Winged spindle

Winged spindle: how do you recognise it?

Habit

Broad, dense, deciduous shrub of 1.5–3 m, often wider than tall.

Leaf

Opposite, 3–7 cm, elliptic, finely toothed; brilliant crimson to fiery red in autumn.

Twigs

Green to brown twigs with two to four broad, corky wings.

Flower

Small, greenish-yellow flowers in May–June.

Fruit

Small, reddish-purple capsules with orange seeds; poisonous.

Difference from spindle

Spindle is a larger shrub with narrow or no corky ridges and large, pink, four-lobed fruits.

Flowering: May–June · Pruning: November–March

Identify by feature: Red autumn colour

Looks like it, but isn’t

• Spindle Euonymus europaeus: a larger shrub with narrow or no corky ridges and large, pink, four-lobed fruits. Difference from spindle

Why grow it?

• One of the finest autumn colours of any shrub: brilliant crimson to fiery red.
• Winged twigs with corky ridges, decorative in winter.
• Compact and needs little pruning; also as an informal hedge.
• Bees and hoverflies visit the small flowers.

Winged spindle: where does it grow best?

• Sun or partial shade; in full sun the autumn colour is most intense, in shade it stays paler.
• Ordinary, well-drained garden soil, acid or chalky; no waterlogging.
• Allow 2.5 m width.
• Not where young children play or beside a field with livestock, and not right next to woodland (see caution).

Light

Sun or partial shade

Legal basis

Any garden soil

Moisture

Normal

Size

2 m tall, 2.5 m wide

Hardiness

Throughout Belgium, no protection needed

Goes well with

• Witch hazel: Yellow to orange autumn colour beside the fiery red, and fragrant flowers in winter.
• Yew: A dark green backdrop that makes the red leaves glow even more brightly.
• Japanese maple: Another fiery autumn colour, with finer leaves, for the same sunny to lightly shaded spot.

Good and bad companions

Goes well with

• Suits the woodland edge or the light shade of: ginkgo, box elder, ash, honey locust, field maple, silver maple

Winged spindle: when and how to plant it?

1. Plant from November to March, root-balled or from a pot.
2. As an informal hedge: one plant per metre.
3. Plant at the same depth as before, firm the soil and water generously.
4. Water in dry spells during the first year.

Care

Watering

In dry spells in the first year; hardly at all after that.

Feeding

Not needed; a little compost on poor soil.

Seedlings

Pull up seedlings in the garden as soon as you see them.

Gloves

Wear gloves when pruning and clear up prunings and fruits: all parts are poisonous.

Tip: Plant it where the low autumn sun falls on it, ideally in front of a dark background: then the red leaves really glow.

Winged spindle: when to prune it?

Pruning months: November–March.

When: While dormant in winter (November–March).

How:

• Needs little pruning; thin out old or crossing branches.
• It also tolerates shaping: trim an informal hedge into shape in winter.
• Every few years, cut one of the oldest branches off at the base so that young shoots can come through.

Caution: Finish winter pruning before mid-March, when the nesting season begins. Wear gloves: the twigs and leaves are poisonous too.

Pruning: when and how · Pruning calendar and basic rules

Propagation

Cuttings

Semi-ripe cuttings of 10–15 cm root in July under glass or plastic. Wear gloves.

Winged spindle: how does it get through the winter?

Hardy throughout Belgium: no protection needed.

• Fully hardy.
• After leaf fall, the corky wings stand out well on the bare twigs, especially with frost or snow.

Diseases and pests

• Poor autumn colour: In shade or after a wet, dull autumn the colour stays paler. Give it more sun.
• Drought: In a dry late summer the leaves sometimes drop before they colour. Water in dry summers.
• Seedlings: Birds spread the seeds, and seedlings may come up in the garden. Pull them up, wearing gloves.
• Too large: An old shrub becomes broad. Thin it out in winter or cut it back step by step.

Through the year

• January: Winter pruning: thin out old and crossing branches.
• February: Prune and plant.
• March: Finish pruning before mid-March; last month for planting.
• May: Inconspicuous flowers.
• September: Small reddish-purple fruits; the autumn colour begins.
• October: Fiery red autumn colour.
• November: Plant; winter pruning can begin.
• December: Winter pruning; corky wings on the bare branches.

What can you use it for?

Garden and landscape

Shrub for the finest autumn colour, also as an informal hedge; the winged twigs are decorative in winter.

For wildlife

Bees and hoverflies visit the small flowers; birds eat the seeds.

Caution: All parts are poisonous.

Did you know?

• In the north-eastern United States it runs wild in woodland on a massive scale; several states have put it on their list of banned invasive plants.
• Alatus means ‘winged’, after the corky wings on the twigs.
• In America it is called burning bush, after its fiery red autumn colour.