Common Name: Winged Spindle Tree

General Information

Euonymus alatus is a deciduous shrub with an erect stem and an open, stiff habit; it usually grows 1 - 4 metres tall, occasionally reaching 7 metres[, ]. The root system is deep and fibrous, and the plant is known to form dense thickets of growth[].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a medicine and a food. The young shoots in spring are sold in local markets in Korea[]. The plant is often grown as an ornamental, where it is particularly valued for its autumn colour and distinctive winged branches[]. It can also be used to make a hedge.
Introduced in many countries as an ornamental, Euonymus alatus can produce prodigious quantities of seed and has escaped from cultivation and become invasive in some areas, such as northeastern USA, where it is invasive in pastures, glacial drift hill prairies, woodlands, and mature second-growth forests[].

Known Hazards

We have seen no specific reports of toxicity for this species, but there is a report in the Flora of the USSR Volume 14 that all parts of the plants in this genus are more or less poisonous[].

Botanical References

, ,

Range

E. Asia - Russian Far East, China, Japan, Korea.

Habitat

Thickets and woods in lowland and mountains all over Japan[]. Bushes, woodlands, and forests; at elevations from 40 - 2,700 metres in China[].

Properties

Weed Potential	Yes
Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Deciduous Shrub
Height	2.00 m
Pollinators	Insects
Cultivation Status	Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

Euonymus alatus is a very cold-hardy plant, tolerating temperatures down to about -25°c[].
Succeeding in full sun, the plant is also known to tolerate deep shade[]. Thrives in almost any soil, including chalk[], it is particularly suited to dry shaded areas[]. Prefers a well-drained loamy soil[].
A very ornamental plant, valued especially for its leaves, which become bright red or reddish purple in the autumn[].
There are some named varieties developed for their ornamental value[]. 'Compactus' is a more dense growing form for small gardens[].

Edible Uses

Young leaves, boiled[, ]. The young shoots are harvested in spring[].

The fruit may be edible[, ]. No further details are given, though we would recommend caution in eating any member of this genus[]. The fruit is about 8mm in diameter[]. The seed contains 20.5% protein, 44.4% fat and 3.9% ash[].

The above reports of edibility should be treated with some caution, see the notes above on toxicity.

An infusion of the flowers is used as a tea substitute[, ].

Medicinal

The stem and branches are alterative, analgesic, anodyne, anthelmintic, anticoagulant, antiphlogistic, antipruritic, astringent blood tonic, carminative, emmenagogue, hypoglycaemic, and purgative[, , , ]. It is used in Korea to treat intestinal worms, suppressed menstruation and cancer[]. A decoction is used in China in the treatment of 'cold' headache, general body aches, pruritis, irregular menstruation and other gynaecological diseases[].

Plants contain the anticancer compound dulcitol[].

Agroforestry Uses:

This species can be grown as a hedge, the var. compactus is normally used[].

Other Uses

The wood is used for fuel[].

Propagation

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame. Stored seed requires 8 - 12 weeks warm followed by 8 - 16 weeks cold stratification and can then be sown in a cold frame[, ]. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts.
Cuttings of half-ripe wood, 5 - 8cm long taken at a node or with a heel, mid summer in a frame. Very easy[].