It’s grown for its foliage, with distinctive green-and-gold varieties that add classic color.
Like otherEuonymusspecies, wintercreeper may be toxic to people and pets.
Soil
Wintercreeper grows easily in average, medium moisture, well-drained soil.
The Spruce / Autumn Wood
However, it does not do well in wet soil.
Water
Water the plant when the top three inches of soil are dry.
If the plant is already established, it can also tolerate drought conditions.
The Spruce / Autumn Wood
In areas with harsh winters, wintercreeper can suffer some winter damage from ice and dramatic temperature fluctuations.
Fortunately, this resilient plant is very good at recovering from the effects of winter.
Fertilizer
As an evergreen shrub with insignificant flowers, wintercreeper usually needs no fertilizer for general health.
Olga Chalovskaia / Getty Images
verify to sterilize cutting tools after each cut.
Propagating Wintercreeper
Wintercreeper is easily propagated from new-growth cuttings in the spring.
Choose a container that is at least as large as the nursery container, with good drainage holes.
Terra cotta is ideal because it lets excess moisture evaporate.
In containers, however, freezing winter temperatures can damage the roots.
Wintercreeper may also struggle with winter leaf burn, crown gall, anthracnose, powdery mildew, and aphids.
This plant is usually chosen for its foliage.
What Do Wintercreeper Flowers Look and Smell Like?
Japanese euonymus (Euonymus japonicus), is a similar species native to Japan and Korea.
It’s an evergreen shrub or small tree that grows to be around 15 feet tall.
It has hardy, leathery foliage and dense growth, making it a good choice for a topiary plant.
It chokes out other plants, including shrubs and trees, by depriving them of light.
The vine grows into the canopy of even tall trees and eventually covers it entirely.
Euonymus fortunei.North Carolina State Extension.
Invasive Plant Atlas of the United States.
