This deciduousshrub grows to 6.1 m (20 ft) tall, often wider than tall. As with the related Euonymus phellomanus, the stems are notable for their four corky ridges or "wings". The word alatus (or alata, used formerly) is Latin for "winged," in reference to the winged branches. These structures develop from a cork cambium deposited in longitudinal grooves in the twigs' first year, unlike similar wings in other plants such as Quercus macrocarpa.[5] The leaves are 2–7 cm (3⁄4–2+3⁄4 in) long and 1–4 cm (1⁄2–1+1⁄2 in) broad, ovate-elliptic, with an acute apex. The flowers are greenish, borne over a long period in the spring. The fruit is a red aril enclosed by a four-lobed pink, yellow, or orange capsule
Detail of leaves in autumn
All parts of the plant are toxic by ingestion, causing severe discomfort.[6]
Distribution and habitat
Euonymus alatus′s native distribution extends from northeastern Asia to central China.[1][7] Besides central and eastern China, Euonymus alatus also appears in Korea, in Japan, and on the island of Sakhalin in Russia.[8] In its native areas, it occurs in forests, woodlands, and scrublands from sea level to an elevation of 8,900 ft (2,700 m).[8]
Generally cultivated for its ornamental qualities, attraction to wildlife, and ability to adapt to urban and suburban environments,[1] the shrub commonly is used in foundation planting, hedges, and along highways and commercial strips.[11] Sales across the United States are in the tens of millions of dollars every year.[11]
Dr. Thomas Ranney of North Carolina State University at the Mountain Horticultural Crops Research Station in Mills River, North Carolina, developed a new seedless cultivar named Fire Ball Seedless (Euonymus alatus NCEA1) which became available to wholesale growers in the spring of 2024 as the first seedless cultivar of the shrub on the market.[10][18] Seedless cultivars could allow the phasing out of sales of seeded versions of the shrub and reduce its tendency to spread invasively.[10]
^ ab"Flora of China Project". Flora of China. eFloras.org/ Beijing: Science Press; St. Louis, MO: Missouri Botanical Garden Press.
^Kartesz, John T (1999). "A synonymized checklist and atlas with biological attributes for the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland". Kartesz, John T.; Meacham, Christopher A. Synthesis of the North American Flora. North Carolina Botanical Garden. In Cooperation with: The Nature Conservancy; U.S. Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service; U.S. Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service. 1st.
