Euonymus grandiflorus Ruby Wine - Spindle

Less well-known than the European spindle tree of our country hedgerows, Euonymus grandiflorus ‘Ruby Wine’ nonetheless deserves a prime spot in the garden. This deciduous, hardy and robust bush offers a magnificent display from late summer until early winter. Its ample dark green foliage begins to colour as early as August, while its numerous coral-pink fruits open to reveal orange arils. Rarely troubled by diseases and pests, this spindle is also accommodating regarding both soil and climate. Easy-going, it works just as well as a standalone specimen as within an informal hedge, or as a focal point at the heart of a large shrub and perennial border.

Euonymus grandiflorus ‘Ruby Wine’, sometimes sold under the names Euonymus carnosus ‘Ruby Wine’ or (incorrectly) Euonymus atropurpureus var. cheatumi, belongs to the Celastraceae family. This deciduous spindle was selected in 2014 by Pépinières Minier in France. It is distributed internationally by Hortival Diffusion under the Formidable Plant Breeders brand. This horticultural selection quickly established itself for the quality of its autumn foliage and the abundance of its fruiting.

This bush of medium growth rate adopts an upright, ramified habit, slightly flared, but denser and more compact than the species. At 10 years old, it reaches 2.50 to 3 m in height with a 2 m spread, a size that can easily be controlled by light pruning in late winter. Its shoots, with smooth, greyish bark, bear large, lanceolate, thick and glossy leaves, measuring 7 to 15 cm long. Dark green until summer, they begin to colour as early as the end of August, when nights cool and days shorten.
This is when ‘Ruby Wine’ displays its full splendour: its foliage gradually turns from orange to intense red, then takes on a violet-purple hue, offering a fiery spectacle until the arrival of winter. Unlike many deciduous bushes, its leaves remain attached to the shoots for a long time before falling.
The discreet flowering is observed between May and July depending on the region. Small creamy-white flowers, grouped in corymbs of 5 to 8, bloom on the shoots. Measuring about 1.5 cm in diameter, they have four petals. Slightly fragrant, they attract many pollinating insects. Then come the highly ornamental fruits. The capsules, initially creamy yellow, gradually take on a coral-pink tint, then open into four lobes to reveal a bright orange aril containing blackish seeds. Decorative until winter, these fruits contribute greatly to the bush's ornamental appeal. Please note, however: as with most spindles, all parts of the plant are toxic if ingested. Children should therefore be warned. This fruiting readily attracts birds in winter.

Euonymus grandiflorus ‘Ruby Wine’ is a decorative, robust and easy-going bush, ideal for enlivening the garden with its fiery colours in the late season. Do not hesitate to mix it with cotinus, parrotia and Juneberries. It is an excellent choice for informal hedges, to which it adds a lavish note, before which the gardener will stop for long moments. It can also be planted at the centre of a border, as a standalone specimen, among robust autumn-flowering perennials: autumn asters, Solidago, colourful Miscanthus and Panicum, and Japanese anemones.