Silver Pillar Euonymus

Silver Pillar Euonymus (Euonymus fortunei 'Silver Pillar') is a low hedge that stays where you put it. It reaches about 1.2m tall and only 60cm wide, with small grey green leaves edged in clean white. Few variegated shrubs are frost hardy, drought tolerant and salt tolerant at once, which is why this one works from the cool south to the warm subtropics.

Why you'll love it

• Brightness without flowers. White leaf margins do the work of a flowering plant all year, in shaded beds where colour is hard to hold.
• Genuinely narrow. At 1.2m by 60cm it fits the strip between a path and a fence, where most hedging plants take the lot.
• It takes a clip. Small leaves give a smooth face rather than a chopped one, so low hedges, cones and standards all work.
• Hardy almost everywhere. Frost hardy in cool temperate winters, drought tolerant once settled, salt tolerant near the coast, untroubled by poor soil.
• Low maintenance. One or two trims a year and an annual feed, and it avoids the pests that plague box hedging.

Where it works best

Low hedging and borders. Plant 50cm apart for a narrow low hedge. Plants knit into a continuous ribbon in about two seasons.

Pots and small gardens. A matched pair in 400mm pots either side of a doorway gives formality without blocking the entry.

Topiary and shaping. Dense upright growth holds a shape well, and any mistake grows out within a season.

Growing Silver Pillar Euonymus in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun to part shade. Variegation is strongest in good light, but afternoon shade stops the pale margins scorching in hot inland gardens and humid subtropical summers. Cool temperate, warm temperate, Mediterranean and subtropical gardens all suit it.

Soil. Not fussy. Poor, shallow, sandy or clay ground all work as long as water moves through. On heavy soil raise the bed slightly, then mulch 50mm deep clear of the stems.

Water and feed. Deep water twice a week through the first summer, then taper off. A complete slow release fertiliser in early spring keeps growth tight and the variegation crisp.

Pruning. Trim in spring and again in late summer. Watch for reverted shoots, the all green stems that appear occasionally and grow faster than the rest, and cut them out at the base.

What to expect when it arrives

This one is grown as tube stock: young, single stemmed, roughly hand height. A tube is a starting point rather than an instant hedge, which suits the job it usually does, since a border of 20 plants at 50cm spacing is affordable in tubes and a serious expense in advanced sizes. Allow two to three years to close into a finished low hedge.

Plants are packed to travel upright and delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95 and a minimum order of $300 before delivery. Tip prune from the first season to build density at the base. Every plant is covered by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Variegated plants explained
• Plants that suit topiary and shaping
• Companions for small gardens
• How to create a great hedge

Common questions

How far apart should I plant it for a low hedge?

Fifty centimetres apart in a single row. Close enough for the canopies to meet within two seasons, and far enough that each plant keeps its own root run.

Is it safe around pets and children?

No. All parts of euonymus are toxic if eaten, including leaves and fruit, so it is not for a garden where dogs chew foliage or children graze.

Why are some stems turning plain green?

That is reversion. The green shoots hold more chlorophyll, grow faster and will eventually dominate. Cut them out flush where they emerge, as soon as you notice them.