Actual size and flowering may vary slightly based on season.
Variegated Euonymus
Variegated Euonymus is an evergreen shrub with glossy green leaves edged in bright golden yellow. It grows about 5 to 10 feet tall and 4 to 8 feet wide. It takes shearing and works as a colorful hedge, screen or foundation shrub. The gold edges stay bright all year and lighten a shady wall. In the Valley it does best on an east or north side with regular water.
Best for: gold-edged hedges and screens on east or north sides, foundation plantings, and a bright evergreen accent in a shady bed.
At 5 to 10 feet tall it makes a hedge or screen with gold-edged leaves. Plant about 6 to 8 feet apart, and shear it as a formal hedge or leave it looser.
It does best with morning sun and afternoon shade. The yellow leaf edges bring year-round color to an east or north wall.
One plant makes a bright evergreen accent next to darker green shrubs. It is grown for its leaves, since the small flowers are not showy.
West sun and reflected heat scorch the leaves, especially on variegated plants, so keep it off hot west walls. It needs regular water here, and scale insects are the most common pest.
- Hedge row6 ft apart
- Looser screen8 ft apart
Keep the root ball moist while a new plant roots in. Once rooted, soak it every 7 to 10 days, and more often in extreme heat, letting the top few inches dry between soaks.
Do the main pruning in late winter or early spring and keep summer trims light. Cut out any shoots with plain green leaves where they start.
Scale is the most common pest, so coat the stems and both sides of the leaves with horticultural oil at the first sign. Powdery mildew can show up in spring or in humid spells where the air is still.
Give it a light, balanced feeding in early spring. Yellow leaves with green veins can mean the soil is too alkaline, and an iron product helps.
Drainage test first. Dig the hole and fill it with water. If water is still sitting in the hole a day later, you likely hit caliche, clay or hard soil, so fix the drainage before planting. If it drains very fast, the soil is sandy. Standing water around roots is a common reason new plants fail.
Weed cloth. Cut it away from the planting hole and where the roots will spread. Remove any plastic sheeting completely, since it keeps water and air out of the soil.
Rock or decomposed granite with no soil underneath. Bring in soil close in texture to your native soil, mix it with the soil below, and build up enough depth for roots before planting.
If you can break through. Use a breaker bar, pick, or jackhammer. Dig through the caliche and break out the solid chunks. Backfill with the soil you dug out, with no compost or manure in the hole. Confirm drainage before planting.
If you cannot break through. Dig narrow holes through the hard layer beside the root ball, not under it, and refill them with the same soil, not gravel. If it still will not drain, plant on a low mound of the same soil.
Root ball. Check the outside edges for any roots circling around. Loosen or cut those so they grow outward. Do not break up the center of the root ball.
Depth. The top of the root ball should sit at or just slightly above the surrounding soil level. Planting too deep can lead to rot and kill the plant.
Drip emitters. At planting, put the emitters on the root ball, on different sides of the plant. After about 2 months, move them to the outer edge of the root ball. Over the first year, add emitters farther out toward the edge of the branches as roots grow. Once a plant is rooted, never water only at the trunk.
How big does Variegated Euonymus get?
It grows about 5 to 10 feet tall and 4 to 8 feet wide. Prune it in late winter or early spring if you want to keep it lower as a hedge.
How far apart should I plant it for a hedge?
Plant about 6 to 8 feet apart, center to center. Use 6 feet for a tighter hedge, and the Spacing tab counts plants for your row.
What is the difference between Variegated Euonymus and Gold Spot Euonymus?
They are the same species with the color in different places. Variegated Euonymus has green leaves with gold edges, while Gold Spot has a gold center with a green edge.
Can it take full sun in Phoenix?
Not on a west side. Plant it on an east or north side with morning sun and afternoon shade, since west walls and reflected heat scorch the leaves.
How often should I water it?
Water about weekly once it is rooted, and more often in extreme heat. Let the top few inches of soil dry between soaks, since soggy soil rots the roots.
Why are some leaves turning all green?
Variegated euonymus can send out shoots with plain green leaves. Cut those shoots out where they start so the plant keeps its gold-edged look.
When should I prune it?
Do the main pruning in late winter or early spring. Light summer trims are fine, but skip heavy cuts in extreme heat. It takes shearing into a formal hedge.
Why are the leaves turning yellow or the stems getting white bumps?
White bumps on stems are most likely euonymus scale, the most common pest. Coat stems and both sides of the leaves with horticultural oil early. Yellow leaves with green veins can mean alkaline soil, and an iron product helps.
Does it need fertilizer?
A light, balanced feeding in early spring is enough. Skip feeding during extreme summer heat.
Is Variegated Euonymus toxic to pets?
Euonymus leaves and seeds can upset a pet's stomach if chewed, and large amounts are more serious. Keep pets from eating it.
How cold can it take?
It is rated to about -10°F, so Valley winters do not hurt it and it needs no frost cover.
Variegated Euonymus for sale in Arizona, delivered to you
Variegated Euonymus (Euonymus japonicus 'Aureomarginatus') is an evergreen shrub with glossy green leaves and wide golden yellow edges. People plant it for a colorful hedge or screen on the shady side of the house. Below you will find its size, how it differs from Gold Spot, where to plant it in the Valley, water, pruning and common problems.
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Does variegated euonymus grow well in Arizona?
Yes, on the right side of the house. It does best in the Valley on an east or north side with afternoon shade and regular water.
Gold-edged vs gold-centered euonymus
Variegated Euonymus has gold edges around a green center. Gold Spot is the reverse, with a gold center and green edges. Both are the same species with the same care.
How big does variegated euonymus get?
It grows about 5 to 10 feet tall and 4 to 8 feet wide at a moderate pace. It takes pruning, so it can be kept lower as a hedge.
How far apart do you plant a euonymus hedge?
Plant about 6 to 8 feet apart, center to center. The Spacing tab counts plants for your row.
How often do you water euonymus in Phoenix?
Soak it about weekly, and more often in extreme heat. Let the top few inches of soil dry between soaks, since soggy soil rots the roots.
Why is my variegated euonymus turning green?
Some shoots can come back with plain green leaves. Cut them out where they start so the plant keeps its gold-edged look.
We deliver across the Valley, from Phoenix, Scottsdale and Mesa out to San Tan Valley, Maricopa and Casa Grande, and up to Prescott, Sedona, Payson and Globe. See delivery areas and rates.