Japanese Spindle

Japanese spindle (Euonymus japonicus, Celastraceae) is a broadleaf evergreen shrub from Japan, reaching about 10 feet tall and 6 feet wide. Opposite, simple, obovate to narrowly oval leaves (2.5 to 7.5 centimeters) are lustrous dark green and leathery with serrate margins. Small greenish-white flowers (8 millimeters) appear in June, followed by pinkish-red fruit in late summer.

Japanese spindle grows in sun to heavy shade on adaptable soils, tolerating salt, coastal exposure, and heavy pruning, hardy in Zones 5a to 8b. Documented diseases include anthracnose, bacterial blight, crown gall, and powdery mildew. Pest associations include euonymus scale (with resistance documented in 'Acutus' and 'Compacta'), cottony camellia scale, and root weevil. All parts are poisonous in quantity. Cultivars include 'Aureo-marginatus' (gold-edged), 'Green Spire' (columnar), 'Microphyllus' (1 to 3 feet), and 'Silver King.'