Euonymus cornutus Seeds | Horned Spindle
LATIN NAME: Euonymus cornutus
COMMON NAME: Horned Spindle
Plant Profile
The horned spindle is a deciduous shrub of one and a half to three metres with slender arching branches, narrow leaves and, in autumn, capsules that carry four or five horn-like lobes. The effect is a small pink lantern with a red seed hanging out of it.
It grows in thickets and in the understorey of mountain woods in Sichuan, Yunnan and Hubei, between fifteen hundred and three thousand metres. It was introduced to Western gardens from Chinese collections in the early twentieth century and remains uncommon in the trade. The leaves turn crimson and yellow in autumn, and the fruit hangs on the bare branches into December.
Science & Biotechnology
The horns on the capsule are extensions of the ovary wall, and they open along the seams to expose the aril. The shape is unusual in the genus, most of whose species have smooth four-lobed fruit, and it is the character that gives the plant its name.
The genus contains cardenolides and alkaloids, and the fruit is not edible. The aril is eaten by birds, which pass the seed, and the plant in the wild is dispersed along the edges of woods and in hedgerows rather than into open ground. The seed needs cold and a second year to germinate in some seasons. The fruit ripens over six weeks in autumn, and a hard frost before it opens leaves the capsules brown and closed for the winter.
Uses & Benefits
The plant is grown for its autumn fruit, which is one of the most ornamental in the genus, and for its yellow autumn leaf colour. It suits a woodland garden, a shady border and a large rock garden, where its arching habit can be seen.
There is no crop use. The wood is hard and was used for small implements in China, and the bark was used in local medicine, a use that is not followed in modern practice because of the toxicity of the genus. The cut branches are used in floristry for winter work, since the capsules hold their shape when dried.
Growing from Seed
Sow seed in autumn and leave the pot outdoors for the winter, since it needs cold moisture. Germination can be delayed until the second spring, so keep the pot for two years before giving up on it.
Plant out in light shade in moist, well-drained soil with plenty of leaf mould, and water through the first two summers. Prune out the oldest stems after flowering to keep the plant young, since the best fruit is carried on two-year-old wood. In a container the plant needs a loam-based mix with grit, and it should not be allowed to dry out completely in summer.
Our Take
A small spindle with the strangest fruit in the genus, and one for a woodland edge where the lanterns can be seen against a dark background. Plant it in shade.
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