Euonymus - Spindle - 24 cm

Evonymus is a plant that is sometimes deciduous, sometimes evergreen, with a shrub-like appearance, belonging to the Celastraceae family. It is a genus comprising more than a hundred species, whose natural range extends mainly across India, the Himalayas and East Asia, whilst only a few species are found on our continent and in Central and North America. The habit of Evonymus is sometimes erect, more rarely trailing. The leaves are opposite, pinnate, usually toothed and generally glabrous. The small, four-petalled, white-green flowers appear in May–June alongside the leaves of the new shoots developing from short twigs. The three- to five-lobed capsule fruits are reddish and, when ripe, split open to reveal the orange-red seeds. The main feature is the wonderful autumnal colour of the leaves and the enchanting winter appearance they take on thanks to the fine branching, which is particularly noticeable at this time of year. It is worth noting that Evonymus bears male and female flowers on separate trees: if you do not have specimens of both sexes in your collection, you will not get any fruit. It is, however, a hardy plant that is well suited to all types of cultivation.

The bonsai appears bare in winter.

The photo was taken in February.