Purple-Leaf Wintercreeper

Euonymus fortunei var. ‘Coloratus’

Purple-Leaf Wintercreeper is one of several cultivars of Wintercreeper (Euonymus fortunei) that have grown in popularity across the US since the species was first introduced from China in 1907. The exact origin of the Purple-Leaf cultivar is unknown, but nursery catalogs offering the selection began to appear during the 1940s. A beautiful evergreen shrub-vine that fills in areas under shade trees and shrubs, the cultivar’s leaves are colored sanguineous purple throughout the winter. As an excellent ground cover in form and color, Purple-Leaf Wintercreeper is adept at preventing soil erosion. The cultivar primarily reproduces asexually via rooting nodes along the ground, but can reproduce sexually if left untended for too long. When left untended, Wintercreeper and its variants mature from vine ground covers into small shrubs. In this shrub state, the plant produces small reddish berry-like capsules that mature during the fall. Be advised, that any plants that arise from these capsules will not be the Purple-leaf cultivar. The cultivar is also commonly used as a decorative addition for buildings and can grow on (and subsequently harm) trees if not closely monitored. Both the cultivar and its sexual offspring are considered highly invasive and should only be planted responsibly. Planting instruction can also be found at boydnursery.net/arrival-care-notes/.