Purpleleaf Wintercreeper - 'Euonymus fortunei var. Coloratus' Purple Leaf Winter Creeper, Euonymus fortunei, is an excellent 'groundcover' originally native to China. This means that Purple Leaf Wintercreeper is most often used to cover bare places of ground and is dense in its nature of growth. It is a beautiful evergreen that fills in areas under shade trees and shrubs. The leaves are beautifully colored sanguineous purple throughout the winter. With a habit that chokes out competing plants and weeds, Purple Leaf Winter Creeper is excellent in preventing soil erosion. It is also commonly used as a decorative addition for buildings. This means that it is most often used to grow on sections of buildings, walls, and fences for its aesthetic beauty.
|
 |
| Common Name: |
Wintercreeper Euonymus, Purpleleaf Wintercreeper |
| Type: |
Evergreen Groundcover |
| Family: |
Celastraceae |
| Leaves: |
The species has opposite, evergreen leaves, usually 1-2" long. This particular variety has deep glossy green leaves that turn plum-purple in the winter. |
| Stem: |
Upright, greenish, glabrous |
| Size: |
4 to 6" if used as a groundcover but can scramble 40 to 70' when placed on a structure. |
| Hardiness: |
Zone 4 to 8 and 9; not happy in Zone 4 unless provided snow cover or winter shade. For an idea of your plant zone please visit the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map. |
| Habit: |
Evergreen groundcover or high climbing, true clinging vine; many of the adult types make 1.5 to 3' mounding woody evergreen shrubs. |
| Rate: |
Fast. |
| Flowers: |
Only on adult types; perfect, greenish white, 4-parted, June - July. |
| Diseases & Insects: |
Anthracnose, crown gall (bacterial disease of considerable importance), leaf spots, powdery mildews, aphids, thrips, and scales. |
| Landscape Value: |
Multitudinous depending on cultivar; groundcover, vine, wall cover, low hedge, massing and groupings; tremendous variation occurs as a result of vegetative mutations. |
| Soil Preference: |
Transplants readily; tolerant of most soils except swampy, extremely wet conditions; ph adaptable. |
| Care: |
Pinch or shear back the tips of new plantings for several years to promote bushiness. |
| Fertilization: |
In the spring and late fall, add fertilizers rich in phosphorous in nitrogen.
| | Planting Instructions: |
Start at the farthest away area and plant the 'groundcover' evenly and outwards (like painting yourself into a corner). Water well, and remember to water regularly until they have started to grow.
|
|
