The euonymus is one of the most common native shrubs that are often used as colorful accents in the garden. They are of ecological importance and particularly easy to care for. Their good pruning tolerance makes the shrubs the perfect woody plants for topiary, hedge design and bonsai.
The euonymus can also be cut as a hedge
Care in the natural garden
If you want a wild growth character, you don't have to cut back the spindle tree regularly. The wood expands in width and forms a dense network of branches with pronounced ramifications.
In this habitat, small songbirds find optimal retreats and song stations. They use the wood to build their nests and as a food source. The shrub is not only bustling with activity during the summer months. Even if the branches appear dead in winter, they provide important wintering quarters for numerous insects.
topiary
If your space in the garden is limited, you can bring the spindle tree into shape with regular pruning measures. Remove branches that disturb the overall picture. Dead branches are cut off at the base so that the tree can invest its energy in the living branches.
Good to know:
- Cut injuries do not require treatment
- Thinning occurs in spring or late autumn
hedge trimming
In order to shape the euonymus into a hedge, you should prune the shrub evenly from a young age. Regular pruning stimulates the plants to form new shoots.
Remove disturbing main branches and side shoots to give the shrub a rough shape. The euonymus forms numerous branches and grows into a dense privacy screen. Use a cleaned and well-sharpened hedge trimmer for the cutting measures. (77.00€) The maintenance cut is faster with an electric hedge trimmer.
radical cut
Spindle trees prove to be trees that tolerate pruning very well and can also survive radical pruning. When cutting back radically, pay attention to the breeding season of the birds. While light topiary cuts are possible throughout the growing season, according to the Federal Nature Conservation Act, you may not carry out any radical pruning between March and September. There could be bird nests in the bushes that would be destroyed by pruning.
Spring is ideal for intensive pruning, as the shrub will sprout again by winter. Be careful when cutting that the two-year-old wood is not completely removed. This is where the bushes develop their flowers. Use a sharp saw or chainsaw to remove the branches.
Cutting tips:
- evergreen spindle shrubs are kept in shape if necessary
- other species look better uncut
bonsai
Spindle trees can be shaped at an early stage by wiring and turned into a bonsai. This measure works well for young specimens, because the wood hardens within a short time and then keeps its shape. A topiary is possible at any time with the fast-growing plant. Spindle trees are ideal outdoor bonsai that impress with lush flowering and withstand temperatures down to -20 degrees Celsius.