Euonymus cornutus seed
LATIN NAME: EUONYMUS CORNUTUS
COMMON NAME: Horned Spindle
The horned spindle is a neat, deciduous shrub of the mountain garden, its slender, upright branches clothed in pointed, finely toothed leaves that turn a rich, fiery crimson in autumn. The real curiosity comes in late autumn, when small, four-lobed, pinkish-red capsules appear, each lobe tipped with a distinctive horn-like projection, and when they split open they reveal bright orange, glossy seeds — a striking and unusual display that gives the plant its name. The flowers are small and greenish, appearing in late spring, and they are easy to overlook, but the autumn fruit and foliage more than compensate. Native to Tibet, central China and Myanmar, it grows in mountain woodlands and thickets, and it has been introduced to gardens in mild temperate regions, where its neat habit and four-season interest make it a valued shrub. It thrives in full sun or light shade in any well-drained soil, and it is a slow-growing, long-lived plant.
Scientific Research & Plant Biotechnology
The horned spindle has a growing record in horticulture, taxonomy and natural-product chemistry. Horticulturists study its cultivation, its unusual horned fruits and its brilliant autumn colour, and it is valued in breeding programmes for its ornamental traits. Botanists examine its taxonomy within the large and complex Euonymus genus, and its relationships with other spindles, particularly the Asian species, have been the subject of classification work. The genus contains a range of compounds, and chemists have investigated the constituents of several spindle species, including alkaloids and other secondary metabolites, though the plant should not be used medicinally without professional guidance. Ecologists study its role in the mountain woodland understorey and its interactions with birds that disperse its colourful seeds. For a shrub of such neatness and such curious fruits, the horned spindle has a steady and growing body of research.
Ecological & Economic Value & Wide Applications
Ecologically, the horned spindle is a generous shrub of the garden. Its small flowers feed bees and other insects in late spring, and its bright orange seeds, held in horned pink capsules, are eaten by birds in autumn, which disperse the seeds. The dense, branching habit gives shelter for small birds and insects, and the fiery autumn foliage adds colour to the shrub border. Economically, it is grown as an ornamental shrub for its unusual fruits and autumn colour, and it has a place in the nursery trade as a choice, four-season plant. The hard, fine-grained wood of spindles has traditionally been used for small items, spindles and carving. For a grower, it is a rewarding and elegant shrub for the mixed border, and for a gardener it brings a neat, colourful presence that culminates in the remarkable horned fruits of autumn. The seeds germinate best after a cold, moist spell.
To grow the Horned Spindle from seed, to grow the horned spindle, chill the seeds through a cold, moist spell, then sow them in moist, free-draining compost and keep them lightly watered until the seedlings emerge.
chill the seeds through a cold, moist spell, then sow them in moist, free-draining compost, and keep the young spindles lightly watered until the seedlings emerge.
LATIN NAME: Euonymus cornutus
COMMON NAME: Horned Spindle
The horned spindle is a neat, elegant shrub of the gardens, and its small, curious, horned fruits and its fiery autumn colour have made it a valued plant of the shrubbery. It grows as a deciduous shrub, reaching up to two metres or a little more, with the erect, branching stems bearing the opposite, pointed, finely toothed leaves and, in the late spring, the small, inconspicuous, greenish flowers, followed, in the autumn, by the small, four-lobed, horned, pinkish-red capsules that open to reveal the bright orange seeds, while the leaves turn a rich crimson before they fall. It is a species of the flowering shrub in the spindle family, and it is native to the Tibet, the central China and the Myanmar, while it is grown in the mild gardens of the world, and it is known as the horned spindle.
The horned spindle belongs to the spindle family, Celastraceae, and it is a species of the deciduous shrub, native to the Tibet, the central China and the Myanmar, while it is known as the horned spindle. It is prized for its neat habit, its curious, horned, colourful fruits and its fiery autumn colour.
Scientific Research & Plant Biotechnology
The horned spindle has a real and growing place in the research. It has been studied in the horticulture, since its neat, elegant habit and its curious, colourful fruits have made it a valued plant of the shrubbery, and researchers have examined its growth, its fruiting and its value in the garden, while its fiery autumn colour has drawn attention in the international horticultural press as a shrub of the four seasons. The plant has also been studied in the botany and the taxonomy, since it is a native of the mountains of the central China, and its relationships and its place among the spindles have been examined, while the classification of the genus has been of continuing interest, and the study of the wild shrubs of the region has been of value to the gardeners. The species has also been studied in the chemistry of the natural products, since the spindles contain a range of the compounds, and researchers have examined these constituents, while the chemistry of the genus has been of continuing interest, and the plant is best appreciated as a subject of study and of the garden rather than a casual remedy. For a shrub of such neatness, the horned spindle has a rich and continuing record of study.
Ecological & Economic Value & Wide Applications
Ecologically, the horned spindle is a generous plant of the garden. Its small flowers feed the bees and the insects, and its curious, colourful fruits feed the birds, while its fiery autumn colour makes it a valued presence in the shrubbery through the season. In the hedge or the mixed border it gives a quiet, steady structure all year, and then it finishes the autumn with its bright, horned capsules and its crimson leaves.
Its economic value is real. The horned spindle is prized for its neat habit, its curious fruits and its autumn colour, and its beauty has drawn attention in the international horticultural press as a shrub of the four seasons, while the spindles have also been valued for their hard, fine-grained wood. For a grower, the horned spindle is a rewarding and elegant shrub, and for a gardener it brings a neat, colourful, four-season plant to the shrubbery. The seeds are easy to start — let them rest cool and damp for a few weeks, then sow them in a pot of moist, free-draining compost, keep them gently watered, and theyll be sprouting steadily, growing on into a neat, colourful, horned-fruited shrub.
A rare species from China with a loose habit and long narrow leaves. The flowers appearing spring are 4 parted, the petals being purple tinted. A choice plant, easy to grow.