Euonymus ‘Emerald Gaiety’ and ‘Emerald Gold’ are 2 very common shrubs. In many ways the two are similar in form. You’ll often see both used as a low, mounded shrub either at the front of a garden or as an area groundcover.
Euonymus ‘Emerald Gaiety’ has the distinct capability to climb when planted next to a structure.
In this first picture is ‘Emerald Gaiety’ and further down the stone wall is ‘Emerald Gold’.
The loose, straggley growth on top is typical and perhaps in a larger open space this “wildness” would be OK. For example, used on a slope as a groundcover this “rambling” habit would be great.
However, in other gardens you may want to prune for a neater look. In this situation the Euonymus ‘Emerald Gaiety’ is overpowering the azalea behind it. Let’s bring it back to scale, but keep that natural form.
How To Prune
As always, the best method of pruning any plant to maintain a “natural” appearance is to prune “selectively” – that is, by hand, single cuts with hand pruners.
Some of you are probably saying, “Are you kidding, I have too many to prune selectively”. I hear you. There’s a point of practicality where you have to make a judgement call. In this case it’s not the end of the world if you shear the plants to make a monstrous task more doable.
These next 2 pictures show selective pruning on the Euonymus ‘Emerald Gold’. I pruned the ‘Emerald Gaiety’ the same way.
Select the longest growth that extends beyond the main body of the plant and follow it down into the plant. There, among the denser growth make your cut just above a leaf or lateral branch.
This last picture shows the Euonymus ‘Emerald Gaiety’ after it was pruned selectively. Notice how the “natural” form was maintained, but the plant is neater and more in scale with the azalea behind it.
July 24, 2010 at 6:04 pm
I have no luck with this plant. They either die or look like… I’ll take a low juniper any day.
July 24, 2010 at 9:11 pm
Jason,
You’re not alone – I know many in the trade that feel the same way. In fact you sound like you’re in the business.
This plant, and in fact other euonymus too, are susceptible to a bunch of problems such as: aphids, crown gall, powdery mildew, etc. One of the most common problems is scale (an insect).
It’s such a shame because its got some nice qualities. I’m just real particular about where I use it because if the location is not “ideal”, the plant easily becomes predisposed to these problems. One example of this is wet areas. They do not like being constantly wet.
You’re right, comparatively most junipers are more reliable. It’s smart you’ve recognized this weakness and have changed your planting strategy.
Roger
September 5, 2010 at 12:33 pm
I have four of them in front of my townhouse, they have been there 5 years. They do look wonderful year round, but I have to hand prune them constantly. They grow shoots like crazy, and starting mid-September the shoots will climb the fence 2′ away and literally strip the paint off the fence. They require constant vigilance to look good, but if you don’t want to touch it or water it or do anything, it will grow like crazy. I live in Hardiness Zone 6, just north of Washington DC, and they are Green & Gold planted facing directly East. They get full sun all day, I never mulch or water them even in drought conditions, and weeds won’t come near them. If you like to prune, this is the plant for you. If not, and you don’t like it to look scraggly, buy a boxwood, because managing them is a Sisyphean task.
September 5, 2010 at 7:27 pm
Hey Jennifer,
Like so many plants, you have to take the good with the bad. The Euonymus that I pictured in this post also get pruned a few times during the season to keep up with the growth.
Sharing your experience with this plant is so great – it’s how we learn about things with plants and in the landscape that books can’t provide. There’s no substitute for the knowledge from experience.
Thank you,
Roger
February 28, 2011 at 12:07 pm
I have quite a few Emerald and Gold Euonymus that I transplanted to a new location last spring. During the spring, summer, and fall they looked terrible. Many leaves browned and dropped. Now that spring is coming, I’d like advice on reviving them.
February 28, 2011 at 10:21 pm
Hi Martha,
Did I just reply to another question of yours on boxwood? Thank you for your comments!
Although these Eunoymus can be temperamental and problematic, without seeing them it’s very hard to give a definitive answer as to why they’re struggling. The fact that all or most of them are struggling tells me it either has to do with the new location or universally something was wrong with or during the transplanting.
Is the new location much different than where they were? Were they thriving before you transplanted them?
I’m concerned too that if they are struggling, perhaps some other pest may have gotten on them. Stressed plants often succumb to other pests, and Eunoymus do have some typical problems like scale, crown gall, powdery mildew, aphids, etc. Is there a nursery nearby with knowledgeable staff you could bring a sample to? Here is the website for the agricultural extension services throughout the country http://www.csrees.usda.gov/Extension/ . I use the one here in NJ when I can’t give a definite diagnosis myself. The samples I send in are analyzed and they send/fax me the results. Great service!
I wish I could be more helpful.
Roger
March 30, 2011 at 10:25 am
Thanks for the info and the before and after pictures. Those were inspiring. I have several that haven’t been pruned in decades (seriously)so you can imagine how they look. Am looking forward to getting them to a nicer, neater appearance. I live in a semi-arid climate so fortunately haven’t had to worry with the pests you mentioned, plus I like that I don’t have to water them – ever.
March 30, 2011 at 10:30 pm
Hi Annette,
It sounds like your Euonymus are doing well – they obviously love the conditions you have there. Here in the northeast site conditions vary dramatically, including exposure, soil, etc. If we don’t match the ideal conditions to these Euonymus they’re not happy. But I must say, when conditions are right they are beautiful.
Good luck with your pruning them!
Roger
May 1, 2011 at 11:31 am
Hi Roger, appreciate the pictures. I have an Emerald Gaiety that is growing crazy up against the house. I prefer to leave plants in their natural state, but I admit this one needs to be pruned. Thanks for info on that. Question, I would hate to just “throw out” the pruned cuttings, is there anyway I can root them to start a new plant? If so, do I put the stems in water to root or dirt? Thanks for any info!
May 1, 2011 at 9:22 pm
Hi Christine,
We use to root pachysandra and ivy cuttings for our work, but later started buying it because of the volume we were using. Back then we simply took plastic flats, filled them with sand (not too fine though), stuck the ends of our cuttings (4 – 6″ long) into the sand, placed the flats in a shady protected area and kept them moist.
After a few weeks start checking to see if they’re rooting. Once they have some roots you could replant them into a loose soil/peat/sand mix (4″ pot or similar), grow them on for awhile (a few months) and then plant them in the ground. Frankly, if they have enough root from the first stage of rooting in the sand, you could go right into the ground. But keep an eye on them until they root into the native soil. Be careful they don’t dry out.
Good luck!
Roger
May 21, 2011 at 3:00 pm
Mine have been in the ground for about 5 years and the deer do a great job of pruning them, maybe too good!
May 21, 2011 at 8:47 pm
Hi Cynde,
I hope the deer aren’t over-pruning for you.
Deer can be a relentless pest. I find myself having to design using deer-resistant plants more and more.
As you probably know there are all kinds of remedies out there for deer browsing. I recently read an article about a systemic control that gets taken up into the plants system so when deer taste it they stop browsing. It’s called Repellex.
We have not tried it yet so I can’t comment on how well it works.
May 24, 2011 at 8:01 am
I have a bunch of these as part of my landscaping and I am not sure what to do with them!! They are 2 years old now and don’t seem to have grown much at all. They are still so narrow and stick-ish that I’m afraid to prune them. I’m afraid it will make them look even smaller! Is this one of those plants that will get more “bushy” if I bite the bullet and prune? I like the color of them and they don’t have signs if any of the insects or other ailments that have been mentioned, so I would just like to help them look more substantial!
May 24, 2011 at 10:05 pm
Alison,
It’s always hard to diagnose a plant problem without seeing the plant. Were they “narrow and stick-ish” when you bought them? Are there other plants in the same area that are doing well?…If so what are those plants? What’s the soil condition?…Is it heavy and/or compacted. Is the soil wet? What’s the exposure?…Sun, shade, etc.? Are they planted correctly?…not too deep I hope.
After 2 years there should be some growth. If the plant is just languishing I suspect something with the soil condition (too heavy, too wet), planting method (too deep).
Is there a nursery/garden center in your area with a plant specialist you could show a sample to? Sometimes it takes a trained eye to see something you may not. How about contacting the state or local agricultural extension service in your area? They’ll probably ask you to send a sample “somewhere” (usually one of their state universities) for exact diagnosis.
Please comment back if you’d like.
June 2, 2011 at 2:14 pm
Hi Roger,
Is there something that can be done to prevent the “pests” that tend to affect these plants before they become a problem? I just purchsed two and now I am getting nervous about protecting them. Thanks!
June 2, 2011 at 9:40 pm
Poor planting conditions like these stress the plant and predispose it to pests and disease.
Scale (an insect) seems to be one of the more common pests euonymus get. There’s an insecticide called imidacloprid that works systemically (within the plant’s system) and controls scale. It’s just now available to the general public. Sometimes it’s labeled Merit, but I think the homeowner version is Bayer Advanced.
Look for a good location to plant them and be careful not to over-water.
June 5, 2011 at 11:05 pm
We have three of these bushes that are all doing well, except that they are growing more like ground cover than bushes. We would be interested in trying to get them to climb or any other strategy that would help them grow more in height. We have not pruned them at all, and have had them for about 3 years. Do you have any suggestions for climbing structures?
June 6, 2011 at 9:02 am
Would it be wise to add some cactus soil when planting to prevent too much water?
June 6, 2011 at 9:35 am
Jo, the soil requirements for a shrub like euonymus are different than for cactus. Fundamentally euonymus requires a more “complete” soil make-up with top soil containing organic matter.
I don’t have any experience with cacti, but know that their growing medium is typically more inert and porous (although it does vary depending on the specie).
If the general area/soil you’re planting euonymus is compacted, heavy and consistently wet, even amending the soil may not help. If the area/soil seems fairly decent, but you’d like a little more assurance it’s well-drained, I don’t see any harm in adding some cactus mix to the existing soil.
June 6, 2011 at 9:51 am
Leigh,
Once euonymus like these have something to cling to they’ll usually engulf it. If your plants are away from anything to climb try this: Get some welded wire fence at Home Depot (or any hardware store). Make sure it’s a strong enough gauge wire so as not to bend and collapse easily. The openings or spaces in the fence should not be too big…maybe 1″ x 1″ or 1″ x 2″. Cut a section of fence that you can roll (and secure) into a circle to make a collar or tube that would fit over the euonymus. The diameter of the collar can vary depending on how broad the plant is right now. The height of the collar can vary too – I guess it depends somewhat on how tall you want the plants to eventually be. 2′ sounds reasonable to me.
Make sure you secure the fence-collars to the ground in some way. Perhaps drive two stakes into the ground (opposite each other) and secure the collar to them.
The euonymus will grow up, into and through the wire fence collar. In time you will not see the collar, but rather a larger growing euonymus.
June 6, 2011 at 11:09 pm
Thanks for much for the advice! We’ll give it a try!
July 1, 2011 at 2:03 am
I live in Portland, OR and just tonight rescued a euonymus off of craigslist. I’m not an expert on transplanting, and I just dug it out, saving about 1.5 feet of roots. All the dirt just fell off of it. In relocating the plant, what considerations should I take to ensure the survival of this gorgeous varigated euonymus? I’d love to plant it on the north side of our house where it could climb a latticed wall, but I’m afraid it might not get enough sun to balance the amount of water we get here in the northwest. It was previously in full sun placement.
July 3, 2011 at 11:03 pm
Kori,
I have grown Euonymus ‘Gaiety’ in limited light. In fact, it can cause a nice effect in that the plant is less vigorous in growth so it takes on a different, more delicate character. It’s going to depend on just how dark this north side is of yours. Perhaps some early morning sun sneaks in there for an hour or two of stronger light – or maybe some late afternoon sun.
You mentioned it had been growing in full sun, so there’s going to be some acclimating for the plant. Good point you bring up about the wet conditions of the NW. How is the soil?. Does it drain readily? This is so important. They don’t mind moisture if it drains off and the soil is not heavy (clay). If you have to, amend the soil with organic matter like peat to improve the soil structure. Amending the soil can help to some degree, but inherently heavy soil is just that and will make it difficult for the Euonymus to survive.
July 17, 2011 at 11:58 am
I got a euonymus from someone who threw it out. It was kept in front of a house an was cut in a round ball form. They hated the plant and I collect bushes for the large backyard I have and I thought this one growing fast would be great. However last winter a rabbit chewed the entire bush back to 2 feet. I thought the snow was high enough to protect it but unfortunately it was already under the snow because I didn’t notice the rabbit in time. There were no leaves or buds left by the spring and when the snow melted that’s when it was obvious how much damage was done.
I want to prune it. The bush has branches that grow in all directions. Most of them curve and have branches that grow out and it looks stupid and wild. The leaves are coming back. I would like to know if I can cut it back to the base and if I do will it grow straight arms like the forsythia or the weigela, or if this is a different kind of bush? One thing I don’t like is a bush with octopus arms that make it top heavy and bare on the bottom. I would like a regular shape, it doesn’t matter if it isn’t perfectly round like a topiary, just want to get it back to shape. The way it is right now is not working. I can’t even get it to climb because the branches curve.
July 17, 2011 at 10:46 pm
Hi Andrea,
I’m presuming you have one of the Euonymus fortunei varieties like: ‘Emerald Gold’ or ‘E. Gaiety’ (like in the article). If so their natural form is mounded. They’ll get to be 2′ or so in height if not pruned. Their growth habit is mostly horizontal so they will get wider than tall.
These plants respond to cutting back and rejuvenate pretty well. I’d recommend you wait until early spring before cutting back. There are stored carbohydrates in the current growth which help sustain the plant through the rest of the year.
In the spring, cut it back to approximately 12″. It should push new growth and leaf “and have a new start”. I’d suggest using hand pruners and try to make “selective” cuts like I describe in the article.
Good luck! I like the fact that you “rescue” plants. I’ve done a fair share of that myself and the results can be amazing and rewarding.
August 22, 2011 at 3:48 pm
hi…i was just gifted 4 emerald gaity plants by a stranger and have no idea what to do with them…is august 22 too late to plant ?
August 22, 2011 at 8:30 pm
Not at all Richard. Whether they are from a nursery and in plastic containers or just dug out (transplanted) from someone’s yard, it’s best to get them planted. Actually, the sooner you get them planted, the sooner they will root before winter…and that’s a good thing.
Euonymus will certainly take sun, but if you can give them a little shade during the day that would be great. Morning sun (eastern exposure) is best.
And once in the ground be careful not to over-water them.
Also, be careful not to plant too deep. Set the roots in the ground so the top of the root ball is slightly higher than the existing grade. Better to plant too high than too deep.
August 26, 2011 at 4:21 am
I have 3 euonymus gaiety. Two are quite small with just a few branches. The 3rd is about 18″ tall. It has MANY branches which grow straight up and very tightly. I have to separate them to see down into the plant. How do you suggest I prune it so it will be more bushy? It is in an open south area.
August 27, 2011 at 9:14 pm
Hi Barb,
The one eunoymus you have that’s growing well should be pruned just like I describe in the article. The “straight-up” dominant growth it has is typical. Since you only have one plant like this, it should not be too big a task to “selectively” prune back these dominant stems into the general body of the plant. When you do this each year some of this energy will be redirected to the lateral (horizontal) growth and the plant will become wider and more rounded in form.
August 27, 2011 at 11:33 pm
Roger, do I reach inside the center area of the plant to prune? I’m rather looking forward to seeing how it will look!!!
Thanks for your help
Barb
August 28, 2011 at 10:03 am
Barb, just follow each of the long stems down past the height and shape you want the plant to be. Make your “selective” cut (i.e. just above a leaf) there.
Your goal is to make the cut slightly below surrounding, softer growth so the cut is somewhat hidden.
October 20, 2011 at 9:45 pm
From an established Euonymus Gold am I able to take cuttings from plant and start new growth with the fresh cuttings? If so, what are the steps to take and what time of the year is best to try this? I live in Louisville, KY.
Thank you in advance.
October 21, 2011 at 11:09 am
Jim,
First, I should tell you I have little experience with propagation. Years ago we did propagate ground cover cuttings like pachysandra, ivy, etc., but that’s about it. Now, we purchase all our plant material.
I did take a course in propagation in college, but that was 35 years ago. I do remember all the different conditions and methods we worked under depending upon the type of plant. And although you can sometimes have success with a couple of different methods for one plant type, there’s always the one method that works best.
Here’s what I would do. Contact the Agricultural Extension Service in your area. Here’s the webpage for Kentucky. I use the Extension Service occasionally in NJ, and they are always so helpful. If they can’t give you specific advice on the topic, they”ll usually direct you to a source for that info. These services are setup to help everyone get answers to their agricultural/horticultural questions. They’re connected to the agricultural schools and colleges in the state so that helps get answers to your questions.
November 14, 2011 at 10:40 pm
this is the first time on this site and I have learned a lot reading the questions and answers. I have one. I take care of some landscape,and have some euonymus that are tuning solid green. would trimming back And how far take care of this. Thank you. Bill
November 15, 2011 at 8:43 am
Bill,
If you see solid green leaves on the newer growth (exterior) of the variegated plant, it is “reverting” back to its original form. Pruning out this solid green growth is normally what you’d do to counter this “reversion”. However, this could be a daunting task depending on how many plants you may have to do this to.
Here’s a post I did on “reversion” that will give you more information. http://www.landscapeadvisor.com/reverted-shoots-and-what-to-do-with-them/
And thanks for your kind words. I’m so glad you’re finding my articles helpful.