New Euonymus japonicus 'Microphyllus'

[Lazylightningny]

Was walking through HD looking for some filler stone for my yard, when this one caught my eye. A quick google search on the spot revealed that Microphyllus is a dwarf variety of the burning bush. Gotta love smart phones in the garden center. The ones they had were all growing in clumps like this one, so it would be easy to assume that it's a cultivar quality. It’s cold hardiness is marginal (zones 6-9) for where I live (zone 6), so it will need good protection in winter. It’s not at all like my previous euonymus, which had a single, massive trunk and spindles on the branches. This one has no spindles, and is much more attractive. As I remember, that last one I chopped severely in the spring a few years ago and left it in it’s original nursery container and soil. It never budded back, just died.

I'm treating this one a little different. Removed some soil from the top to expose more roots, then cut the root ball in half with a saw. Bare rooted the remainder with a chopstick and water spray. I couldn’t completely bare root the center of the root ball, because it was really tightly packed and dry, but I did the best I could. Trimmed the roots to fit into a pond basket, backfilled with bonsai soil, and watered thoroughly. I trimmed the foliage about 25-30%. Placed in the shade, no fertilizer, where it will stay until I see signs of recovery.

Unless it grows gangbusters, I’ll leave this one alone now for the rest of the year to recover. Next year I can start refining it more.

 

[augustine]

In my area the species gets scale frequently, keep an eye out.

 

[cbroad]

A quick google search on the spot revealed that Microphyllus is a dwarf variety of the burning bush.

Don't expect this to be the same as Euonymus alatus, commonly called burning bush. I've heard your type called boxleaf euonymus because of the similar small leaves of boxwood. Your plant is an evergreen type and won't get that striking red color in the fall, but it should still make a nice bonsai since the leaves are so small!

Good luck!

 

[just.wing.it]

That should make a cool little clump!
Evergreen I think, yes, like cbroad said.

 

[Lazylightningny]

Don't expect this to be the same as Euonymus alatus, commonly called burning bush. I've heard your type called boxleaf euonymus because of the similar small leaves of boxwood. Your plant is an evergreen type and won't get that striking red color in the fall, but it should still make a nice bonsai since the leaves are so small!

Good luck!

Thanks for the clarification!

 

[Lazylightningny]

That should make a cool little clump!
Evergreen I think, yes, like cbroad said.

I wouldn't be surprised if it's more of a semi-evergreen, since I'm on the cold edge of it's comfort zone.

 

[cbroad]

I love euonymus' trunk colors and textures, yours is great now and will definitely make an awesome clump!