Winter Creeper Flowers

Physical Description

• Winter creeper plants are usually evergreen shrubs with small broad leaves. The shrubs grow between 2 and 4 feet tall and between 2 and 5 feet wide. The creeper spreads across the ground in clumps, forming a blanket of shrub.

Growing Conditions

• Euonymus forunei thrives in sunny conditions, from full sun to some shade. Winter creepers will do best in well-drained soil that remains moist, but it can tolerate poor quality soils if need be. The various sub-species of the plant have different needs in regards to pH of the soil. The winter creeper is very hardy in urban conditions, because it can tolerate a variety of soil compaction levels, heat variations, drought and pollution.

Foliage and Flowers

• During the summer, the leaves display a variety of shades of green, usually dark green with some whitish veins on the leaves. Each individual leaf is usually less than 1 inch in length. The sides of each leaf are serrated and dark green. The leaves do not have a fall color, because they are evergreen. Adult winter creeper plants will flower in June, producing small blooms that are a pale green color.

Uses

• The winter creeper plant is usually used as a ground cover or as a low hedge. It is suited to use as edging for sidewalks and paths, as well as being used as a foundation for other shrubs, flowers or trees. The winter creeper is capable of climbing vertical surfaces that it is adjacent to and is often used as an ornamental wall cover.

Warning

• Euonymus fortunei is a fast-spreading ground cover which can quickly over take other species from the ground up. Winter creeper can also be a problem for trees, in that it will cling to its surfaces, reducing the vigor of the tree and possible infecting the tree with any pathogens or insect infestations it may have. Additionally, the winter creeper can get in the way of other ground covers and canopy species due to its rapid growth rate.