Euonymus fortunei Coloratus (Purple Wintercreeper)

Extremely hardy, Euonymus fortunei 'Coloratus' (Purple Wintercreeper) is an evergreen, trailing vine that quickly forms a dense, weed-smothering ground cover. It features shiny, ovate to elliptic, dark green leaves, up to 2 in. long (5 cm), which turn reddish-purple in fall and winter. A few tiny, inconspicuous, greenish flowers are produced in early summer. One of the most popular evergreen ground covers, it is also useful for erosion control on slopes and can be trained as a climbing vine, growing to 20 ft. (6 m) or more.

• Grows up to 12-15 in. tall (30-37 cm) with a spread of 24-36 in. (60-90 cm). Wintercreeper spreads both by creeping stems which root where they touch the ground, and by animal or water dispersed seeds. Euonymus fortunei has been reported to be invasive in natural areas in most of the states in the eastern half of the U.S.
• A full sun to full shade lover, this plant is easily grown in average, medium moisture, well-drained soils. Grow in full sun if your soil is moisture retentive. Tolerates a wide range of soils excluding boggy and wet soils.
• Watch for Euonymus scale, anthracnose, crown gall, leaf spot, mildew and aphids.
• All parts may cause severe discomfort if ingested.
• Euonymus fortunei species is native to China, Japan, and Korea.
• Find where Euonymus fortunei species is invasive in the United States.
• Discover beautiful U.S. native plant alternatives.