Euonymus japonicus evergreen euonymus

Euonymus japonicus. John Rawlings, ca. 2005

Evergreen shrub with handsome glossy oval leaves arranged in pairs. The distinctive fruit has white, red, or black seeds enclosed in an orange-colored aril. It grows on either side of the path from the Mausoleum lawn to the Arizona Garden entrance, near the Buxus hedge. There is an extensive planting along the northern cut-off path through the Oval ear and between Lomita Drive and the Oval. See one bush near the Philadelphus shrubs along the north wall of the restroom behind Inner Quad Building 40.

The winter deciduous Fortune’s euonymus (E. fortunei) forms an extensive ground cover on the east side of Green Library between the building and lawn.

E. occidentalis is uncommon along trail 1 at Jasper Ridge; plants are marked with yellow- and black-striped tape.

Illustrations: E. fortunei fruit 11 Jan 2005 | Jasper Ridge E. occidentalis photo archive.

Name derivation: Euonymus – from the Greek eu, good, and onoma, a name; occidentalis – Western. From California Plant Names.