| winter creeper |
USDA PLANTS Symbol: EUFO5 USDA ARS GRIN: 16262 ITIS: 27950 NAPIS: PBAABBC |
| Euonymus fortunei (Turcz.) Hand.-Maz. | |
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Taxonomic Rank: Magnoliopsida: Celastrales: Celastraceae |
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| Synonym(s): climbing euonymus | |
Winter creeper is an evergreen, woody vine that invades forests throughout the eastern United States. The plant can be a small shrub, growing in mats along the forest floor to 3 ft. (0.9 m) in height, or a vine climbing trees to heights of 40-70 ft. (12.2-21.3 m). The opposite leaves are dark green, oval, slightly toothed, glossy, thick, < 1 in. (2.5 cm) long and often with silvery-white venation. The young stems are green, becoming light gray and corky with age. Flowers are inconspicuous, yellow-green, five petaled and develop in mid-summer. Plants usually only flower when climbing and almost never when trailing along the ground. Fruit are pinkish-red capsules that open to show orange seeds. Winter creeper aggressively invades open forests, forest margins, and openings. The dense ground cover often resulting from an infestation can displace native understory species and restrict tree seedling establishment. Winter creeper can also smother and kill shrubs and small trees. Winter creeper is native to Asia and was first introduced into the United States in 1907 as an ornamental ground cover plant. |
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Identification, Biology, Control and Management Resources
- Weed of the Week - USDA Forest Service
- Weeds Gone Wild: Alien Plant Invaders of Natural Areas - Plant Conservation Alliance
- Plant Invaders of Mid-Atlantic Natural Areas - National Park Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
- Nonnative Invasive Plants of Southern Forests - USDA Forest Service
- Fact Sheet - Pennsylvania Dept. of Conservation and Natural Resources
| Selected Images from Invasive.org | View All Images at Invasive.org |
 Foliage; May James H. Miller, USDA Forest Service, Bugwood.org Additional Resolutions & Image Usage |
 Foliage; May James H. Miller, USDA Forest Service, Bugwood.org Additional Resolutions & Image Usage |
 Plant(s); May James H. Miller, USDA Forest Service, Bugwood.org Additional Resolutions & Image Usage |
 Foliage; with fruit Keith Langdon, National Park Service, Bugwood.org Additional Resolutions & Image Usage |
 Feature(s); May James H. Miller, USDA Forest Service, Bugwood.org Additional Resolutions & Image Usage |
 Feature(s); Stem with distinctive buds in May James H. Miller, USDA Forest Service, Bugwood.org Additional Resolutions & Image Usage |
 Feature(s); Stem with small patch of aerial roots in May James H. Miller, USDA Forest Service, Bugwood.org Additional Resolutions & Image Usage |
 Stem(s); December James H. Miller, USDA Forest Service, Bugwood.org Additional Resolutions & Image Usage |
 Foliage; Chris Evans, River to River CWMA, Bugwood.org Additional Resolutions & Image Usage |
 Plant(s); Chris Evans, River to River CWMA, Bugwood.org Additional Resolutions & Image Usage |
 Plant(s); Chris Evans, River to River CWMA, Bugwood.org Additional Resolutions & Image Usage |
 Infestation; Chris Evans, River to River CWMA, Bugwood.org Additional Resolutions & Image Usage |
Taxonomic References:
- USDA, NRCS. 2001. The PLANTS Database, Version 3.1, National Plant Data Center, Baton Rouge, LA 70874-4490 USA.
Invasive Listing Sources:
- Faith Campbell, 1998. Plants that Hog the Garden: Invasive Plants in the United States. Fine Gardening Online
- Hoffman, R. & K. Kearns, Eds. 1997. Wisconsin manual of control recommendations for ecologically invasive plants. Wisconsin Dept. Natural Resources, Bureau of Endangered Resources. Madison, Wisconsin. 102pp.
- Indiana Native Plant and Wildflower Society
- Jil M. Swearingen, Survey of invasive plants occurring on National Park Service lands, 2000-2007
- John Randall, The Nature Conservancy, Survey of TNC Preserves, 1995.
- Maryland Cooperative Extension Service. 2003. Invasive Plant Control in Maryland. Home and Garden Information Center, Home and Garden Mimeo HG88. 4 pp.
- Maryland Department of Natural Resources, 1994
- Mid-Atlantic Exotic Pest Plant Council, 2005
- Missouri Department of Conservation,
- Nonnative Invasive Species in Southern Forest and Grassland Ecosystems
- Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation, 1999.
- WeedUS - Database of Plants Invading Natural Areas in the United States
- Georgia Exotic Pest Plant Council Category 3
- Kentucky Exotic Pest Plant Council Severe Threat
- South Carolina Exotic Pest Plant Council Watch A
- Tennessee Exotic Pest Plant Council Severe Threat
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