Euonymus fortunei Minimus

One of the best known and most durable broadleaf evergreens, wintercreeper is a hardy ground cover or shrub from China. The cultivar 'Minimus' is a low mat-forming shrub with dark green rounded leaves that are red-tinged in winter. Its yellowish stems can climb via rootlike holdfasts.

In late spring and early summer it bears clusters of insignificant greenish flowers, followed by pinkish fruits that open to reveal fleshy orange seeds. Birds eat and disseminate the seeds.

This shade-loving ornamental does well in most conditions except for damp soils. In colder climates it may suffer winter burn if exposed to bright sun and wind. Use it as a pleasing ground cover in foundation plantings, mixed borders, or containers.

Wintercreeper is listed as an invasive exotic throughout much of the eastern United States and Canada. It is susceptible to euonymus scale.

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