Euonymus alatus - “Burning Bush”

I have to admit that, while I value the structure shrubs provide in borders, they generally don’t excite me in the way that herbaceous planting does. That said, I have to concede that E. alatus is an absolute stunner at this time of year. 

We moved into our current house in late autumn and, although I definitely wasn’t a gardener then,  I was so taken with the spectacular colour of one in the shrubbery that I had to find out what it was. I then had to buy another and plant it in splendid isolation so that it could be properly appreciated!

I’m not great at describing colours accurately, but the RHS says the autumn leaf colour is rosy-crimson. It is definitely a pink-red rather than an orange-red. It has purple-red fruits which split to reveal orange seeds making it even more colourful. Although it is deciduous, the red leaves seem to stay on the plant for several weeks, looking glorious in any sunshine. 

In July/August it has small green-yellow flowers. These don’t have the impact of the autumn colour but nevertheless make the shrub very pretty. As the plant matures the branches develop strange corky wings (the plant is also known as Winged Spindle) so it is quite interesting even in winter.

If all that weren’t enough, it is such an easy plant. It is apparently tolerant of any pH and will grow in any fertile soil. It is happy in sun or partial shade, so is an excellent specimen plant for a shrub border or woodland-type planting. It is also low maintenance – I have never pruned mine in ten years! The RHS says that it will reach a height and spread of about 2.5m but in my experience it is very slow growing and in my clay has achieved nothing like that size in at least 10 years.