The Purple Wintercreeper Euonymus's Mature Spread 15 - 20 feet, Soil Type Widely Adaptable, Moisture Medium Well - Drained, Mature Form Bushy 6 - 9 inches, Growth Rate Fast, Sun Exposure Full Sun - Partial Sun, Flower Color Green and White, Fall Color Evergreen, Flowering Date Summer, Foliage Color Green to Purple, Zones 4-8.

Purple Wintercreeper Euonymus, Euonymus fortunei 'Coloratus', also known as Wintercreeper and Wintercreeper Eunonymus, is a dense, woody-stemmed, broadleaf evergreen plant which comes in a variety of forms. Euonymus fortunei 'Coloratus' (commonly called purple wintercreeper euonymus, is primarily a trailing ground cover form which typically grows to 6-9" tall and spreads indefinitely by rooting stems as a sprawling, tangled, bushy mat.

It is similar in habit to English ivy, in that it spreads along the ground, rooting as it goes, until it reaches a vertical surface which it then begins to climb. It features lustrous, ovate to elliptic, dark green leaves (1-2" long) which turn dark purple in fall and winter. Purple Wintercreepers have inconspicuous, greenish-white flowers that may appear in June.

The flowers are at best sparse, but are usually not present. If allowed to climb a wall, tree or other structure, this plant assumes more vine-like characteristics and is more likely to produce flowers, though still sparse and inconspicuous.

'Coloratus' is sometimes sold as Euonymus fortunei var. coloratus. It is one of the most popular evergreen ground covers available in commerce today.This plant is a good ground cover for slopes. It is also used for container plantings, massing and erosion control.