Euonymus fortunei 'Silver Queen'
Common Name(s):
- Phonetic Spelling
- yoo-ON-ih-mus for-TOO-nee-eye
- This plant has low severity poison characteristics.
- See below
- Description
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This plant is identified as one of the smaller evergreen shrubs in the Euonymus genus (a group of plants with similar characteristics). However, various sources list its height as ranging from 2 to 8 feet. It easily spreads and can be grown as a shrubby ground cover. It can take up to 5 to 10 years to reach its full growth. In nature, the plant is often found in forest or natural areas in mixed deciduous forests and low woodlands; weedy in disturbed areas around houses and buildings.
Euonymus prefers full sun to medium shade, moist to dry-mesic conditions, and soil containing loam, clay-loam, sand, and gravelly material. It tolerates heavy shade, is pH adaptable, and is easily transplanted from woody cuttings and tolerates a variety of soils other than wet ground.
It has small, pale green flowers that attract bees and often has attractive fall foliage. The foliage is glossy, elongated, and dark green with contrasting white margins. In cold weather the leaves often becomes tinged with purplish pink. The berries resulting from the flowers are eaten by birds and the seeds are spread into the woodlands, with resulting shrub growth which can disrupt native plant habitats. The shrubs are difficult to eradicate. See shrubs listed to the left that also have variegated cultivars and are better behaved than this one.
Deer also like the plant. If used, spread can be reduced by planting it in shadier areas which slow or reduces the number of flowers and resulting seeds, thus reducing spread by birds. The foliage is the main attraction to the shrub.
A number of plants in this genus are poisonous and caution is advised. Avoid eating any parts of this plant in large quantities. The berries in particular should not be eaten by humans. The berries are eaten by some birds which is how the plant is spread and often how it becomes more invasive.
Diseases, Insect Pests, and Other Plant Problems: Scale and winter leaf burn can be a problem. Susceptible to anthracnose, powdery mildew, aphids, and crown gall.
- See this plant in the following landscape:
- Mountain Ridge Top Garden - North Lawn and Upper Drive Border
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- Tags:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- Tags:
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Attributes:
- Genus:
- Euonymus
- Species:
- fortunei
- Family:
- Celastraceae
- Life Cycle:
- Woody
- Recommended Propagation Strategy:
- Seed
- Stem Cutting
- Country Or Region Of Origin:
- East Asia, China, Japan, and Korea.
- Distribution:
- Introduced to the Eastern United States.
- Wildlife Value:
- birds are attracted to the seeds in the fall.
- Play Value:
- Attractive Flowers
- Wildlife Food Source
- Climbing Method:
- Twining
- Edibility:
- Toxic when ingested in large quantities.
- Dimensions:
- Height: 2 ft. 0 in. - 5 ft. 0 in.
- Width: 2 ft. 0 in. - 5 ft. 0 in.
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Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Poisonous
- Shrub
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Deciduous
- Semi-evergreen
- Habit/Form:
- Climbing
- Dense
- Multi-stemmed
- Growth Rate:
- Rapid
- Maintenance:
- High
- Texture:
- Medium
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Cultural Conditions:
- Light:
- Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
- Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
- Soil Texture:
- Clay
- High Organic Matter
- Loam (Silt)
- Sand
- Shallow Rocky
- Soil pH:
- Acid (<6.0)
- Alkaline (>8.0)
- Neutral (6.0-8.0)
- Soil Drainage:
- Good Drainage
- Moist
- Occasionally Dry
- Available Space To Plant:
- 6-feet-12 feet
- NC Region:
- Coastal
- Mountains
- Piedmont
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
- 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b
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Fruit:
- Fruit Color:
- Orange
- Pink
- Red/Burgundy
- White
- Fruit Value To Gardener:
- Showy
- Display/Harvest Time:
- Fall
- Fruit Type:
- Capsule
- Fruit Length:
- < 1 inch
- Fruit Width:
- < 1 inch
- Fruit Description:
- Fertile flowers are replaced by seed capsules that become mature during the autumn. Mature reddish, pink, ivory to yellow capsules are white, globoid, and about ¼ inch across. Eventually, they split open to reveal fleshy arils that are orange to red; solitary seeds occurs within these arils.
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Flowers:
- Flower Color:
- Green
- Red/Burgundy
- Flower Inflorescence:
- Cyme
- Insignificant
- Flower Value To Gardener:
- Fragrant
- Showy
- Flower Bloom Time:
- Summer
- Flower Shape:
- Dome
- Star
- Flower Petals:
- 4-5 petals/rays
- Flower Size:
- < 1 inch
- Flower Description:
- Small, greenish white flowers. The flower is about 1/4 inch with four petals which may be dome shaped or flat. Flowers develop from the axils of mature leaves; their peduncles (basal stalks) are up to 4" long, while their pedicels are up to ½" long. Both peduncles and pedicels are light green, hairless, and terete. The blooming period occurs during the summer for about 3 weeks.
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Leaves:
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Deciduous
- Semi-evergreen
- Leaf Color:
- Gray/Silver
- Green
- Leaf Feel:
- Leathery
- Smooth
- Leaf Type:
- Simple
- Leaf Arrangement:
- Opposite
- Leaf Shape:
- Elliptical
- Oblong
- Ovate
- Leaf Margin:
- Crenate
- Serrate
- Hairs Present:
- No
- Leaf Length:
- 1-3 inches
- Leaf Width:
- 1-3 inches
- Leaf Description:
- Metallic, dark green leaves with creamy yellow margins. Leaves occur at intervals along the young shoots; densely distributed and rather leathery in texture. The leaf tips are acute to blunt, while the leaf bases are rounded, truncate, or cuneate (wedge-shaped). On shoots with immature leaves, the leaves are often conspicuously whitened along the central and lateral veins; flowers and fruits are not produced on such shoots. On shoots with mature leaves, the leaves are less whitened or green along the central and lateral veins; these shoots usually produce flowers and fruits.
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Bark:
- Bark Color:
- Dark Brown
- Dark Gray
- Bark Description:
- Gray-brown, thin, initially smooth.
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Stem:
- Stem Color:
- Green
- Red/Burgundy
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
- Stem Form:
- Zig Zags
- Stem Surface:
- Smooth (glabrous)
- Stem Description:
- Older branches become reddish brown, rough-textured, and woody, while young shoots are green, terete, glabrous, and rather stiff.
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Landscape:
- Landscape Location:
- Lawn
- Recreational Play Area
- Rock Wall
- Woodland
- Landscape Theme:
- Children's Garden
- Winter Garden
- Design Feature:
- Border
- Hedge
- Attracts:
- Bats
- Songbirds
- Resistance To Challenges:
- Salt
- Problems:
- Poisonous to Humans
- Weedy
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Poisonous to Humans:
- Poison Severity:
- Low
- Poison Symptoms:
- Toxic if eaten in large quantities. Can cause vomiting, diarrhea, weakness, chills, coma, and convulsions.
- Poison Toxic Principle:
- Unidentified, possibly a glycoside
- Causes Contact Dermatitis:
- No
- Poison Part:
- Bark
- Flowers
- Fruits
- Leaves
- Roots
- Sap/Juice
- Seeds
- Stems
