Purple Wintercreeper
Euonymus fortunei ‘Coloratus’
Plant Details
USDA Plant Hardiness Zones: 4a-9b Find Your Zone
Plant Type: Evergreen Groundcover
Height or Length at Maturity: 6-10″
Width at Maturity: 3′ +
Spacing: 18-24″ apart for mass plantings
Spacing: 18-24″ apart for mass plantings
Growth Habit / Form: Cascading, Dense, Spreading/Trailing
Growth Rate: Fast
Flower Color: NA
Flower Type: NA
Flower Size: NA
Flowering Period: NA
Flowering Period: NA
Fragrant Flowers: NA
Foliage Color: Dark Green, Burgundy-Purple in Winter!
Fragrant Foliage: No
Berries: No
Sun Needs: Full Sun to Full Shade!
Water Needs: Average, very low when established
Soil Type: Clay, Loam, Sand, Silt
Soil Drainage: Well Drained
Soil pH: 4.5 – 7.5
Maintenance / Care: Low
Attracts: Visual attention during winter
Resistances: Deer – more info, Disease, Drought, Dry Soil, Heat, Heavy Shade, Humidity, Insect
Description
If you’re looking for a fast growing, super-tough, versatile evergreen groundcover it might not get any better than Purple Wintercreeper Euonymus. You can throw anything at this plant; full sun or full shade, heat, humidity, drought or temporary flooding, and it still thrives. Deer, insects and other pests don’t like it, and we’ve seen no problems with disease. Purple Wintercreeper forms a dense evergreen carpet of deep green foliage that turns to an attractive burgundy-purple color during the cool season. The trailing stems root into soil as they spread making this plant an ideal erosion controller.
Landscape & Garden Uses
Growing 8 to 10 inches tall with trailing stems that root in as they go, Purple Winter Creeper is an ideal choice as an erosion-controlling groundcover massed on sunny or shady embankments, hillsides and slopes. Because it thrives in full shade, it is perfect for growing under the dense canopies of large shade trees or decks or other overhead structures that block out sunlight. Similar to ivy, creeping fig and climbing hydrangeas, it will also cling to and climb walls that have porous surfaces. Unless you don’t mind frequent pruning to keep the plant in bounds, avoid planting in small, confined spaces. Also a nice accent in container gardens.
Suggested Spacing: 18 to 24 inches for mass plantings
Growing Preferences
Purple Wintercreeper is exceptionally easy to grow. It tolerates many soil types, including clay, but will fill a space faster if grown in a moist, well-drained soil of average fertility and porosity. It will tolerate temporary flooding but does not like constantly soggy or wet soil, and grows equally as well in full sun or full shade and everything between.
Note: Find more details and expert advice under the Planting & Care tab on this page.
Plant Long & Prosper!
Meet The Wilson Brothers & Staff
Questions? Contact Us!

























Reviews
There are no reviews yet.