Euonymusis a shrub that pleases the eye, especially in autumn. Then we can observe its beautiful bright pink fruits accompanied by red leaves tinged with the autumn sun. See whatcultivating euonymuslooks like and select the bestcommon euonymusfor your garden. And if you already have these shrubs, we will advise you on how to successfully carry outreproduction of the euonymus !
Euonymus europaeus
What does Euonymus look like?
Euonymus europaeus(Euonymus europaeus), also known as ordinary or European, is a shedding, tall (about 3 meters) tall shrub of the Celastraceae family. Its shoots are green or brown-green. Often, the edges also have four narrow cork slats.
Euonymus leavesare elliptical, slightly toothed, dark green in color (motley in some varieties). In autumn they turn bright red. In May, the euonymus produces unattractive,small, white-green flowers , which in September / October transform intocapsule-shaped bright pink fruitThese fruits as they mature, they open more and more revealing four seeds coated with orange paraffin. The fruit remains on the plant for a long time (even after the leaves have fallen). Please note thatcommon euonymus fruit is highly poisonous to humansand must never be eaten!
Euonymus - varieties
The mostknown type of euonymus is 'Red Cascade' , which grows up to 3 m tall. It has brown-green shoots and scarlet leaves, which in autumn take a beautiful scarlet-red color. The shrub is suitable for creating lanes and hedges.
It is also worth paying attention to thetype of euonymus 'Atropurpureus' , which grows up to 2 m. Its characteristic feature is the red color of the leaves, which occurs all year round, not only in autumn.
Common Euonymus 'Argentovariegatus'has beautiful, mottled leaves. The plant is used to form hedges and quarters edges.Euonymus 'Brilliant' is another interesting variety, creating shrubs with a broadly columnar, compact and quite dense habit, growing up to 2-4 m in height. Dark green elliptical leaves turn red in autumn.
The lasttype of euonymusthat I managed to meet in Polish nurseries is'Scarlet Wonder' , forming shrubs with loose crowns and stiff shoots, covered with with thin cork strips.
Euonymus - cultivation
Euonymus does beston nutrient-rich humus substrates, in slightly moist places, rich in calcium. The shrub requires a lot of sunlight to grow properly, so it grows best in places with full sun, eventually in moderate shade (however, it may not bear fruit here, or it will produce fruit with a less intense color).Euonymus tolerates frost and wind wellAlso suitable for cultivation in seaside gardens.
Euonymus can be planted from spring to autumn , but the best date is fall due to frequent rains that will irrigate the seedling. The bush should be planted to the same depth as it grew in the nursery. The soil should be dug, permeable, aerated and moist. It is also good to use compost. After planting, it is a good idea to trim the tops of the shoots to stimulate the plant to branch out.
Euonymus europaeus
Common Euonymus tolerates pruning.This procedure is usually performed in early spring. Then remove the oldest shoots - the plant, overexposed in this way, will branch out nicely. We absolutely cut out weak, diseased and improperly growing shoots. If the euonymus grows too vigorously and begins to take up space from other plants in its environment, we can also make cuts to limit its growth during this time.
Please note thatalways use clean, disinfected sharp tools to cut the Euonymus. We choose warm, cloudy, but rainless weather.
Euonymus - reproduction
We can easily multiply the euonymus by ourselves . For this purpose, we can choose one of the 4 methods:
1. Propagation of euonymus by root suckers
Root suckers are the easiest way to get new Euonymus cuttings. For this, it is enough to gently undermine them and separate them from the main part of the plant. The seedlings obtained in this way can be transplanted directly to the target site.
2. Propagation of euonymus from sowing from seeds
In the case of Euonymus, it is also possible to sow directly from the seeds. However, the seeds are best subjected to the earlier six-month stratification. Sow the prepared seeds directly into the ground in spring. It is also possible to sow seeds in autumn directly into the ground, but this is a less favorable method. Young seedlings created in this way require very intensive care, weeding and protection. They also need to be watered frequently and regularly.
3. Euonymus propagation by semi-woody cuttings
We reproduce euonymus in summer through semi-woody cuttings. The cuttings obtained in this way take root very quickly, provided that they are properly cared for.We select shoots that have already started the lumbering process (they are already brown), but have not finished it yet (they are still flexible). Cut a 10 cm fragment of a semi-woody shoot (which has at least two nodes) along with a small, approx. 2 cm woody section. We cut off the green top and remove all the remaining leaves (we only leave the second and third top pair of leaves). Dip the shoots in the rooting agent and keep them in a moist, sandy substrate until rooting (protect them from low temperatures). Plant in the spring.
4. Euonymus propagation by woody cuttings
Woody cuttings will help us to multiply the Euonymus in the fall, when the plant has already lost its leaves. Cut off the tops of selected shoots (cover the resulting wounds with garden ointment), and dip the lower parts in rooting for woody cuttings (NOTE - you cannot confuse part of the shoot - the apical part will not develop roots!). We plant everything in a winter inspection.In the spring, we transfer the rooted cuttings to their destination and plant them.
