Euonymus alatus ‘Compactus’

I came across this form of the winged spindle many years ago at the New York Botanical Garden where it was used as a hedge. Even in the spectacular US ‘fall’ it stood out with remarkable crimson autumn colouring. During my student tenure at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, I became more familiar with the plant growing in the rock garden where every autumn it coloured brilliantly no matter the weather. One of the best shrubs for autumn colour, lasting around three weeks, before painting the ground red with fallen leaves. AGM.

Height 2m. Origin Garden origin. Conditions Any rich soil; full sun. Hardiness RHS H6, USDA 4a-8b. Season Autumn.