Euonymus alatus 'Compactus'
October heralds the beginning of autumn when the garden comes alive with vibrant shades of oranges, yellows and reds. Euonymus alatus 'Compactus' is a superb shrub to grow for rich and vibrant autumn colour as the leaves along its winged stems turn stunning shades of bright, scarlet red through this period. This cultivar is a smaller selection that is perfect for most modern gardens, and at RHS Garden Hyde Hall you will find it growing in the Queen Mother's Garden.
Vital statistics
- Common name
- Compact winged spindle tree
- Family
- Celastraceae
- Height & spread
- 1m (3ft) x 3m (10ft)
- Form
- Deciduous shrub
- Soil
- Well drained
- Aspect
- Full sun or light shade
- Hardiness
- Fully hardy
Euonymus
This is a genus of approximately 175 species of deciduous, semi-evergreen and evergreen shrubs, trees and climbers found in woodlands and thickets, mostly in Asia. Some species are found in Europe, America and Madagascar and one in Australia.
They are grown for their foliage, their autumn colour and their fruits.
The stems and branches are often 4-sided. The leaves are usually simple, opposite and may be toothed. The flowers are small and can be white, yellow, green or red-brown.
The fruit is a capsule divided into sections, each of which contains a seed surrounded by a red or orange fleshy bag called an aril. The fruit splits, revealing a pale pinkish interior which contrasts with the brightly coloured aril.
The name Euonymus, derived from the ancient Greek, means “of good name”, which referred ironically to its being poisonous to animals.
Parts of the plant can cause stomach upset or even poisoning if ingested.
Euonymus alatus 'Compactus'
Found in Japan and central China, this species is a dense, bushy, deciduous shrub with corky wings on its branches, hence the common name, winged spindle. The species name alatus also means winged.
The leaves are dark green, oval, toothed, up to 7cm (3in) long and turn a spectacular dark red in autumn. The stems are 4-sided; the flowers are pale green and the fruit pale reddish-purple, 8mm (3/8in) across with bright orange arils round the seeds.
Euonymus alatus 'Compactus' is dwarf and very dense with scarlet to purple foliage in the autumn. It would be ideal for the front of a shrub border or as a specimen plant.
Cultivation
- Grow in any well-drained soil in sun or partial shade. Prune when dormant, if needed, to remove wayward or crossing shoots.
- Euonymus alatus is especially good in alkaline soil.
- Euonymus alatus 'Compactus' is prone to attack by caterpillars, vine weevils, powdery mildew and leaf spot.
Propagation
- Sow seed in containers in a cold frame as soon as ripe. (Cultivar won't come true from seed).
- To propagate the cultivar, root greenwood cuttings in summer.
AGM
The RHS Woody Plant Committee awarded Euonymus alatus 'Compactus' an Award of Garden Merit and described it as:
"Compact spreading deciduous small shrub, developing prominent corky ridges on the branches. Leaves ovate-elliptic, turning rosy-red in autumn. Small green flowers followed by red-purple fruits."