winter creeper
Euonymus fortunei · Celastraceae
winter creeper (Euonymus fortunei) is a perennial shrub in the Celastraceae family. It is introduced to North America rather than native. USDA records it as hardy in zone 5 and warmer, down to about -13°F.
⚠ Invasive or noxious status. USDA lists this plant with an invasive or noxious weed status somewhere in its range. Check your state's noxious weed list before planting it — in some states it is illegal to sell or plant.
Both flags are quoted from USDA PLANTS, not inferred.
At a glance
| Type | shrub USDA |
|---|---|
| Lifecycle | perennial USDA |
| Native status | introduced USDA |
| Mature height | 1 ft USDA |
| Light | shade USDA |
| Water need | medium USDA |
| Growth rate | rapid USDA |
| Soil pH | 5.2–7.8 USDA |
| Bloom | May–June USDA |
| Flower color | Purple USDA |
| Hardiness zones | 5 and warmer USDA |
| Guild layer | ground-cover Derived |
| 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 tolerates full shade. USDA rates it as having moderate water needs. Its drought tolerance is rated low. It will not tolerate waterlogged soil — USDA rates its anaerobic tolerance as none. It is recorded on soils from pH 5.2 to 7.8 — a broad range that spans acidic through mildly alkaline ground. Its cold limit is zone 5.
Size and growth
At maturity it reaches about 1 ft, making it a low, mat-forming plant. It grows quickly.
Bloom period
USDA records a bloom period of May through June. Flowers are purple.
A flowering date, not a pollinator rating.
Foliage, flower and season
Summer foliage is white-gray, coarse in texture. Its flowers are not conspicuous — a plant for form and foliage. It carries conspicuous autumn colour. Its active growth period is spring and summer. USDA rates its lifespan as moderate.
What the site needs to provide
USDA records it across sites receiving 32 to 65 inches of annual precipitation. It needs at least 160 frost-free days to finish its season. It roots to at least 18 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
Browsing animals rate it barely palatable — the sourced basis for calling it deer-resistant. Its fire tolerance is rated high, and it can resprout after damage. Its growth form is recorded as stoloniferous.
Role in a guild
Ground cover. In a layered planting this is the lowest layer — it shades soil, holds moisture, and suppresses weeds. The layer is derived by a fixed rule from growth habit and mature height.
Tags
Related plants
Others in Euonymus
- burningbush Euonymus alatus
- bursting-heart Euonymus americanus
- burningbush Euonymus atropurpureus
- winterberry euonymus Euonymus bungeanus
Similar role and hardiness
- pinemat manzanita Arctostaphylos nevadensis
- boraxweed Nitrophila occidentalis
- knotgrass Paspalum distichum
- spreading phlox Phlox diffusa
Where this data comes from
Every value on this page comes from the USDA PLANTS database record for symbol EUFO5, 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, browse palatability, 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, Invasive status, Lifecycle, lifespan, Light, Mature height, Minimum temperature, Native status, 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, Type, vegetative spread rate, Water need.
- Derived by a fixed rule from those columns: Guild layer.
Read our full data sources and methodology.
Find more plants for your zone with the Plant Finder.