Euonymus japonicus Japanese Spindle – Learn, Buy & Grow
Euonymus japonicus is a gorgeous dense but compact versatile shrub for your UK garden, that is now becoming very popular and used as a short but sturdy evergreen hedge, slow growing but strong, Euonymus japonicus ‘Jean Hugues’ is proving to be a very reliable alternative to the standard Box (Buxus) hedge due to not suffering from the infamous box blight. Euonymus japonicus is the perfect hedge plant and perfectly suited to any garden borders and hedging.
It has been used as an ornamental plant in public gardens and parks, not just in it’s native area but also in Europe and North America. A versatile plant for any garden, with all year round leaf colour from pretty glossy green leaves, which provides a great contrast to your summer and spring flowers.
The benefits of Euonymus Japonicus
Euonymus japonicus is a great choice for hedging up to 1m, and prefers to grow in full sun (can tolerate part shade) and is very easy to maintain.
Specifically for hedging, Euonymus japonicus ‘Jean Hugues’ is a great choice with compact and dense evergreen foliage.
Can be easily shaped into a topiary designs
Ultimate Height 5ft (1.5m) When grown as a hedge, use a planting density of 25-35cm (10-14ins)
If you are looking to have the very brightest variegation, plant Euonymus japonicus ‘Ovatus Aureus’ in full sun.
How to care for an Euonymus japonicus
Euonymus japonicus ‘Kathy’ is suitable for all positions, such as windswept cold coastal exposed sites. Suitable to grow in almost all soils, just not boggy or constantly wet.
How hardy is Euonymus japonicus?
They do need some size to survive a cold winter – so plants of marginal hardiness in very cold areas should really be planted as bigger specimens, rather than smaller, when possible.cHardy in most parts of the country, just avoiding known frost pockets.
Euonymus japonicus Green Spire – Evergreen Japanese Spindle
Is Euonymus japonicus fast growing?
Not really, the growth rate of Euonymus japonicus ‘Ovatus Aureus’ is roughly 2-3 inches or 5-8cm per year. It is best to feed with a good quality seaweed feed in spring
How tall do Euonymus japonicus grow?
They have an ultimate height of 1.5m, which makes a well maintained 1m tall hedge.
Euonymus japonicus Green Rocket
When to trim Euonymus japonicus – clipping and pruning
It’s always best to trim to the required height each year once in spring and then in autumn
To keep the hedge bushy, we advise to tip trim the leading and main lateral shoots in May and then tidy them up again in September.
Euonymus japonicus Paloma Blanca
Types of Euonymus japonicus
Euonymus fortunei Emerald n Gold
Dwarf spreading evergreen shrub, yellow margined leaves with a pink tinge
Small green flowers.
H5 Hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15c to -10c)
Ultimate Height: 0.5 – 1m (10 years)
Spread 1 – 1.5m
Euonymus fortunei ‘Emerald Gaiety’
Round leaves, climbing shrub.
Irregular white margin on leaves, pink tinged in winter, rare to flower.
H5 Hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15c to -10c)
Ultimate Height: 0.5 – 1m (10-20 years)
Spread 1 – 1.5m
Euonymus japonicus ‘Albomarginatus’
Bushy medium sized evergreen shrub with variegated oval leaves; dark blue green in the centre with a white margin
Small green flowers
Fruits are pink, but rare to see.
H5 Hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15c to -10c)
Ultimate Height: 2.5 – 4m (5-10 years)
Spread: 1.5 – 2.5m
Euonymus japonicus ‘Aureomarginatus’
Syn. Golden Euonymus” (Euonymus japonicus ‘Elegantissimus Aureus’)
Small evergreen upright shrub, dark green leaves with yellow margins.
Ultimate Height: 0.5 -1m (2-5 years)
Spread: 0.5 – 1m
H5 Hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15c to -10c)
Euonymus japonicus ‘Bravo’
Medium sized bushy evergreen shrub, oval green leaves with white / cream margin and grey green patches.
Small green flowers with pink fruit.
Fruits are pink, but rare to see.
Ultimate Height: 2.5 – 4m (5-10 years)
Spread: 1.5 – 2.5m
H5 Hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15c to -10c)
Euonymus japonicus ‘Green Spire’
Small sized bushy upright evergreen shrub, dense dark green leaves wSmall green flowers with pink fruit.
Fruits are pink, but rare to see.
Ultimate Height: 0.5 -1m (2-5 years)
Spread: 0.1 – 1m
H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
Euonymus japonicus ‘Kathy’
Syn. Euonymus fortunei ‘Kathy’
Versatile variegated. Oval dark green leaves fading to light green and cream white margin and tips
Fruits are pink, but rare to see.
Ultimate Height: 0.5 -1m (5-10 years)
Spread: 0.5 – 1m
H5 Hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15c to -10c)
Euonymus japonicus ‘Latifolius Albomarginatus’
Medium sized bushy upright evergreen shrub, oval dense mid green with hint of blue in centre, and white margin.
Syn. Euonymus japonicus ‘Macrophyllus Albus’
Fruits are pink, but rare to see.
Ultimate Height: 1.5 -2.5m (5-10 years)
Spread: 1.5 – 2.5m
H5 Hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15c to -10c)
Euonymus japonicus ‘Ovatus Aureus’
Bushy medium-sized evergreen shrub with oval leaves, bright golden-yellow when young, later yellow-green with a broad yellow margin
Syn. Euonymus japonicus ‘Aureovariegatus’
Syn. Euonymus japonicus ‘Marieke’
Syn. Euonymus japonicus ‘Aureovariegatus’
Ultimate Height: 2.5 – 4m (5-10 years)
Spread: 1.5 – 2.5m
H5 Hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15c to -10c)
Euonymus japonicus ‘President Gauthier’
A dense upright evergreen shrub. It has large dark green-grey glossy green leaves with a wide creamy margin.
Ultimate Height: 2.5 – 4m (5-10 years)
Spread: 1.5 – 2.5m
H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
Euonymus japonicus ‘Pulchellus Susan’
Syn. Euonymus japonicus ‘Albovariegatus Susan’
Syn. Euonymus japonicus ‘Susan’
Dwarf evergreen shrub, variegated & upright habit. Narrow mid green leaves, white margins.
Ultimate Height: 0.5 -1m (5-10 years)
Spread: 0.5 – 1m
H5 Hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15c to -10c)
Euonymus japonicus ‘Green Spire’
Spindle Tree Green spire
Small bushy evergreen shrub, dense dark glossy leaves.
Ultimate Height: 0.5 -1m (5-10 years)
Spread: 0.1 – 0.5m
H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
Euonymus japonicus ‘Jean Hugues’
A dense, upright, bushy evergreen shrub, with toothed ovate glossy dark green leaves. Small pale green flowers are occasionally followed by fruit in autumn
Ultimate Height: 0.5 -1m (5-10 years)
Spread: 0.5 – 1m
H5 Hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15c to -10c)
