Plant Profile: Euonymus fortunei 'Colorata'

Names

Purpleleaf Wintercreeper

  • Photo of Euonymus fortunei 'Colorata' (Euonymus fortunei 'Colorata's)

Phonetic Spelling:yoo-ON-ih-mus for-TOO-nee-eye

Genus:Euonymus

Species:fortunei

Family:Celastraceae

Purpleleaf Winter Creeper is a resilient evergreen ground cover that can also ascend vertical structures such as trellises and trees. This plant exhibits vigorous growth and propagates by rooting along the soil. However, it is regarded as invasive in states neighboring North Carolina.

Typically found in deciduous forests and low woodlands, Purpleleaf Winter Creeper can also thrive in disturbed areas near homes and buildings. It is adaptable to various soil types and can withstand drought conditions, flourishing in both sunny and partially shaded environments.

Potential issues include the Euonymus scale, as well as infestations of aphids, mildew, and leaf spot. Additionally, it is susceptible to browsing by deer.

For further details, refer to information on Euonymus fortunei.

Euonymus fortunei 'Colorata' Feature Summary

Euonymus fortunei 'Colorata' Image Gallery

Tags

#evergreen
#fall color
#poisonous
#full sun tolerant
#weedy
#stream banks
#spreading
#vines
#dense
#groundcover
#partial shade tolerant

Similar Plants

Euonymus fortunei 'Colorata' Feature Summary

Fruit
The fruit is a reddish, pink, ivory to yellow capsule splitting and showing orange-red seeds
Red/Burgundy
Gold/Yellow
Cream/Tan
< 1 inch
Flowers
Small insignificant greenish flowers with 4 petals in spring. Usually sparse in number if at all.
4-5 petals/rays
Leaves
1-2 in. glossy green leaves with red-purple fall color
Green
Gold/Yellow
Purple/Lavender
Purple/Lavender
Red/Burgundy
Elliptical
Ovate
1-3 inches
1-3 inches
Poisonous to Humans
Vomiting, diarrhea, weakness, chills, coma, and convulsions only if eaten in large quantities
Unidentified, possibly a glycoside
Seeds
Leaves
Stems
Sap/Juice
Flowers
Fruits
Roots
Attributes
Perennial
Stem Cutting
Root Cutting
Whole Plant Traits
Poisonous
Ground Cover
Dense
Spreading
Creeping
Medium
Cultural Conditions
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Acid (<6.0)
Alkaline (>8.0)
Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Good Drainage
Coastal
Mountains
Piedmont
4a
4b
5b
5a
6a
6b
7a
7b
8b
8a
Clay
Loam (Silt)
Sand
Shallow Rocky
Landscape
Drought
Black Walnut
Poor Soil
Walkways
Recreational Play Area
Slope/Bank
Rock Wall
Riparian
Vertical Spaces
Poisonous to Humans
Weedy

Euonymus fortunei 'Colorata' Fruit

Euonymus fortunei 'Colorata': Fruit Description

The fruit is a reddish, pink, ivory to yellow capsule splitting and showing orange-red seeds

Euonymus fortunei 'Colorata': Fruit Type

Achene
Aggregate
Berry
Capsule
Caryopsis
Drupe
Follicle
Legume
Nut
Pome
Samara
Schizocarp
Siliqua

Euonymus fortunei 'Colorata': Fruit Color

grass
Cream/Tan
grass
Gold/Yellow
grass
Red/Burgundy

Euonymus fortunei 'Colorata': Display/Harvest Time

Fall
Spring
Summer
Winter

Euonymus fortunei 'Colorata': Fruit Length

< 1 inch
1-3 inches
> 3 inches

Euonymus fortunei 'Colorata': Fruit Width

< 1 inch
1-3 inches
> 3 inches

Euonymus fortunei 'Colorata' Flowers

Euonymus fortunei 'Colorata': Flower Description

Small insignificant greenish flowers with 4 petals in spring. Usually sparse in number if at all.

Euonymus fortunei 'Colorata': Flower Color

filter_vintage
Green

Euonymus fortunei 'Colorata': Flower Inflorescence

Catkin
Corymb
Cyme
Head
Insignificant
Panicle
Raceme
Solitary
Spadix
Spike
Umbel

Euonymus fortunei 'Colorata': Flower Bloom Time

Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall

Euonymus fortunei 'Colorata': Flower Petals

2-3 rays/petals
4-5 petals/rays
6 petals/rays
7 - 20 petals/rays
asymmetrical petals
Bracts
Colored Sepals
fused petals
more than 20 petals/rays
Tepals

Euonymus fortunei 'Colorata' Leaves

Euonymus fortunei 'Colorata': Leaf Description

1-2 in. glossy green leaves with red-purple fall color

Euonymus fortunei 'Colorata': Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics

Broadleaf Evergreen
Deciduous
Needled Evergreen
Semi-evergreen

Euonymus fortunei 'Colorata': Leaf Color

spa
Gold/Yellow
spa
Green
spa
Purple/Lavender

Euonymus fortunei 'Colorata': Deciduous Leaf Fall Color

spa
Purple/Lavender
spa
Red/Burgundy

Euonymus fortunei 'Colorata': Leaf Type

Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
Fronds
Needles
Sheath
Simple

Euonymus fortunei 'Colorata': Leaf Arrangement

Alternate
Opposite
Other/more complex
Rosulate
Whorled

Euonymus fortunei 'Colorata': Leaf Shape

Acicular
Auriculate
Cordate
Cuneate
Deltoid
Elliptical
Filiform
Lanceolate
Linear
Oblanceolate
Oblong
Obovate
Obtuse
Orbicular
Ovate
Palmasect
Palmatifid
Peltate
Pinnatifid
Pinnatisect
Reniform
Rhomboidal
Spatulate
Subcordate
Subulate

Euonymus fortunei 'Colorata': Hairs Present

No
Yes

Euonymus fortunei 'Colorata': Leaf Length

< 1 inch
1-3 inches
3-6 inches
> 6 inches

Euonymus fortunei 'Colorata': Leaf Feel

Fleshy
Glossy
Leathery
Papery
Prickly
Rough
Rubbery
Slippery
Smooth
Soft
Velvety
Waxy

Euonymus fortunei 'Colorata': Leaf Value To Gardener

Edible
Fragrant
Good Cut
Good Dried
Long-lasting
Showy

Euonymus fortunei 'Colorata': Leaf Width

< 1 inch
1-3 inches
3-6 inches
> 6 inches

Euonymus fortunei 'Colorata' Poisonous to Humans

Euonymus fortunei 'Colorata': Poison Symptoms

Vomiting, diarrhea, weakness, chills, coma, and convulsions only if eaten in large quantities

Euonymus fortunei 'Colorata': Poison Toxic Principle

Unidentified, possibly a glycoside

Euonymus fortunei 'Colorata': Poison Severity

High
Low
Medium

Euonymus fortunei 'Colorata': Causes Contact Dermatitis

No
Yes

Euonymus fortunei 'Colorata': Poison Part

Bark
Flowers
Fruits
Leaves
Roots
Sap/Juice
Seeds
Stems

Euonymus fortunei 'Colorata' Attributes

Euonymus fortunei 'Colorata': Life Cycle

Annual
Biennial
Bulb
Perennial
Woody

Euonymus fortunei 'Colorata': Recommended Propagation Strategy

Division
Grafting
Layering
Leaf Cutting
Root Cutting
Seed
Stem Cutting

Euonymus fortunei 'Colorata': Climbing Method

Clinging
Scrambler
Tendrils
Twining

Euonymus fortunei 'Colorata' Whole Plant Traits

Euonymus fortunei 'Colorata': Plant Type

Annual
Bulb
Carnivorous
Edible
Epiphyte
Fern
Ground Cover
Herb
Herbaceous Perennial
Houseplant
Mushroom
Native Plant
Ornamental Grasses and Sedges
Perennial
Poisonous
Rose
Shrub
Succulent
Tree
Turfgrass
Vegetable
Vine
Water Plant
Weed
Wildflower

Euonymus fortunei 'Colorata': Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics

Broadleaf Evergreen
Deciduous
Needled Evergreen
Semi-evergreen

Euonymus fortunei 'Colorata': Habit/Form

Arching
Ascending
Broad
Cascading
Climbing
Clumping
Columnar
Conical
Creeping
Dense
Erect
Horizontal
Irregular
Mounding
Multi-stemmed
Multi-trunked
Open
Oval
Prostrate
Pyramidal
Rounded
Spreading
Vase
Weeping

Euonymus fortunei 'Colorata': Growth Rate

Slow
Medium
Rapid

Euonymus fortunei 'Colorata': Maintenance

Low
Medium
High

Euonymus fortunei 'Colorata': Texture

Fine
Medium
Coarse

Euonymus fortunei 'Colorata' Cultural Conditions

Euonymus fortunei 'Colorata': Light

Dappled Sunlight (Shade through upper canopy all day)
Deep shade (Less than 2 hours to no direct sunlight)
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)

Euonymus fortunei 'Colorata': Soil pH

Acid (<6.0)
Alkaline (>8.0)
Neutral (6.0-8.0)

Euonymus fortunei 'Colorata': Soil Drainage

Frequent Standing Water
Good Drainage
Moist
Occasional Flooding
Occasionally Dry
Occasionally Wet
Very Dry

Euonymus fortunei 'Colorata': NC Region

Coastal
Mountains
Piedmont

Euonymus fortunei 'Colorata': USDA Plant Hardiness Zone

thermostat
4a
thermostat
4b
thermostat
5a
thermostat
5b
thermostat
6a
thermostat
6b
thermostat
7a
thermostat
7b
thermostat
8a
thermostat
8b

Euonymus fortunei 'Colorata': Soil Texture

Clay
High Organic Matter
Loam (Silt)
Sand
Shallow Rocky

Euonymus fortunei 'Colorata' Stem

Euonymus fortunei 'Colorata': Stem Is Aromatic

No
Yes

Euonymus fortunei 'Colorata' Landscape

Euonymus fortunei 'Colorata': Resistance To Challenges

Black Walnut
Compaction
Deer
Diseases
Drought
Dry Soil
Erosion
Fire
Foot Traffic
Heat
Heavy Shade
Humidity
Insect Pests
Pollution
Poor Soil
Rabbits
Salt
Slugs
Squirrels
Storm damage
Urban Conditions
Voles
Wet Soil
Wind

Euonymus fortunei 'Colorata': Landscape Location

Coastal
Container
Hanging Baskets
Houseplants
Lawn
Meadow
Naturalized Area
Near Septic
Patio
Pond
Pool/Hardscape
Recreational Play Area
Riparian
Rock Wall
Slope/Bank
Small Space
Vertical Spaces
Walkways
Woodland

Euonymus fortunei 'Colorata': Problems

Allelopathic
Contact Dermatitis
Frequent Disease Problems
Frequent Insect Problems
Invasive Species
Malodorous
Messy
Poisonous to Humans
Problem for Cats
Problem for Children
Problem for Dogs
Problem for Horses
Short-lived
Spines/Thorns
Weak Wood
Weedy