How to Grow a Green Spire Euonymus (Description and Care Guide)


Euonymus japonicus 'Green Spire' plants

The Green Spire Euonymus, or ‘Euonymus Japonicus’ is a plant that will take your garden to the next level of sophistication. A perennial, this shrub offers year-round color and texture with its leaves changing colors from green to purple in the fall. It will also act as a natural barrier for deer and other animals in your yard.

Growing up to 14.5 feet tall at a rate of 1 foot per year, it’s perfect for those who have enough space! If you’re looking for an easy-care plant that brings color into your backyard all year long, try adding a Green Spire Euonymus to do the trick. Fortunately, taking care of your Green Spire Euonymus is not too difficult – as long as you follow our guidelines in this Green Spire Euonymus Care Guide. Now let’s get started.

To care for a Green Spire Euonymus, water it regularly, but make sure you don’t overwater as this plant likes to compensate during dry periods by growing more aggressive than normal. Place them in areas that receive at least partial sun daily and keep them in soil with well-draining properties, so ideally, one that is made of sand, loam, and clay.

If you keep these three factors in check, your Green Spire Euonymus will likely have all it needs for it to survive and even thrive. However, you should keep reading if you want to learn more details because this Green Spire Euonymus Care Guide has plenty more to offer.

NameEuonymus Green Spire
WateringModerate. Consider increasing frequency during summer
LightPartial to full sun
SoilPrefers well-draining characteristics
PruningRegularly to boost growth
Max Height14.5 ft
Growing Zone 7
Where to BuyYou can check these great options on Etsy
Price Range$16 to $79

Description and Botanical Aspects

In botanical terms, the Green Spire Euonymus belongs to the Euphorbiaceae family, the genus Euphorbia and the species Characias, hence its scientific (or botanical) name Euonymus Japonicus ‘Green Spire’ (yoo-ON-ih-mus juh-PON-ih-kus).

As with other Euphorbias (like the Boxleaf Euonymus) , the Green Spire Euonymus is an evergreen plant, which means it will be present year-round in your garden.

Where to Buy

The green spire euonymus is a beautiful plant that can be used to add color and life to any garden or landscape. They are usually sold in nurseries, but if you’re looking for a great deal, Etsy is always a great option. Prices range from $16 to $79, depending on the size and quality of the plant.

Growing Region

The Green Spire Euonymus is a plant native to the Mediterranean.

You might be wondering why your Green Spire Euonymus’s native region is important. Well, if you know where your plant originally came from, you’ll know which environmental conditions it prefers, and with it, knowledge on how to replicate it at home.

With this in mind, the Euonymus Japonicus ‘Green Spire’ will be most used to the heat zones in the 7 – 10 region, and in climate zones that range between 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24.

Growth

In terms of size and growth, the Green Spire Euonymus is a relatively fast grower, which makes things tricky for any plant enthusiast.

Size

But what exactly does this mean for your Green Spire Euonymus? How large a pot should you consider, how tall, how wide can it get? Let’s jump in…

The Euonymus Japonicus ‘Green Spire’ can grow up to more than 14 feet tall and 6 feet wide if manages to reach the age of 21 years. These dimensions make the Green Spire Euonymus a relatively medium shrub compared to others, so it’s best to keep this fact in mind since it will affect where you want to keep yours at home.

Also, expect it to grow in a wonderful columnar, and narrow shape, which is something worthwhile to remember when making your garden landscape plans.

This is why experts recommend keeping an area of approximately 30″ (75cm) free so the Green Spire Euonymus can spread to its best extent.

Watering

In terms of watering, the Green Spire Euonymus is a fairly complicated plant to take care of. This is mostly because it has a not so straightforward watering schedule. Most experts agree that the Euonymus Japonicus ‘Green Spire’ wants regular watering to enhance fruit production but as a landscape plant, too much water will be a problem.

This is why it is considered a plant with relatively medium needs in terms of water.  Consider increasing the frequency if the temperature around increases.

Euonymus japonicus 'Green Spire' flowers

As a rule of thumb, you should remember to keep your Green Spire Euonymus in soil with well-draining characteristics, as these will guarantee the right conditions for your plant to grow and thrive. 

However, in our experience, the best solution to knowing the right amount of water for your Green Spire Euonymus is with the ‘thumb’ technique. Basically, you insert your finger into the soil, and based on whether you feel the soil moist or dry, you determine if it needs any water, which is the most appropriate way to go about watering your leafy friend.

Soil Mix

The Green Spire Euonymus’s ideal soil potting mix is made out of sand, loam, and clay. In addition to this, expert gardeners recommend having preferably alkaline, acid or neutral soil. You can also fertilize young bushes every other year when they’re still small enough for it – just be sure not to go overboard because excessive nutrients could cause problems down through adulthood

Light and Exposure

In terms of light & exposure, the Green Spire Euonymus requires partial to full sun in order for it to thrive under the right conditions. 

Most experts agree that this shrub will do well as long as you keep it in full sun, and it will be able to grow properly.

Specifically, we recommend that you place your Euonymus Japonicus ‘Green Spire’ in a part of your garden that’s in full sunlight and with exposure to at least 6 to 8 hours of the day.

By doing this, you provide adequate time to absorb enough light for photosynthesis. This is critical for ensuring healthy growth, plant vigor, and flowering.

Season

Being an evergreen plant, the Green Spire Euonymus will be present year-round in your garden.

But, you can expect it to have its ‘prime-time’ during the spring (early, mid, late), the summer (early, mid, late), the fall, and during the winter.

Flowers

The Green Spire Euonymus produces some beautiful green flowers around this time of year.

Foliage

The leaves from the Green Spire Euonymus have a beautiful green color during most of the year. This plant needs little pruning. If you want to increase its density and direct the plant’s growth in one direction, then cut back branch tips early spring before any new shoot development has begun; this will make them more narrow with evenly distributed woody stem tissue.

Euonymus japonicus 'Green Spire' up close

Attracts, Tolerance and Resistance

The Green Spire Euonymus is well known for being able to attract hummingbirds and butterflies, so keep that in mind when choosing your plant, as you’ll likely end up finding one or another in your garden.

Additionally, it has a special tolerance for dry soil, drought and animals like deer and rabbit, so don’t worry if any of these come along, your Euonymus Japonicus ‘Green Spire’ will be fine.

Garden

Now, let’s talk garden and how your Green Spire Euonymus will look best in it.

Most Euonymus Japonicus ‘Green Spire’ owners agree that this shrub will look great in most contemporary, asian/zen and mediterranean gardens of all types. 

Other owners consider that they complement well most gardens of a coastal garden, informal and cottage, city and courtyard, gravel and rock garden, and in Mediterranean garden styles. 

In particular, the Green Spire Euonymus’s best location within your garden is in beds and borders, and in patio and containers, others use it for landscaping in an urban garden, privacy screen, coastal exposure, border, hedge, mass planting, or a woodland garden.

Companion Plants

Green Spire Euonymus does well with some other plants besides it. One good companion plant is the Juniperus, which will pair up nicely with your leafy friend.

Others consider that a nice Syringa will work well too, so choose whichever you find works best for you!

So that’s it! These are the main plant care requirements that you need to keep in mind in order to have a healthy Green Spire Euonymus in your garden or home.

Relevant Questions

How far apart do you plant Green Spire Euonymus?

Planting green spire Euonymus is easy, as they can be planted anywhere from five feet to a few inches apart. If you want privacy and would like them near the pool deck, make sure that there are breaks every foot or so between plants. Plant green spire Euonymus five feet apart in a small checkerboard, series of straight lines or serpentine line.

How fast does Green Spire Euonymus grow?

The Euonymus Green Spire can grow at an average rate of about 1 ft per year.

How tall does a Green Spire Euonymus grow?

The Green Spire Euonymus can grow up to 14.5 feet, but it takes 21 years for the plant to do so because of its slow growth rate. The height and width are 6 feet wide at an age of just 1-2 years old. Evergreen leaves also make this shrub dense and multistemmed with strong columnar habits that tend towards shaping into pyramidal or dome-like shapes as they mature over time in their natural habitat outside on the mountain topsides where temperatures get cooler than temps found at sea level elevation levels.

How do you propagate Green Spire Euonymus?

Cut a 2-inch vertical cutting from the stem of your plant with sharp, clean shears. Prune off any leaves that are below where you will put it in the potting mix to avoid creating an air pocket that might rot and kill your new rootstock. Stick them upright into moist potting soil so they’re at least half-buried – this is important as roots need oxygen too! Firm down around their base gently then water well afterward for good measure before putting back on display or giving away again.

Stick the cuttings upright into a growing medium so that they are barely touching soil. Water them well and cover them with dirt to provide a stable foundation for their roots as soon as possible. Green euonymus cuttings root best when temperatures stay between 75 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit, but anything over 68 will keep them alive in order to grow more quickly.

What are the most common problems for a Greenspire Euonymus? 

There are a few common problems that can affect greenspire euonymus shrubs, including fungal diseases and pests. One of the most frequent fungal diseases is scab, which can cause the leaves to become discolored and fall off. Another problem that can affect these shrubs is aphids, which can suck the sap out of the leaves and cause them to wrinkle. 

To prevent these problems, it’s important to water your greenspire euonymus regularly and give it plenty of sunlight. You should also prune it periodically to encourage new growth. If you see any signals of disease or pests, be sure to treat the shrub immediately.

Martin Duran

Hey y'all! My name is Martin Duran and I am from Cali, Colombia. Since 2018 I have been learning about plants and how to take care of them. Here's is my journey... “The clearest way into the Universe is through a forest wilderness.” ― John Muir

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