euonymus is shade-loving). Variegated forms and varieties prefer bright lighting.
Euonymus demonstrates similar plasticity in terms of soil selection. In any place where there is no stagnation of groundwater, they will take root. These shrubs develop better on loose, neutral or slightly alkaline, nutritious and light soils, but in general they are undemanding in terms of fertility.
Euonymuses are not afraid of transplantation; provided the simplest conditions are met - maintaining the same level of burial, planting in spacious individual holes, abundant watering - they take root well.
The most frost-resistant and often cultivated in our country include the warty, winged and European euonymus species. And one of the most decorative species - Fortune's euonymus - will require special care, since in winter it can freeze in most of Russia.
Features of care
In general, euonymus can be classified as a “plant and forget” shrub. They do not need care as such, but without at least several procedures it will be impossible to achieve abundant fruiting and admire the luxurious necklaces of fruits.
Optimal care for euonymus includes:
1) one single feeding;
2) 3-4 waterings in summer during drought (for young plants it is better to provide systematic procedures when the top layer of soil dries out);
3) soil mulching, which is renewed every spring;
4) loosening the soil and controlling weeds as necessary;
5) sanitary cleaning (removal of damaged or dry branches);
6) formation of bushes if desired, which can be done after fruiting (both light and heavy pruning with bushes are tolerated well, provided there is dense tillering).
The main disadvantage of euonymus is that they are very attractive to pests. All known garden pests of both ornamental and fruit plants can settle on them. Problems can be dealt with by preventive spraying with systemic fungicides.
Wintering of euonymuses
Even euonymuses, which are considered rare or exclusive, are among the best varieties, winter hardiness is sufficient to withstand harsh winters. Partial freezing of annual shoots, as a rule, does not affect the decorative appearance of the bushes and does not lead to their death. But the wide distribution of imported euonymus, which have not undergone adaptation, has somewhat changed the general rules of preparation for winter.
If the plants were grown or adapted in your area, then they do not need any preparation. But varieties of unknown origin or ordered from Western catalogs can be seriously damaged in the first 2-3 winters. After the onset of stable light frosts, it is better to additionally cover them with spuds and dry leaves at least 15 cm high. Even very young Fortune euonymus will not need complete cover.
Reproduction of euonymus
These shrubs can be propagated by simple methods - dividing the bushes, separating root suckers - or by cutting young shoots (cuttings are cut in mid or early summer and rooted under a hood).
It is more difficult to obtain euonymus from seeds; they require stratification or waiting for the emergence of seedlings for 2 years. Seedlings are grown in a separate bed for 2 years and transferred to a permanent place only in the third year.
Types and varieties of euonymus
Of the more than two hundred species of euonymus, all plants without exception are decorative, attractive, and promising in different styles of landscape design. But still, some shortcomings of wild euonymus have led to the identification of a group of species that are more popular as cultivated plants.
Of the three dozen plants actively used in modern landscape design, dwarf and creeping euonymuses have earned particular popularity.
Fortune's euonymus (Euonymus fortunei)
- the most favorite type of creeping euonymus with the most varied foliage colors. Long horizontal shoots create stunningly beautiful spots and coverings, sparkling with shiny small leaves. In varieties, dark green color is less common than variegated and unusual variations with different edges and spotting. The flowers are small, the fruits are much less noticeable and wingless. The plant is inimitable in borders, as a ground cover, as a filler, and as a soloist. Popular forms and varieties:
"Emerald"n Gold" - leaves are dark green with white veins and a yellow border along the edge;
"Emerald Gaiety" - differs from the previous one in the whitish edging of the leaves;
"Coloratus" - the leaves acquire an autumn purple color only on their lower side, remaining green on top;
"Minimus" is a very miniature euonymus with dark green leaves measuring just over a centimeter;
"Radicans" is an evergreen variety with matte leaves, capable of strengthening its roots on trees and walls, acting as a vine, shade-tolerant;
‘Silver Queen’, ‘Variegatus’, ‘Harlequin’ – variegated euonymus.
Dwarf euonymus (Euonymus nanus) - a low-growing creeping shrub up to only 1 m high, famous for its ability of shoots to take root at the nodes, giving numerous ascending peaks. It develops in the form of an evergreen, dense, stunningly beautiful curly clump of ascending and creeping shoots. Young branches are light green, with warts, and gradually change color to grayish-beige. The leaves are medium-sized, up to 4 cm in length, very narrow, with a curved edge and a dazzlingly bright color. The flowers in semi-umbrellas are small, the fruits are pink or yellow. But it is very rare to observe berries on this euonymus.
But larger types of euonymus also deserve attention and widespread use.
Winged euonymus (Euonymus alatus) - large, highly branched, looking like a stunning transparent-tiered miracle shrubs up to 2.5 m high, slightly lower is the miniature variety "Compactus". Their shoots are winged, tetrahedral, light gray, young branches are almost red, large rhombic leaves with a dark color change color to crimson-red in the fall. The fruits are dark, bright red. But the main advantage of the species is precisely the beauty of the branches.
European euonymus (Euonymus europaeus) - a bushy, slender tree, in gardens reaching, if not six meters, but more than three meters in height. Young shoots are green, with beautiful corky growths. The leaves are large, ovate, muted green. In autumn, the foliage turns all shades of red. The fruits are four-leaf, red, very large, with orange appendages. Thanks to its dense root system, it can serve to strengthen slopes. Popular variety "Red Cascade", reaching 5 m in height under favorable conditions. Much lower is the miniature variety "Nana", often grown as a small standard tree.
Euonymus macropterus - a large tree up to 9 m high in nature, in the garden it most often develops in the form of tall shrubs, from 2 to 3 m in height. Dark bark and large oblong-oval leaves create a beautiful openwork crown. The greenish-white flowers are inconspicuous, but the four-lobed fruit capsules with crimson wings are red-bloody, spectacular, catchy. The species bears fruit already in mid-September.
Dark purple euonymus (Euonymus atropurpureus) - a tall shrub with a narrow crown almost half the height, with beautiful shoots, light green summer leaves, scarlet berries in non-standard fruit clusters and a dazzling carmine autumn color of the crown.
Maack's euonymus (Euonymus maackii) - developing in the form of a slender translucent tree or a widely spread but graceful shrub with spreading branches, bright orange fruits that ripen in October. The species became famous primarily for its unique umbrella-shaped crown, dark bark, grayish leaves, which in the summer show off a light green tone, and in the fall - a pastel pink color, as if glowing in the rays of the sun. The fruits are pink-violet. This is a stunningly airy plant that adds lightness to any design despite its size.
Sakhalin euonymus (Euonymus sachalinensis) - a tall, powerful shrub up to 2.5 m high with an airy, elegant crown and large leaves, more than 10 cm in length. Carmine fruits with yellowish seedlings sparkle against the backdrop of a variegated autumn crown, gradually repainting into ever brighter colors.
Euonymus verrucosus- a shrub about 2 m high, with bright green shoots covered with black warts, a transparent lacy crown and inconspicuous flowers that glow against the background of the leaves. Grayish leaves emphasize the color of pink fruits with brown seedlings, which seem to precede a pink fire that engulfs the entire crown.
Euonymus maximowiczianus - a shrub up to 3 m high with a very beautiful openwork pattern of a translucent crown. The foliage is delicate, light green, and light pink in autumn. Against its background, dark red fruits clearly appear. This euonymus brings a backlit effect to autumn landscapes.
Hamilton's Euonymus (Euonymus hamiltonianus) - a common species in nature, growing in the form of a tall shrub up to 3-5 meters in size, or a tree, reaching 20 meters in height in some parts of the world. Has all the characteristic features of euonymus. The variety "Winter Glory" is often found in landscape design.
Use in garden design
Creeping euonymus creates dense, massive, curly-dense, ornamental textures. Bush or tree-shaped euonymuses with their densely branching crowns, on the contrary, never look dense or massive. The leaves are sparse and small, the shoots are densely branched, thanks to which this shrub always looks like an openwork-lace, transparent miracle, glowing in the sun. Visual lightness and unique mosaic ornamentation make it possible to introduce euonymus into compositions with trees and other shrubs to compensate for more massive plants.
Large euonymus can play a variety of roles:
- an openwork, visually light addition to shrubs and trees with a dense crown;
- autumn accent;
- plants for hedges;
- air “illumination” for large groups”;
- colorful background;
- soloist;
- luminous element in loose landscape groups;
- transparent undergrowth;
- a skeletal plant, attractive in winter due to its bright fruits.
PLANTS FOR STRENGTHENING A SLOP
Creeping euonymuses use:
- for filling the soil;
- in rocky gardens and alpine slides;
- to create variegated and contrasting spots;
- in ceremonial flower beds;
- for the edge;
- in the design of the foreground of flower beds;
- as a border crop;
- as a ground cover plant;
- in arrays.
"Site about plants", www.site
Loading...