Shrub
How to grow euonymus
Euonymus fortunei / E. japonicus / E. alatus
Euonymus grows in almost any free-draining UK soil in sun or part shade, and is planted from October to March. The first decision is which kind you want: evergreen E. fortunei for ground cover and pots, evergreen E. japonicus for hedging and as a box substitute, or deciduous E. alatus and the native spindle for autumn colour. Variegated forms need good light to keep their colour, and evergreens are trimmed in April to May and again in August.
- Hardiness
- Fully hardy
- Position
- Sun to part shade
- Soil
- Most soils; free-draining
- Ideal pH
- 6.0 to 7.5
- Water
- Low to moderate
- Feeding
- Light feeder
Sowing and planting euonymus
WhenPlant Oct to Mar; trim Apr to May and Aug; autumn colour Oct (E. alatus)
Starting off
Plant pot-grown stock Oct to Mar, or bare-root E. japonicus hedging Nov to Mar. Propagate evergreens by 8 to 10 cm semi-ripe cuttings in Jul to Sep at 15 to 18°C, rooting in 6 to 8 weeks; E. fortunei also layers itself where stems touch soil, so rooted pieces can be lifted in Mar. E. alatus by softwood cuttings in Jun.
Spacing and planting
E. fortunei 'Emerald 'n' Gold' spreads 60 cm by 90 cm, 'Silver Queen' 1.5 m by 1.5 m; E. japonicus 'Ovatus Aureus' 2 m by 1.5 m; E. alatus 2 to 3 m by 3 m. Hedge E. japonicus at 45 cm spacing in a single row; ground-cover E. fortunei at 60 cm; E. alatus 2.5 m apart. E. fortunei cultivars are ideal in a 30 cm pot or trough.
Varieties worth growing
- E. fortunei 'Emerald 'n' Gold'
- Green and gold evergreen, 60 cm high, flushed pink in cold weather; ground cover, low edging and pots.
- E. fortunei 'Emerald Gaiety'
- The white-edged counterpart, a little taller, which will also climb a shady wall to 1.5 m or more if planted against it.
- E. japonicus 'Green Spire'
- Upright, small-leaved, dark green evergreen for low hedges and clipped shapes; widely planted where box has been lost to blight or caterpillar.
- E. alatus 'Compactus'
- Deciduous, slow and dense at about 1 m, turning vivid crimson-pink in October. Needs sun for the best colour.
- E. europaeus 'Red Cascade'
- Selected native spindle to 3 m with red autumn leaves and pink fruits that split to show orange seeds; good in a mixed native hedge.
Euonymus month by month
Timings are for central England. Allow two weeks later in the north and on cold, heavy soil.
- January
Plant in mild spells. Bare-root spindle for native hedging goes in now.
- February
Plant. Remove dead or crossing wood from E. alatus and spindle.
- March
Last bare-root planting. Lift self-rooted layers of E. fortunei and replant. Light feed for hedges and pots.
- April
First trim of evergreens and hedges. Hard renovation to 30 cm if needed. Nematodes on pots.
- May
Finish the first trim. Cut out any plain green shoots on variegated plants.
- June
Softwood cuttings of E. alatus. Water plants set out this year.
- July
Semi-ripe cuttings of evergreens. Check E. japonicus for scale.
- August
Second trim of evergreens and hedges, finished by the end of the month.
- September
Last cuttings. Nematodes on pots. No more trimming.
- October
Autumn colour on E. alatus and spindle. Planting season opens.
- November
Plant. Bare-root spindle available.
- December
Plant in mild spells. Nothing else to do.
Feeding euonymus
A light feeder. Shrubs and ground cover in ordinary soil need nothing; a young hedge and plants in pots are worth a light balanced feed in spring.
Low, easy evergreen (variegated) or deciduous (autumn colour).
Feeding plan
Planting
5 g per litre of root ball on the roots: 10 g for a 2 litre pot. For bare-root hedging, dust the damp roots of each plant with about 5 g.
March, established shrubs and ground cover
Garden compost
A 3 to 5 cm mulch. No fertiliser unless growth is poor.
March, hedges in their first 3 years
100 g/m² on a strip 50 cm wide, which works out at 50 g per metre of hedge, once.
Potting
5 g per litre of compost: 60 g for a 30 cm pot holding about 12 litres.
April, pots
2 g per litre on the surface, watered in: about 25 g for a 30 cm pot, once a year.
Signs to watch
Variegated leaves turning plain green
Shade or reversion, not a deficiency
More light and cut out green shoots
Yellow leaves with green veins on chalk
Iron locked out
Chelated iron and a compost mulch
Older leaves yellowing between the veins on a dry bank
Magnesium short
Epsom salts drench
Pests, diseases and problems
Stems and leaf undersides crusted with tiny white flecks and brown scales, leaves yellow-blotched and dropping
Euonymus scale, mainly on E. japonicus and most common in southern England
Cut out and bin heavily infested branches. On small plants scrub stems with a soft brush and soapy water in early summer, when the young scales are moving.
White powdery coating on the leaves of E. japonicus, worst on hedges
Powdery mildew, encouraged by dry roots and still, shaded air
Clip off the affected growth, water the base in dry spells and mulch. Avoid nitrogen-rich feeding, which gives soft growth that mildews.
Notched leaf edges, and pot plants that wilt and come loose from the compost
Vine weevil adults on the leaves and grubs at the roots
Water nematodes onto pots in April and in late August to September; pick adults off at night.
Spindle bushes stripped of leaves in May and June and wrapped in silk webbing
Spindle ermine moth caterpillars
Prune out webbed shoots on small plants. Established bushes releaf by midsummer without help.
Shoot tips on spindle curled and packed with black aphids in spring
Black bean aphid, which overwinters on spindle before moving to beans
Squash or hose them off, or leave them for the ladybirds. Do not plant spindle next to the broad bean bed.
Leaves drop and whole branches die back after a wet winter
Root rot in waterlogged ground
Improve drainage or replant on a raised mound; cut dead branches back to live wood in April.
Pruning
Pruning and care
Evergreens are trimmed to shape in Apr to May and again in Aug; hedges of E. japonicus get the same two clips with shears. Cut out any plain green reverted shoots on variegated types at the base as soon as seen. E. alatus is grown for autumn colour and needs no pruning beyond removing dead or crossing wood in Feb to Mar. Both renovate well to 30 cm in Apr. Wall-grown E. fortunei climbs by aerial roots a
Good to knowVariegated evergreens brighten shade; trim to shape.
Growing euonymus in pots
E. fortunei cultivars are among the easiest evergreens for a pot and good in winter containers with bulbs. Use a 30 cm pot or trough of loam-based compost and water when the top few centimetres are dry. E. japonicus makes a good clipped ball or cone in a 40 to 45 cm pot as a box replacement. Vine weevil is the main risk, so use nematodes twice a year. E. alatus and spindle are better in the ground.
Euonymus: common questions
Is euonymus a good alternative to box?
Yes, E. japonicus is one of the best box substitutes: small evergreen leaves, dense growth, and it clips well twice a year. 'Green Spire' suits low hedges and shapes. It is unaffected by box blight and box tree caterpillar, though it has its own pests in scale and mildew.
Why is my variegated euonymus turning green?
Individual shoots have reverted to plain green, which is common on variegated E. fortunei. Green shoots grow faster and take over, so cut each one out at its base as soon as you see it. Heavy shade also dulls the variegation across the whole plant.
Is euonymus poisonous?
Yes, all parts are harmful if eaten, and the bright fruits of spindle are the part most likely to tempt children. Plant it without worry in an ordinary garden, but keep clippings and fallen fruit away from grazing animals and pets that chew plants.
Sources
Growing information on this page was checked against these references in November 2026. Feeding rates are Dr Forest label rates.