Rather romantically nicknamed fortune’s spindle, euonymus fortunei is a beautiful and popular shrub with cute green and gold leaves. Euonymus is popular in British gardens because it grows quickly and is equally happy in pots and flowerbeds. You can grow it as a shrub, a climbing plant or a hedge. It’s a real all-rounder.
Native to Asia, it grows as a vine in the wild, where it can reach heights of around 20 metres. It’s very tough and can happily grow in mountainous areas. That toughness makes it a great addition to any outdoor space. It doesn’t really mind a stiff breeze, so will live in sheltered or unsheltered spots.
Treated well, euonymus should grow little pink flowers in early summer. If you want it to maintain its bushy shape, trim it back a bit at the start of spring. Or let it grow wild. Your choice.
Did you know?
Euonymus fortunei is named after botanist Robert Fortune, who has 14 other plants named after him, the big show off.