Euonymus - a tree or shrub from the Eurasian family. Throughout the year, it strikes with variety and extraordinary beauty. Bright leaves change color from green to red and then yellow. Although the flowers are not very expressive, the fruits serve as a wonderful decoration. For this reason, the plant has long won the hearts of gardeners, and is also used as a houseplant. Wild euonymus is found in temperate climates and subtropics of Eurasia and North America. Depending on the homeland of a particular species, the conditions of detention also change.
Botanical characteristics
Euonymus is a low tree or a sprawling shrub up to 4-10 m high. Shoots with a round or rectangular section quickly lignify and form a cork growth. Opposite leaves with a smooth, leathery surface are located on them. Foliage is plain, green or motley. The relief of the central and lateral veins is clearly visible on it. Deciduous and evergreen specimens are found in nature. In early autumn, plants change the color of leaves from green to purplish-red, and later become translucent, yellowish.
After the leaves bloom, the bloom of the spindle tree begins. Small leaf brushes or shields form in the axils of the leaves. The flowers are rather inconspicuous; they have greenish or brownish-pink petals. Flowering is accompanied by a rather sharp unpleasant odor.
After pollination, the fruits are tied - seed boxes. Each 4-leaf fruit looks like a swollen pillow. Ripening, the leaves become burgundy, raspberry, yellow or purple and open. Inside, seeds with a fleshy seedling are visible.
Attention! Although the fruits resemble juicy berries and look very appetizing, they are poisonous.
Species diversity
The genus euonymus includes more than 140 species of plants, of which for 20 Russia is a natural habitat.
Euonymus winged. The plant has taken root in the river valleys and on the rocky shores of fresh water bodies of China, Sakhalin, and Korea. A shrub with a highly branched crown grows 2.5-4 m in height. Its tetrahedral branches are covered with light gray bark. Leathery leaflets of obovate or rhombic shape are distinguished by a dark green color. Between them in the spring numerous loose inflorescences with small greenish flowers appear. Ripe fruits turn scarlet. The compactus variety forms a domed crown up to 2 m high. It consists of light green oval leaves, which acquire a scarlet shade in autumn. The fruits are orange. The species tolerates frosts well, but can suffer from heat and drought.
Euonymus euonymus. Unpretentious to soils, the species lives in deciduous forests of Asia Minor and Europe. Corky rough growths form on young green shoots, and the bark becomes almost black. The ovoid foliage grows to a length of 11 cm. In autumn, it turns from dark green into burgundy. The fruits are bright orange. The species is popular in urban landscaping, as it is resistant to drought, frost and gas contamination. Variety "red cascade" is a shrub or tree 3-4 m high. In summer it is covered with dark green foliage, but in the beginning of autumn it becomes bright yellow and then purple.
Fortune euonymus. Creeping, sprawling bush is suitable for regions with a cool climate. An evergreen is ideal for the middle lane. It is covered with shiny pinkish-green leaves about 4 cm long. Leaflets curl slightly. Varieties:
- Emerald Gold - creeping shrub 50 cm high and 150 cm wide grows variegated leaves covered with a golden pattern;
- Emerald Gaeti - a shrub up to 25 cm high is distinguished by oval small leaves with a white border.
Japanese euonymus (variegated). A shrub or tree with almost vertical shoots in nature can grow up to 7 m in height. It is also used as a houseplant. Large oval-shaped leathery foliage with a pointed edge is painted dark green and has a thin white border. Small yellow-green flowers with a diameter of about 1 cm are collected in dense umbrellas. Fruits are painted in pink-orange color.
Euonymus warty. The inhabitant of the mountain slopes of Europe and the west of Russia is a shrub or tree 2-5 m high. Its bright green young shoots are quickly covered with black warty growths. In summer, bright green leaves form a dense crown, and by autumn they turn pink. Among the foliage brown-red fruits are visible.
The euonymus is dwarf. A bush 30-100 cm high consists of creeping and ascending branches. Young stems are flexible, greenish, with grooves. With age, they become numb and covered with dark warts. Foliage about 4 cm long has a bright green color and a narrow, linear shape. In June, flowers with brown-red petals open. They are located in the axils of the leaves singly or with semi-umbrellas of 2-3 buds. The fruit is a yellow box with wrinkled orange seedlings.
Eucalyptus maak. A sprawling bush or a multi-stemmed tree 3-10 m tall is distinguished by flat green or red-brown shoots. Often there is a gray coating on the cortex. Oval or ovoid leaves grow 5-12 cm long and 1-5 cm wide. In late June, axillary inflorescences with small white flowers appear. In September, the fruits ripen pink or red.
The euonymus is sacred. The stems are covered with pterygoid outgrowths and bright green rhomboid leaves. Autumn foliage becomes brighter, burgundy.
Breeding methods
A new plant can be obtained from seeds or by vegetative methods (suitable for decorative varieties).
Seeds are planted for 3-4 months before planting in a refrigerator or other cool place at a temperature of + 2 ... + 3 ° C. Here they have to peck. Only when a dense skin bursts in most of the seeds, they are cleaned of seedlings and treated with a weak solution of potassium permanganate. Prepare in advance containers for planting with fertile garden soil mixed with sand. Seeds are planted into the soil by 2 cm. The container is covered with a film and kept at room temperature. Shoots can be seen in 15-20 days. Some gardeners practice sowing euonymus directly into the open ground. In autumn, the beds are covered with straw and spruce branches.
Basal shoots can be planted. In the spring, when the shoots are strong enough, but do not exceed 40-50 cm in height, they are dug up. The root should be 25-30 cm long and 1.5 cm thick. The earthen lump is not completely shaken off and they are not dried out, but immediately placed in a permanent place or in a growth pot.
In the first half of summer you can cut green cuttings 7 cm long with 1-2 knots. The lower section is treated with a growth stimulator and shoots are planted in pots with sand and peat soil. Sprouts are kept in a fairly cool, but well-lit place. The rooting process takes 1.5-2 months, after which they are transplanted into the open ground.
For indoor or dwarf varieties, a bush dividing method is suitable. With large varieties, it is difficult to realize physically. It is necessary to dig a plant. Then, with a shovel or blade, a part of the rhizome with a strong shoot is separated. For better adaptation, the stems are shortened by 60-70%. Delenki immediately placed in the landing pits.
For shrubs with lodging shoots, it is convenient to use the method of rooting layering, since shoots can even root themselves by contacting the soil. A strong branch is laid on the ground, fixed with a slingshot and sprinkled with earth. The top is left on top. The appearance of roots is indicated by young shoots. After this, the shoot is cut closer to the mother plant and transplanted to a new place.
Outdoor Care
Since the living conditions in nature are different for different species of euonymus, their care varies. Therefore, before planting, it is important to study the features of care for each particular species. Most plants are best planted in partial shade. The euonymus euonymus grows well under the bright sun, and the warty and European euonymos feel comfortable in the shade.
The soil on the site must necessarily be loose and fertile. Close occurrence of groundwater, as well as dense clay soils will impede growth. Acidity should be neutral or slightly alkaline. Lime is added to acidic ground.
Further care is reduced to periodic loosening of the soil and infrequent watering. Waterlogging of the site is unacceptable, but a slight drought will not hurt.
In the spring, pruning is mandatory. Remove dry branches and thin out thickened places.
Twice per season during the period of active growth, the bushes are fertilized with a mineral complex. It is well bred in water and poured into the soil a little away from the trunk.
For winter, shelter from spruce branches and fallen leaves is necessary. When the plant reaches the age of 3 years, it can winter without shelter.
With proper care, euonymus does not suffer from plant diseases. However, it is regularly subjected to spider mite attacks, therefore treatment with acaricides ("Aktara", "Aktellik") is carried out in the spring for preventive purposes.
Growing at home
The euonymus can also be a wonderful home decoration. Thanks to a regular haircut, its size will not be too large and the bush fits perfectly on the windowsill or desktop.
Lighting. Most euonymos are undemanding in lighting. They grow equally well in partial shade or in bright sunshine. Variegated varieties need more sunlight. In the summer from the midday sun, protection is needed.
Temperature. The hot climate for the plant is not very pleasant. It feels best in a cool room (+ 18 ... + 25 ° C). In winter, this figure is reduced to + 6 ... + 8 ° C. Warmer content leads to dropping part of the foliage.
Humidity. The leathery surface of the leaves protects them from excessive evaporation, so humidity is not a big deal. To maintain beauty, the leaves are wiped or bathed from dust.
Watering. Most euonymos need regular watering. Thanks to this, they grow better and faster, and also tie a large number of fruits. It is important to remove excess fluid from the sump in a timely manner.
Fertilizer. In March-September, a portion of mineral complex fertilizer is monthly applied to the soil.
Pruning. To make the crown thick, euonymos are regularly trimmed. It is better to do it in the spring. Also pinch young shoots. The plant tolerates a good haircut, it can be given to almost any shape. Some craftsmen even create bonsai.
Transfer. The procedure is carried out every 2-3 years. The root system of the euonymus is quite superficial, so pots that are too deep are not needed. Large clay shards or brick chips are always laid out at the bottom. In the soil mixture must be present:
- sand;
- sheet soil;
- leaf humus;
- turfy soil.
Use in landscape design
The euonymus is very decorative. It perfectly enlivens the autumn garden, but also looks good in the summer. Bushes and trees can be used in solo plantings in the middle of the site, as well as to create a border along the curb, walls and fences with the help of tape landings. The plant is combined with representatives of conifers (spruce, juniper, thuja).
