Euonymus hamiltonianus Seeds | Hamilton’s Spindle Tree
LATIN NAME: Euonymus hamiltonianus
COMMON NAME: Hamilton’s Spindle Tree
Plant Profile
Hamilton’s spindle is a large shrub or small tree of four to six metres with slender green twigs, finely toothed leaves and, in autumn, pink four-lobed capsules that split to show a bright orange aril around each seed. The leaves turn a soft yellow-pink before they fall.
It grows in thickets and open woodland from the Himalaya through China to Japan, and it is one of the hardiest of the genus. The bark is smooth and grey, and the green twigs carry out some photosynthesis in winter, which is a character of the family. The leaves are opposite and finely toothed, and the green twigs are square in section, a character shared with the other spindles.
Science & Biotechnology
The genus is poisonous. The bark, leaves and fruit contain cardenolides and alkaloids, and the bitter taste is a warning rather than a flavour. The bright aril is eaten by birds, which disperse the seed intact, and the toxin passes through them without harm, which is the usual arrangement for a bird-dispersed fruit.
The capsules open by four valves and the aril is exposed for a few weeks in autumn, which is when the plant is most visible in a hedge. Seed set is often poor in a cold summer, and the plant spreads more by layering where a branch touches the ground than by seed in a northern garden. The bark is also used in China as a wash for skin complaints, and the same cardenolides that make it poisonous make it dangerous to use without training.
Uses & Benefits
The plant is grown for its autumn fruit and its yellow leaf colour, in mixed borders, in woodland gardens and as a hedge in a wild garden. It is one of the best shrubs for a shady site, and it tolerates clay better than most.
The wood is hard and was used for small turned objects and for spindles, which is where the English name comes from, since the traditional spindle was a slender rod of this wood. The bark was used in country medicine as a purgative, a use that is dangerous and has been abandoned.
Growing from Seed
Sow the seed in autumn and leave the pot outdoors, since it needs cold to break dormancy, and germination is often in the second spring. Clean the aril off before sowing, since the flesh invites mould.
Plant out in sun or part shade in any reasonable soil, and water through the first two summers. Prune in late winter if a shape is wanted, since the plant tolerates cutting well. Keep the fruit away from children and do not compost it where livestock can reach it. The plant also tolerates chalk, which is unusual in a genus that mostly prefers acid ground.
Our Take
A tough, shade-tolerant spindle with the best autumn fruit of the genus, and one whose bright capsules are worth the space. Remember that the plant is poisonous.
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