Euonymus alatus Fire Ball

Euonymus alatus Fire Ball is a beautiful improvement of the compact winged spindle 'Compactus' that it surpasses with its very bright red autumn foliage, but also in terms of hardiness. It is a small, deciduous shrub with a rounded and dense habit, suitable for gardens of all sizes. Its inconspicuous greenish flowers in spring are followed by characteristic, pink and orange berries, which are also ornamental. Winter reveals its branches adorned with small, thin strips resembling wings, a characteristic that earned it the name Winged Spindle. A shrub that adds tremendous charm to the late season!                                                         

The dwarf winged spindle 'Fire Ball' is a recent American horticultural selection distributed by Proven Winners. The species, Euonymus alatus, is native to Asia, specifically central and northern China, Japan, and Korea. It belongs to the Celastraceae family. The slow-growing 'Fire Ball' cultivar reaches a maximum height of 1.50 m. The spherical habit is compact, bushy, wide, highly branched, supported by branches covered with 4 prominent and thin cork bands. The opposite, ovate, simple, 4 to 7 cm long, scalloped leaves are medium green to darker green in summer. They turn bright red and purplish in autumn before falling. In May-June, an insignificant flowering of small white-greenish flowers gives way to red berries that become very decorative at the end of the season. These contain an orange seed, toxic if ingested.

The naturally compact Euonymus alatus 'Fire Ball' will find its place in a bed of modest-sized shrubs or in a large border. It can also be used as a focal point in the centre of a flower bed. Its autumn foliage will be magnificent next to blue-flowered asters or mauve asters. Among shrubs, dwarf barberries offer several varieties with splendid foliage that will enhance it. In a small group, this 'Fire Ball' spindle is eye-catching in autumn, giving depth to the garden. 

Tip: In case of severe drought, water to maintain beautiful foliage, even though this highly tolerant shrub withstands hot and dry summers much better than many species known for their drought resistance, provided it has a sufficiently deep, clayey soil.