Euonymus fortunei Darts Blanket - Spindle

The Euonymus fortunei 'Dart's Blanket' is a creeping spindle, with vigorous and dense vegetation, adorned with evergreen foliage of a beautiful dark green that becomes red bronze to purple in autumn and winter. This small, always well-groomed shrub is ideal for effectively and elegantly covering the ground. Its branches equipped with climbing roots easily cling to walls, similar to ivy, but without becoming invasive. Suitable for multiple uses, it finds its place under shrubs, on the edge of woodlands, along pathways, or even in planters on the terrace. Very tolerant of soil and exposure, it does, however, dislike arid conditions.

Originating from Asia and northern China, Euonymus fortunei is a slow-growing ground cover shrub of the Celastraceae family, perfectly hardy and tolerant of limestone in the soil. The 'Dart's Blanket' variety is an improvement on the 'Coloratus' variety, selected in the Netherlands in 1969. It is appreciated for its vigorous, dense, and creeping or even climbing habit, as well as its particularly vibrant and warm autumn and winter coloring. At maturity, this slow-growing cultivar will reach approximately 60 cm (23.6 in) in height with a minimum spread of 60 cm (23.6 in). It develops flexible branches that can be easily trained and have the ability to cling to their support thanks to climbing roots. The evergreen, elliptical leaves, 3 to 4 cm (1.2 to 1.6 in) long, with serrated edges, are a fairly dark and shiny green. At the first signs of cold, they take on beautiful red to purple hues, transitioning through bronze. In spring, insignificant flowering occurs on the current year's growth in the form of small clusters of white-greenish flowers. These give way to red, decorative but non-edible berries, appreciated by birds.

Euonymus fortunei 'Dart's Blanket' grows in any well-drained soil, in a non-arid situation, preferably semi-shaded. It tolerates salt spray and wind very well. Pruning is unnecessary, it is better to pinch the young plants to encourage branching and only remove dead or diseased wood. It can be used in pots or planters on a terrace, in rockeries or bordering flowerbeds, and even to emphasize the curve of a pathway or the steps of a staircase, or to cover the slope of a retaining wall. It is useful for greening a low wall, without becoming uncontrollable. Pair it with other robust ground cover plants such as Waldsteinia ternata, Bergenia, creeping cotoneasters, or other varieties of variegated creeping spindles.