About
the
Purple
Wintercreeper
Euonymus
:
Purple
Wintercreeper
Euonymus,
Euonymus
fortunei
'Coloratus',
also
known
as
Wintercreeper
and
Wintercreeper
Eunonymus,
is a
dense,
woody-stemmed,
broadleaf
evergreen
plant
which
comes
in a
variety
of
forms.
Euonymus
fortunei
'Coloratus'
(commonly
called
purple
wintercreeper
euonymus,
is
primarily
a
trailing
ground
cover
form
which
typically
grows
to
6-9"
tall
and
spreads
indefinitely
by
rooting
stems
as a
sprawling,
tangled,
bushy
mat.
It
is
similar
in
habit
to
English
ivy,
in
that
it
spreads
along
the
ground,
rooting
as
it
goes,
until
it
reaches
a
vertical
surface
which
it
then
begins
to
climb.
It
features
lustrous,
ovate
to
elliptic,
dark
green
leaves
(1-2"
long)
which
turn
dark
purple
in
fall
and
winter.
Purple
Wintercreepers
have
inconspicuous,
greenish-white
flowers
that
may
appear
in
June.
The
flowers
are
at
best
sparse,
but
are
usually
not
present.
If
allowed
to
climb
a
wall,
tree
or
other
structure,
this
plant
assumes
more
vine-like
characteristics
and
is
more
likely
to
produce
flowers,
though
still
sparse
and
inconspicuous.
'Coloratus'
is
sometimes
sold
as
Euonymus
fortunei
var.
coloratus.
It
is
one
of
the
most
popular
evergreen
ground
covers
available
in
commerce
today.This
plant
is a
good
ground
cover
for
slopes.
It
is
also
used
for
container
plantings,
massing
and
erosion
control.