Shrub · North Texas care guide
Euonymus japonicus
Nursery Pro tip: Cheap, fast evergreen filler for a foundation bed. Watch for scale on the stems in summer — a horticultural-oil spray handles it.
Evergreen shrubs grown for foliage — glossy green, gold-variegated ('Gold Splash', 'Silver King') or the low-growing wintercreeper types. 3–6 ft, dense, fast, and they light up a dull corner.
Full sun to part shade; variegated types color best with good light but burn in a hot west bed. Any drained soil with air movement — crowding invites mildew and scale. Space 3 ft apart.
Fall or spring. Hole twice the pot width, ball at grade, native soil, Root Stimulator, mulch.
Weekly the first summer, then every week or two. Water at the base.
Light spring feeding.
Shear or shape in late spring and again in midsummer if needed. Cut out any all-green shoots that appear on variegated plants — they'll take over.
Euonymus scale is the big one: white specks on stems and yellow-stippled leaves. Treat with dormant oil in winter and a systemic in spring, and don't plant it crowded. Powdery mildew in shade and still air.
Bright foliage accent in foundation beds with hollies and nandina, or as a low informal hedge. Wintercreeper types spill over walls and down slopes.
Written for Rockwall's black clay, heat and winters by the Landscape Source team. Every yard is different — bring a photo by, or ask LS-Ai, and we'll tailor it to your spot.