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Native Plant Alternatives to Euonymus fortunei (Wintercreeper)

Native Plants, Invasive Plants, Euonymus fortunei, Wintercreeper, Winter Creeper, Spindle, Climbing Euonymus

Euonymus fortunei, commonly known as wintercreeper or fortune’s spindle, is considered invasive in many regions. Native to East Asia, it has been introduced to other parts of the world as an ornamental plant due to its evergreen foliage and its tolerance of a wide range of conditions.

In several parts of the United States and Europe, however, Euonymus fortunei has escaped cultivation and spread into natural areas. The plant is a vigorous grower and can form dense mats of vegetation that outcompete native plants for resources. It is also able to climb trees and can cause damage by shading out the tree canopy.

Wintercreeper is listed in the Invasive Plant Atlas of the United States.

According to the U.S Forest Service, Invasive species have contributed to the decline of 42% of U.S. endangered and threatened species and 18% of U.S. endangered or threatened species. Invasive species compete directly with native species for moisture, sunlight, nutrients, and space. They displace and alter native plant communities, degrade wildlife habitat and water quality, and potentially lead to increased soil erosion.

The federal government has estimated that nearly 25 percent of the 20,000 plant species native to North America are at risk of extinction, many of these through habitat loss. You can help reverse this trend by planting great native plants in your garden.

A plant is considered native if it occurs naturally in a particular region or ecosystem without human introduction. There are many benefits to growing native plants. First, these plants are better adapted to soils, moisture, and weather than exotic plants that evolved in other parts of the world. They need fewer fertilizers and pesticides or use less water. Second, they are unlikely to escape and become invasive, destroying natural habitats. Third, they support wildlife, providing shelter and food for native birds and insects, while exotic plants do not.

Guide Information

Hardiness 5 - 9
Heat Zones 2 - 9
Plant Type Shrubs
Genus Euonymus
Exposure Full Sun, Partial Sun
Season of Interest Spring (Early, Mid, Late)
Summer (Early, Mid, Late)
Fall
Winter
Native Plants United States

U.S. Native Plant Alternatives to Euonymus fortunei (Wintercreeper)

Antennaria plantaginifolia (Pussytoes)
Arctostaphylos uva-ursi (Bearberry)
Asarum canadense (Canada Wild Ginger)
Bignonia capreolata (Cross Vine)
Campsis radicans (Trumpet Vine)
Erigeron pulchellus (Robin’s Plantain)
Glandularia canadensis (Rose Vervain)
Iris cristata (Dwarf Crested Iris)
Mahonia repens (Creeping Mahonia)
Mertensia virginica (Virginian Bluebells)
Packera aurea (Golden Ragwort)
Parthenocissus quinquefolia (Virginia Creeper)
Phlox divaricata (Woodland Phlox)
Sedum ternatum (Wild Stonecrop)
Sisyrinchium angustifolium (Blue-Eyed Grass)
Sporobolus heterolepis (Prairie Dropseed)
Symphyotrichum oblongifolium (Aromatic Aster)
Waldsteinia fragarioides (Barren Strawberry)
Euonymus americanus (American Strawberry Bush)
Vaccinium elliottii (Elliott’s Blueberry)
Xanthorhiza simplicissima (Yellow Root)

 

 

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While every effort has been made to describe these plants accurately, please keep in mind that height, bloom time, and color may differ in various climates. The description of these plants has been written based on numerous outside resources.

Guide Information

Hardiness 5 - 9
Heat Zones 2 - 9
Plant Type Shrubs
Genus Euonymus
Exposure Full Sun, Partial Sun
Season of Interest Spring (Early, Mid, Late)
Summer (Early, Mid, Late)
Fall
Winter
Native Plants United States
Compare All Euonymus
Compare Now
Explore Great Plant Combination Ideas
Euonymus
Guides with
Euonymus
Guides with
United States

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