Tough cookie happy to turn over new leaves

Euonymus japonicus (AKA the evergreen spindle) isn’t much to shout about but it is nothing if not reliable. Stand it next to a golden-foliaged member of its family and it tends to fade into the background, but stick it in a pot and give it a spot where it can shine – and it will.

With an average annual growth rate of 10-20cm, it’s ideal for a low hedge which needs just a quick trim each year to keep it looking neat, tidy and glossily green.

Like the rest of its family, Euonymus japonicus prefers a reasonably well-drained soil. It will grow in sun or partial shade (although the variegated varieties do better with more sun) and it is tough; tough enough to thrive in exposed areas, and windy spots.

“Silver Queen” (named after Robert Fortune, the Scottish botanist and traveller best known for introducing tea plants from

China to India in the 19th century) is a slow-growing evergreen shrub which hails from the Far East.

Given the right conditions, a healthy specimen can eventually grow to eight feet in height and five feet in width, and trained as a climber, it could eventually reach the dizzy height of 20 feet.

But most gardeners grow it at ground level where its shiny green leaves, with white/ pink margins, provide an eye-catching show all year round.

“Silver Queen” is cultivated for its foliage, which is always at its best grown in full sun. If any allgreen leaves appear, cut them out immediately or the plant will eventually lose its attractive variegation.

And for those gardeners who prefer gold to silver, there’s always “Emerald ’n’ Gold” with bright-golden, variegated leaves which also turn pinkish-red in cold weather.