Japanese Spindle Tree, Box-leaf Euonymus, Evergreen Euonymus, Japanese Euonymus
Euonymus japonicus
Family: Celastraceae
What it is like
Bloom Color: Green, White. Main Bloom Time: Early summer, Late spring. Form: Oval, Upright or erect, Vase.
Euonymus japonicus is an evergreen Shrub growing to 4.5 m (14ft) by 2 m (6ft) at a medium rate. See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 7. It is in leaf all year, in flower from May to June. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and is pollinated by Insects. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils, prefers well-drained soil and can grow in heavy clay soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers dry or moist soil. The plant can tolerate maritime exposure.
Height (m): 4.5
Where it is found
Slopes in thickets and woods, especially near the sea.
E. Asia - Japan. Locally naturalized in S. Europe.
Conservation Status:
Countries/locations it is found in
How it is used
Food
Rating: 1
Young leaves - boiled. The old leaves are powdered and used to colour food. These reports should be treated with some caution due to the report of toxicity - see above.
Colouring: edible dyes
Medicine
Rating: 1
The stem bark is antirheumatic, diuretic and tonic. The leaf is used in cases of difficult delivery.
Antirheumatic: Treats rheumatism.
Diuretic: Acts on the kidneys, promoting the flow of urine.
Tonic: Improves general health. Slower acting than a stimulant, it brings steady improvement.
Women's complaints: A very vague title, it deals with a miscellany of problems peculiar to the female sex.
Other
Rating:
Roots and stems yield up to 7% gutta-percha, a non elastic rubber used as an electrical insulator and in making plastics etc. Can be grown as a hedge, it is very tolerant of trimming and succeeds in severe maritime exposure.
Hedge: Plants that can be grown as hedges.
Latex: A source of rubber.
Hedge: Hedge
How it is grown
Landscape Uses:Border, Container, Foundation, Hedge, Massing, Screen, Specimen, Woodland garden. Thriving in almost any soil, including chalk and sandy soils, it is particularly suited to dry shaded areas. Grows well in heavy clay soils. Shade tolerant but does not fruit well in such a position. Prefers a well-drained loamy soil. Plants are very tolerant of maritime exposure, succeeding even when grown on the sea shore, but they can be killed by cold drying winds. A very ornamental plant, there are a number of named varieties. It is only hardy in S. England tolerating temperatures down to about -10°c. Plants are more likely to succumb to the cold if they are regularly trimmed (this exposes young growth to the cold), this regular trimming also leads to mildew especially when plants are growing in very dry ground. The Japanese spindle tree is cultivated in Russia and Spain for the latex contained in the root. It is best grown in a dry soil and an open position when being grown for its latex. Plants are often slow to get established. Plants can be susceptible to attacks by caterpillars and are often damaged during the flowering season. They are also a host of the sugar beet fly. This species is notably resistant to honey fungus. Special Features: Not North American native, Naturalizing, Inconspicuous flowers or blooms.
Propagating it: Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame. Stored seed requires 3 months cold stratification, so should be sown as early in the year as possible in a cold frame. Seed can take 18 months to germinate. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. Cuttings of half-ripe wood, 5 - 7cm long taken at a node or with a heel, July/August in a frame. Very easy. Cuttings of mature wood, October in a frame78, 113]. Cuttings will root readily at any time of the year if given bottom heat. Root cuttings in winter.
Best place to grow: Woodland Garden Sunny Edge; Dappled Shade; Shady Edge; Hedge;
Habit: Shrub
Hardiness: 6-9
Growth: Medium
Soil: Light (sandy), medium, heavy (clay)
Shade: Semi-shade, no shade
Moisture: Dry, moist
Things to keep in mind
The seed is probably poisonous, other parts of the plant may also be poisonous.