Euonymus europaeus
European spindle, bishop's hat, priest's hat, square wood, larding wood: in autumn, this native shrub offers one of the finest displays in our hedgerows — pink, four-lobed capsules, exactly the shape of an ecclesiastical biretta, which open to reveal bright orange seeds. The pink-orange contrast is striking, and its foliage turns red at the same time.
Characteristics:
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Spectacular fruits: bright pink capsules opening to reveal orange seeds, from September to November.
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Autumn foliage: it blazes scarlet red during the same period.
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Native shrub: 3 to 5 metres, perfectly adapted to our climate and wildlife.
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Square-section branches: hence its name “square wood”, an easy-to-recognize feature.
Precautions:
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All parts of the plant are toxic if ingested, especially the fruits. Their bright colours are very attractive to children: do not plant it in a garden frequented by young children, or explain the danger to them clearly.
- Clearly label your seed packets and keep them out of reach.
Sowing advice:
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Exposure: partial shade to full sun.
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Soil: ordinary, well-drained, calcareous or neutral. This is a very undemanding woodland-edge shrub that tolerates both dry and moist soils. No fertilisation is needed.
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Method: 2 to 3 months of cold stratification is essential. The simplest method is to sow directly outdoors in autumn and let winter do the work. Otherwise, place the seeds in moist sand in the refrigerator, then sow in spring.
Planting advice:
- Transplant into a country hedge (1 m spacing) or a natural border. Growth is slow during the first few years, so be patient.
Maintenance advice:
- It tolerates light pruning and difficult weather conditions well. Once established, it is very hardy and requires no further care.
Beneficial combinations:
Benefits for biodiversity:
- As a native species, it plays a far greater ecological role than exotic shrubs: its fruits, toxic to humans, are eaten by robins and warblers, which disperse its seeds.
- Its inconspicuous flowers are frequently visited by small insects, and it is a host plant for several butterflies.
- Interesting fact: it hosts a specific aphid that attracts large numbers of ladybirds and hoverflies — thus functioning as a relay plant for beneficial garden insects.
Uses:
- Country hedges, natural borders, diversified reforestation projects. Strictly ornamental and ecological.
Symbolism:
Spindle symbolises resilience and creativity: its soft, charred wood produces the famous charcoal pencils used by artists, a practice dating back to prehistoric times.
Harvesting your own seeds:
Harvest the capsules as they open — wearing gloves —, extract the orange seeds and remove their fleshy arils by rubbing them in a little water. Dry them before winter stratification. See saving your seeds.
Commitment to Quality: at SemiSauvage - Permaculture, we grow and select our seeds with respect for all living things as our guiding principle. Based near the Auvergne Volcanoes, we choose reproducible, non-hybrid varieties, tested for their germination rate, sorted and carefully packaged, without any chemical treatment. Our conviction: to give gardeners back the ability to resow, year after year, seeds that truly belong to them.
Plant a valuable native shrub that puts on a spectacular display in autumn.
