spindle tree
Euonymus patens · Celastraceae
spindle tree (Euonymus patens) is catalogued by the USDA PLANTS database. USDA records it as hardy in zone 3 and warmer, down to about -33°F.
At a glance
| Mature height | 10 ft USDA |
|---|---|
| Light | full-sun USDA |
| Water need | medium USDA |
| Growth rate | rapid USDA |
| Soil pH | 5–7.5 USDA |
| Bloom | April–May USDA |
| Flower color | Purple USDA |
| Hardiness zones | 3 and warmer USDA |
| Nursery availability | Routinely Available USDA |
USDA quoted from the USDA PLANTS database · Derived computed by a fixed rule from those columns. No value on this page is estimated.
Growing conditions
It needs full sun. USDA rates it as having moderate water needs. Its drought tolerance is rated medium. It will not tolerate waterlogged soil — USDA rates its anaerobic tolerance as none. It is recorded on soils from pH 5 to 7.5 — a broad range that spans acidic through mildly alkaline ground. Its cold limit is zone 3.
Size and growth
At maturity it reaches about 10 ft, making it a plant that will finish above head height. It grows quickly.
Bloom period
USDA records a bloom period of April through May. Flowers are purple.
A flowering date, not a pollinator rating.
Foliage, flower and season
Summer foliage is yellow-green, medium in texture. Its flowers are conspicuous. It carries conspicuous autumn colour. Its fruit or seed heads are conspicuous, extending interest past flowering. Its active growth period is spring and summer. Its winter foliage is dense, which makes it useful for year-round screening. USDA rates its lifespan as moderate.
What the site needs to provide
USDA records it across sites receiving 30 to 60 inches of annual precipitation. It needs at least 140 frost-free days to finish its season. It roots to at least 16 inches. Fertility requirement: medium.
Propagating it
Propagate it from cuttings, bare root and container stock. It spreads vegetatively at a moderate rate.
Resilience and wildlife
Its fire tolerance is rated medium, and it can resprout after damage. Its growth form is recorded as multiple stem.
Tags
Related plants
Others in Euonymus
- burningbush Euonymus alatus
- bursting-heart Euonymus americanus
- burningbush Euonymus atropurpureus
- winterberry euonymus Euonymus bungeanus
Similar role and hardiness
- cotoneaster Cotoneaster salicifolius
- Chinese pear Pyrus ussuriensis
Where this data comes from
Every value on this page comes from the USDA PLANTS database record for symbol EUPA21, or is computed from those values by a fixed rule. Nothing here is estimated or model-generated. Where USDA publishes no value, this page omits the claim rather than filling the gap.
- Quoted from USDA PLANTS: active growth period, Bloom, Bloom end, cold stratification, Drought tolerance, fall conspicuous, fertility requirement, fire tolerance, Flower color, flower conspicuous, foliage color, foliage porosity winter, foliage texture, frost free days min, fruit conspicuous, growth form, Growth rate, Hardiness zones, lifespan, Light, Mature height, Minimum temperature, Nitrogen fixation, Nursery availability, precipitation max in, precipitation min in, propagation, resprout ability, root depth in, seed spread rate, Soil pH, Soil pH (upper), Tolerance of wet soil, Toxicity, vegetative spread rate, Water need.
Read our full data sources and methodology.
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