Description of the species
The winged euonymus (Euonymus alatus) was brought to Russia from Southeast Asia. It belongs to the deciduous shrubs of the genus Euonymus of the Euonymus family. The shrub up to 1.8 m high has a creeping form. In the wild it can reach up to 4 m in height. The annual growth is 15 cm. The crown is widely spread and branched. The shoots are green with leaves 2.5–7 cm long and 1–3 cm wide. The foliage has an ovoid, elliptical shape. In autumn it turns pink or purple.
Did you know? People also call euonymus “wolf earrings”, “preskurina”, “bruslina”.
The growing season of winged euonymus is May – June. Each inflorescence produces 1–3 flowers. Petals up to 4 mm long are ovoid, greenish-white. The fruit is presented in capsules, which have a special aesthetic value in the fall, when they acquire a rich red hue.
Photo.
Euonymus winged Compactus in summer, lat. Euonymus alatus 'Compactus'.
Euonymus winged Compactus in summer, lat. Euonymus alatus 'Compactus'.
Euonymus winged Compactus in autumn, lat. Euonymus alatus 'Compactus'.
Euonymus winged Compactus in autumn, lat. Euonymus alatus 'Compactus'.
Euonymus winged Compactus in autumn, lat. Euonymus alatus 'Compactus'.
Varieties
There are several varieties of winged euonymus: Chicago Fire, Compactus, Fireball, Macrophilis. Each variety differs in the size of the bush, crown shape, foliage and fruit color. Next we will talk in detail about each variety.
We recommend reading about the euonymus variety Harlequin.
Compactus
Euonymus variety Compactus (Compactum) has a height of up to 1.5 m and a diameter of 2 m. The shape of the crown is regular and openwork, with neat edges. In summer the leaf color is green, but by autumn it changes to red-violet. The leaves are oval, up to 5 cm long. The flowers are small, yellow-green, appear in May. The fruits ripen in the fall, when their color turns bright orange or red. They remain on the bush until frost. The Compact variety prefers sunny areas; it does not develop well in the shade.
Chicago Fire
Chicago Fire reaches a length of 1.2 m and a width of 1.5 m. Horizontal branches form a rounded crown. The leaves are dark green and elliptical in shape. By autumn, the color of the leaves changes to crimson.
Important! Euonymus Chicago Fire is resistant to cold weather. Its shoots freeze only in particularly severe frosts, but are easily restored in the spring.
The shrub produces small flowers from which dark red fruits appear. Fertile soil is best suited for growing this variety.
Fireball
Fireball is represented by plants up to 1.5 m high, which have a spherical crown shape. The diameter can also reach 1.5 m. The average growth per year is 5–10 cm in girth. The green foliage is elliptical in shape. In autumn it turns purple-red. The flowers, which appear in May, do not stand out among the green branches due to their muted lime-yellow hue. Red fruits are stored in boxes.
Macrophilis
The Macrophilis variety is represented by shrubs whose height reaches 1.5 m and width - 1.2 m. The main difference from other varieties is the elongated shape of the leaves. In autumn they turn bright orange or purple-red. It grows well in sunlit areas with fertile soil and moderate amounts of moisture.
Application in landscape design
The plant surprises with its variety of forms and can be used both in single and group plantings. If the shrub is planted as a tapeworm, then it needs to be given enough free space.
Did you know? The essential oil and resins contained in euonymus are used in medicine and in the beauty industry.
Low-growing perennial plants, including flowers, can be planted around. Euonymus goes well with barberry bushes and other ornamental plantings, such as jasmine and rose hips. The plant is great for decorating summer cottages, gardens, recreation areas, parks and alleys. The bush looks appropriate near terraces, ponds and fountains.
Usage
In recent years, in Russia we have quite actively begun to use winged euonymus in landscape design. It produces an annual growth of shoots of only up to 15 cm both in width and height, and with age it stops growing upward altogether. This feature is advantageous and convenient for planting the plant as a hedge. Also, the same property of winged euonymus is used in topiary, that is, creating amazing compositions from its bushes by curly cutting.
The winged euonymus differs from its other counterparts by cork plates on the branches, which give the appearance of the plant something unusual. Thanks to this, it is often planted near walking paths, near gazebos.
Lush green in summer and enchantingly bright in autumn, the foliage of the winged euonymus invariably attracts the eye. A bush or tree looks wonderful against the background of evergreen conifers, as a central decoration of rockeries and alpine slides. Euonymus is also planted in front of the facades of houses to emphasize the beauty of the building style.
Landing
In order to grow a beautiful and healthy shrub, it is important to follow all planting rules. Euonymus and its root system tend to actively grow every year, so you need to ensure a distance of 3-4 m from other plants and buildings.
You will be interested to read about the features of growing indoor euonymus.
Site selection and soil preparation
For winged euonymus, choose a sunny place or partial shade, but the color of its foliage and fruits depends on the lighting. On a bush that is located in a lighter and more spacious area, the fruits and leaves acquire bright colors by autumn. The soil should be light and nutritious. The root system of the plant is thin and spreading, so it is sensitive to the mechanical composition of the earth. It is advisable that before planting it be cleared of weed roots, stones and other impurities.
If the soil in the area is acidic, it will be limed prematurely.
Landing dates and rules
Planting can be done from spring to mid-autumn.
It will be useful for you to know what euonymus is.
To plant euonymus, you must perform the following steps:
- Dig a hole that will be 2 times larger than the root system of the seedling.
- Prepare a soil mixture of peat, soil and sand in a ratio of 2:1:1.
- Fill the bottom of the hole with earthen mixture and compact it.
- Place the root ball in the hole and cover it with prepared soil so that its edges do not remain exposed.
- Water the tree trunk circle and mulch it with peat or fallen leaves.
Diseases and pests - effective control of major ailments
This plant cannot be called resistant to pests and diseases, so it must be cared for not only correctly, but also carefully. The main enemies of euonymus are various types of garden aphids, spider mites and caterpillars. Aphids actively feed on the sap from the leaves, and their appearance is indicated by small silvery dots on the foliage. These are punctures that eventually lead to deformation and fading.
To prevent the appearance of these pests, mandatory and weekly treatment of the bushes is carried out. Various insecticides and preventive drugs are used, for example, Actellik solution at the rate of 2-3 ml of the drug per liter of water.
Interesting! An article about an unusually magical bush - fortune's euonymus.
As a treatment for aphids and spider mites, the plant is gradually treated with a mixture of Aktara, Fitoverm, Confidor and other active agents, but not more than once a week. If caterpillar nests appear, they are removed manually and preventive surface treatment is carried out.
To combat various rot and fungal infections, each bush is treated in the fall with a solution of Bordeaux mixture, and the ground is fertilized with a small amount of iron sulfate. For powdery mildew, which often “stays” on the leaves of euonymus, fungicides such as Fundazol, Skor, Topaz or Previkur are used. Treatment is carried out 3-4 times in a 2-3 week period. Severely affected areas are promptly trimmed and burned.
If you comply with all growing conditions and step-by-step care, you will get a beautiful plant in your garden with a uniquely variable leaf color, which goes well in composition with other bright and lush shrubs and trees.
Interesting! There is also a beautiful bush - white dogwood. Read the link.
Proper care
Plant care includes watering, fertilizing and pruning. It is important that the soil at the root of the bush remains constantly moist, but without excessive stagnation of water. In dry weather, watering is done more often than usual. The shape of the plant can be created by cutting.
Video: planting and caring for winged euonymus
Watering
The root system of the shrub prefers soil with moderate moisture. Drying of the soil and stagnation of water will disrupt the proper growth and functioning of the plant. To prevent moisture from evaporating so actively during periods of summer drought, the tree trunk circle needs to be mulched with humus or peat. After rain or artificial watering, the mulch layer must be renewed.
Top dressing, fertilizer
Feeding is carried out throughout the season. In the spring, before the first buds appear on the shoots, nitrogen organic fertilizers are applied, for example, mullein or an infusion of chicken manure. Complex fertilizers are more suitable for the summer period. These include preparations for feeding ornamental plants based on phosphorus, potassium or nitrogen, which can be purchased in specialized stores.
Also check out the uses of Fortune's euonymus varieties.
In autumn it is best to use mineral complexes. Per 1 m² you need to add 400 g of potassium sulfate and 500 g of superphosphate. Fertilizers in dry form are buried to a depth of 10 cm, and the solutions are watered around the tree trunk.
Trimming
Pruning is used to correct the shape of the crown of the bush. Most landscape designers try to give the plant the shape of a regular ball or a flattened ellipse. The procedure is carried out with clean garden tools in early spring before the sap begins to flow or in the fall, after the leaves have fallen. Sanitary pruning is performed annually to remove diseased and pest-infested branches. Dry and broken shoots also need to be cut out.
Important! By pinching young shoots, you can create an ellipsoidal or cone-shaped crown of the euonymus.
Preparing for winter
Having properly prepared the euonymus for wintering, you don’t have to worry about its condition next year. First of all, you need to provide abundant autumn watering. To do this, pour about 40 liters of water under the bush, after which the ground around the trunk is mulched. Watering is needed to slow down soil freezing and prevent damage to the root system.
Young specimens require shelter, which is created from metal arcs and non-woven material that allows air to pass through, for example, agrofibre. The structure must be removed in the spring, after the snow has thawed.
Reproduction
Euonymus can be propagated by seeds, layering and cuttings. Cuttings are considered the best way, since green specimens take root well in water. Seed propagation requires more time and effort, because seeds need stratification before planting.
We recommend reading about propagating euonymus by cuttings at home.
Cuttings
To propagate a plant by cuttings, in the summer it is necessary to select high-quality planting material. For these purposes, even shoots 10–12 cm long are suitable. They must be immersed in water with a growth stimulant (Kornevin, Fito Stimul). It is necessary for better root formation. Next, the cuttings need to be planted in a container with fertile soil and placed in a greenhouse. Next spring, the finished planting material can be planted in open ground.
Seeds
It is better to sow seeds in the soil in the fall. The planting site must be mulched with dry leaves, peat or straw. Before spring planting, seeds need to be stratified for six months. To do this, they need to be stored in damp sand in the refrigerator. Prepared planting material must be sown in holes 2 cm deep. Shoots appear after two weeks. The shrub is transplanted to a permanent place only in the third year.
