Euonymus myrianthus - Spindle

The Euonymus myrianthus is a medium-sized bush with beautiful evergreen green leaves, covered from April to July with pale yellow waxy flower clusters, followed by remarkable yellow-orange attractive berries. This beautiful Chinese Spindle is an unusual and underused shrub in our gardens. A rare specimen whose yellow-orange fruiting will warm up the garden in winter!

A very decorative evergreen bush with slow growth, the Euonymus myrianthus is native to western China and belongs to the Celastraceae family. This Chinese Spindle, with a bushy, rounded silhouette and dense branching, measures 3m (9 to 10ft) in all directions. It has beautiful foliage consisting of 5 to 10cm (3.9in) long, ovate and sometimes dentate leaves, leathery and matte to glossy green. From April to July, it is adorned with a multitude of small waxy flowers, of a bright greenish yellow, gathered in clusters. This abundant flowering gives way, in autumn, to fruiting in the form of yellow-orange capsules, 0.5 to 2cm (0.8in) in diameter, opening to reveal seeds with a bright scarlet orange aril which persist for a large part of winter, contrasting beautifully with the green foliage!

This myrianthus spindle was introduced to Europe in 1908 by Ernest Henry Wilson, a famous British botanist who discovered many plant species of Asian origin during his numerous travels.

This remarkable Chinese Spindle, with its unusual flowering, and attractive berries, should be planted in full sun or partial shade, in ordinary moist soil. With its multiple characteristics, it has many uses in the garden. With its evergreen foliage, it can be integrated into a mixed hedge and is perfectly suited for privacy screens. It will also look good at the back of a perennial bed, or inserted within a group of shrubs. It can even be placed under large trees. It is of course also possible to plant it in isolation.